Good therapy, like good coffee, is handcrafted.

One of the things that I love most about my job as a counselor here in Colorado Springs is that for any client that wants it, I make a custom cup of third-wave coffee (Click that link if you're wondering what third-wave coffee is). The coffee I make is roasted here in town, never more than a few weeks old, ground on the spot, and brewed expressly for the person(s) in my office. I am proud to work with a local roaster and have been privileged to learn more each time I order from Sean and his team at Building Three Coffee.

This post is specifically about how to make a great cup of pour-over coffee. Why should a counselor write about this you ask? Because I absolutely love coffee, and I'm happy to share that passion with you all!

Equipment

1. Scale and Timer (grams)

2. Conical Burr Grinder

3. V60 Pour Over System (Ideally Ceramic)

4. Goose Neck Kettle with temperature settings

   
   

Beans

First, I recommend you find a good roaster or coffee shop somewhere. It absolutely matters the roast and variety you get for your coffee. However, your local roaster will be able to guide you in your coffee selections. As a general rule, lighter roasts will have brighter flavors and will be higher in antioxidants; they will also have a bit more caffeine.

On the other hand, darker roasts will generally have a more bold flavor, may be lower in some of the natural health benefits, and will have noticeably less caffeine. As a general rule, I always recommend that you buy whole bean coffee. Whole-bean coffee preserves the flavor and freshness of the coffee in a significant way.

Measuring & Grinding

After you've selected your bean, the first thing that you'll want to do is weigh out about 22 grams of coffee (the scale will be vital if you're going to keep your ratios correct). For this measurement, I will actually use a small container and, zeroing the scale with the container on it, adding whole beans until I reach about 22.3-22.7 grams (this is way more precise than necessary, but its fun). Then I'll throw the beans into the grinder.

How fine or coarse you grind your beans is one of the more significant variables, and it will likely take a few cups to dial in the specific bean you have (yes, each bean and roast is unique and will require some optimization). We'll talk more about the grind as we go. To start with, grind somewhere between drip coffee (a middling coarseness) and French press (very coarse).

Brewing

While your coffee is grinding, heat your water to just under boiling. I'm a counselor in Colorado Springs, CO, and our altitude is a little bit over 6000 feet. As such, our boiling point is technically about 202 degrees Fahrenheit. If you bring your water to a few degrees below boiling, that's ideal (I hold my water at about 200 degrees). The closer to sea level you are, the closer you'll be to the typical 212 degree boiling point. Place your filter (V60 Size 2) into the ceramic V60 pour over thingy, and then wet the filter with your hot water. Soaking the filter reduces the paper taste that you can get from dry filter paper.

A note about water

The water you use can be a very significant variable. Well-water, laden with lots of minerals and other stragglers, can significantly impact the taste of your coffee. Likewise, filtered water can also have an impact on the palate. If you really are intent on hardcore nerding out on your water choice, you can actually purchase mineral additives (which you add like sugar to the water) to optimize your coffee's flavor profile. For my purposes, I use filtered artesian well-water.

The Pour Over

When your coffee is ground, place the cup, the V60 and the wet filter on the scale and turn it on. The scale should automatically zero (tare) itself. Add the ground coffee to your filter and verify that you have about 22 grams of coffee (sometimes you can lose a bean or two during the grind, so tapping the grinder firmly as it finishes can dislodge any residual coffee into the hopper).

After verifying you have all your coffee, tare the scale again, start the timer and add 20-30 grams of water (trying to wet all the coffee grounds) for a stage called the bloom. During this first 30 seconds, the coffee grounds are bleeding off excess gasses. After the first 30 seconds, start slowly pouring more hot water (still about 200ish degrees Fahrenheit), beginning in the middle of the grounds and working your way out to the edges of the filter. Try to get as close to the paper filter as you can while still pouring the water on the grounds. Pour slowly and consistently; ideally, you will reach 300 grams of water at about 1:15 on the timer.

At this point, you're merely waiting for the water to finish draining. The cup should be ready between 2:30 and 2:45. You can stretch it to 3:00, but you'll want to pull your grounds at this point no matter how much water you have left in the filter.

This stage of the process is where you can verify the coarseness of your grind. If the water drains from your filter before 2:30, this means your grind is too coarse, and you're likely under-extracting the coffee. You can verify this by tasting the coffee; if it's watery, adjust the grind and try again. If you still have substantial water in the filter by 3:00, your grind is likely too fine, and you're going to over-extract the coffee. Over-extracted coffee will result in a more bitter taste. Again, adjust the grind and try to find the sweet spot between 2:30 and 2:45.

I recommend drinking your coffee out of a mug or cup that is open at the top. Travel cups, with their lids, don't allow you to enjoy all the aromas that enhance the taste of the brewed coffee. However, the coffee will cool faster (which will also impact the flavor profile). If you're like me, quickly cooling coffee can increase the rate at which you drink and can have an impact on how much you drink (especially, if you have access to this kind of coffee glory all day long).

So slow down, choose to enjoy the nuances of your coffee as you imbibe. Pay attention to the different tasting notes and unique aromas. Don't settle for coffee to merely get you going in the morning, instead let your heart revel in the beauty of your coffee's brewed goodness. Enjoy the artful flavors and precision of a single, glorious cup of pure delight, crafted by your own hands, in a ritual inviting your body and your mind to experience the joy of one of God's greatest gifts: Coffee.

P.S. Thanks to Taylor, from Good Neighbors Meeting House in Colorado Springs, for teaching me how to make amazing coffee!