Learned pour-over technique from a retired chemist in Portland

I was at this tiny shop called Never Coffee in Portland last month, just getting my usual drip. This older guy next to me was making a pour-over with a thermometer and a timer, super precise. He told me he used to work in a lab and applied the same logic to coffee, measuring water temp exactly at 200 degrees and pouring in 3 stages. I tried his method at home with my $25 V60, and the difference was massive, way less bitter and more flavor. Has anyone else picked up a trick from a stranger that totally changed their coffee game?

3 comments

3 Comments

eric_knight71mo ago

A RETIRED CHEMIST? That is honestly the most Portland thing I have ever heard. I bet he had the whole process dialed in like some kind of coffee alchemy experiment. The 200 degree thing makes sense though, I always just guessed with my kettle and got inconsistent results. Now I am tempted to buy a cheap thermometer and try that 3 stage pour myself. Your V60 probably never tasted that good before, huh.

pat_fisher241mo agoMost Upvoted

Did you try the thermometer yet? I did the same thing and it fixed my uneven brews way more than I expected.

jennifer_jenkins28d ago

Actually the 200 degree thing is a little off for most V60 recipes. Most specialty coffee people brew around 205-212 depending on the roast level. Darker roasts can go lower like 195 but 200 is kind of a middle ground that works okay for medium roasts. The real game changer isn't just the temp though its having a gooseneck kettle with a thermometer built in. Way easier than messing with a separate probe and you get way more control over the pour speed which matters more than temp honestly. The three stage pour method from that chemist guy is just a fancy way of doing what the 4:6 method from Tetsu Kasuya already mapped out. But if it gets people measuring stuff and paying attention then whatever works.