Pour over Coffee Technique Advice?

Musiclover on 26/03/2025 - 13:04
Last edited 30/03/2025 - 19:49

I started doing pour overs. I have a pretty standard set up apart from a standard (non gooseneck) kettle which everyone probably would blame for my failures. Otherwise: Brewista Tornado, Hario v60 filters, Kingrinder K6 grinder and Lavazo Oro Medium Roast coffee. I have done it around 10-15 times so far, and nearly every time the coffee comes out extremely bitter to a point where it is almost not drinkable, and I am not a fussy coffee drinker at all. I started with a standard grind size of around 95 clicks and the only time it was drinkable when I went down to around 70 clicks (much finer grind) it became a bit less bitter then. I also tried to go extremely coarse (120 clicks) it was still very bitter. Otherwise, everything else like water temp or bloom time does not seem to make any difference. Every time water just gushes through the coffee in no time, regardless of whether I agitate it or not… What am I doing wrong? PS I have ordered a gooseneck kettle and will see if it will change things but I am able to pour pretty gently and slowly with a normal kettle. For reference, my Vittoria Coffee Brazil Rex instant coffee is 10 times better.

UPDATE OK so I think I found the source of my particular problem: it was the kettle!
To an untrained eye, it looked like I was pouring in exactly the same way from a regular kettle as with the Hario - I was able to produce a very thin very gentle stream, but it would come out extremely bitter each time. However, after I started using Hario Fit gooseneck kettle - it has become tasty and non bitter! The stream strength must be a lot less and it must not disturb the coffee as much.
I am sure that with better beans it will be even better - but in my case the bitterness was just out of the charts (just beyond good and evil), I do not think any beans would have worked with that regular kettle.

Food & Grocery Coffee

Comments

  • djsweet on 26/03/2025 - 13:17
    +3

    It’s your coffee. Get a decent filter roast. The beans make more difference than technique. Otherwise if too bitter adjust the grind size to be coarser, not finer. There is also a chance you just don’t like filter coffee…

    • Musiclover on 26/03/2025 - 13:20

      Thank you for your advice. I actually tried to go a lot coarser but it was still very bitter if not more…

      • Kelstorm on 26/03/2025 - 17:50

        Maybe do some research on this (because I don't know much about it, I just heard it mentioned), but its a relatively common thing for beginners to confuse bad tastes that are not bitterness (often sourness), with bitterness. It's possible that's what's happening here?

        Everyone is shitting on your beans (and tbh I agree; get better beans) but it's a huge question mark to me that you are finding it more bitter with a coarser grind. Lavazza isn't that bad.

        One suggestion is to deliberately hit both extremes, to help identify what the different bad tastes are. That is, grind really fine, like, obviously way too fine, something that takes like 4+min to draw down for a single dose. This should definitely be quite bitter. Then do another one grinding really coarse (sounds like you might have already done this) - maybe less than a minute for your single dose.

        You might find that what you thought was bitterness was actually something else.

  • 7ekn00 on 26/03/2025 - 13:20
    +1

    Lavazo Oro Medium Roast

    Might be the culprit here, try a different brand ;)

    I prefer cold brew to any form of warm water steeping!! Cold brew gets rid of a heap of the bitter taste ;)

  • Daabido on 26/03/2025 - 13:21

    Partly it's your coffee. I have been down your road, and it can be very frustrating.

    Just get a Clever Coffee Dripper and it will improve immediately. Or better still, just buy a Bodum French Press. And get some better coffee and and an Airscape to store it in.

    Follow James Hoffman's french press technique.

  • skid on 26/03/2025 - 13:24

    Show us a video.

    Bitterness can be fixed by using a different bean.

    Water gushing through means the grind is too coarse.

    Pour slower and in a circle. Try to wet all of the coffee.

  • jasiano on 26/03/2025 - 13:45
    +1

    100% your beans will have a (negative) impact… my guess is you are getting them from a supermarket/amazon etc where they have probably been roasted many weeks/months earlier and sat in a shelf/warehouse so they would be (a) stale and 'gush' a lot and (b) very flat/one dimensional flavour… usually the dark/bitter notes will be all you get.
    Those beans are tend to be roasted dark for the 'mainstream' coffee drinker (the ones that ask for 'strong' coffee but really mean 'bitter'…)

    go to your local cafe, order their v60/pourover coffee of the day, and if you like the taste then get the beans from them directly. They are likely more freshly roasted and will have more flavour retention.

    A gooseneck kettle is a good step to help control the flow of water - i.e. slow(ish) but also consistent circles/spiral patter to make sure all the grounds get the same amount of water. Feel free to just practice pouring water into an empty container to get the hang of it first.

    Water temp when you are starting out is a factor, but less so than the coffee quality and grind consistency and the pouring technique. Basically just boil it, let it sit for maybe 30secs (so the temp will be more like 95/96deg) and then pour.
    Water QUALITY is a factor though - unfiltered water from the tap with chlorine and (depending where you live) too much hardness is going give a certain astringency as well. A Brita filter jug with the 'softening' cartridges are pretty good first step if you don't already have a filter for your water.

    I used to have a K6 as well, can't remember what the setting was… it is okay as a grinder to start out on the V60 journey.

    But first and foremost…. quality beans is the key. If you are unsure about grinding size, ask your local cafe to grind them for you as well (it will 'stale' faster than if you have whole beans that you grind on demand, but it can help get a starting baseline).

    • Musiclover on 26/03/2025 - 13:55
      +1

      Wow thanks for a detailed response, I will start working on trying to improve based on your advice then…

      • jasiano on 26/03/2025 - 14:05

        no probs.
        Like most coffee nerds we all had to start somewhere, it wasn't that long ago I was where you are on the journey.

        If I can convince 1 person a day to skip the supermarket/mass chain 'coffee' and move onto specialty coffee from your local cafe/roaster… that's my goal :)

  • Alki87 on 26/03/2025 - 13:58
    +1

    As everyone mentioned, I would try freshly roasted bean first.

  • seanfoite on 26/03/2025 - 13:59

    As everyone said its the beans for sure. If you are planning on getting stuff from the supermarker, try and find the freshest possible (ie the most recent roast date). But you should really try and source it either from a local cafe of from one of the many online places. They should roast to order, so it will be super fresh.

  • jv on 26/03/2025 - 14:34

    It would be the coffee…

    Mine turn out great. That last couple I used were the Airjo Enterprise Blend which was very good, and now the Lime Blue Coffee-South Central Blend, also good, but I think I prefer the Airjo one.

    • Daabido on 26/03/2025 - 16:01
      +1

      I'm glad you enjoyed the Enterprise. I threw mine out after the first time I used it. All it tasted of was burnt. It must have just been a bad batch. I also have had good AirJo, and very ordinary AirJo of the same variety. I find Lime Blue to be more consistent.

      • jv on 26/03/2025 - 16:10

        I'm trying the Lime Blue single origin next.

  • zombrex on 26/03/2025 - 20:57

    Pour over is the easiest coffee to make, we make using water directly from kettle, with paper filters in a glass hario and it turns out great everytime. Try the grinders pre-ground coffee if you want a super smooth and easy to drink coffee with no bitterness, the coles brand daly street that is roasted in Melbourne is also fantastic, especially when you acn get for half price.

  • SuperMoro on 27/03/2025 - 11:59
    +1

    At risk of sounding like a broken record - it’s your beans! I’d start there. I’m a student, so understand the struggle of moving toward expensive beans will be a bit of an issue. But I’d highly recommend it.

    Regardless of what others say above, I generally avoid supermarket beans as a general rule. If you are going to use supermarket beans, please do not pick a blend (for example, do not go with Daly street). For single origin supermarket beans, I’d recommend going to ALDI where I know for a fact that they source beans relatively soon after roast date - they have single origins such as Ethiopian or Columbian that won’t be too costly at all ($25/kg or thereabouts).

    If you’re up for spending a tad bit more, I’d recommend checking out Inglewood when they have a sale on. I buy their single origins with code TEDDY for 40% off and that usually ends up being ~$40/kg I think.

    Final tips - I’d recommend using a basic pour over recipe (Lance Hedrick or James Hoffmann on YouTube). I’d also recommend NOT pre ground beans. You have an excellent grinder, and it will do really well - take the time to learn what grind size works, and remember it changes depending on the coffee!

    Hope that helps.

  • Musiclover on 30/03/2025 - 19:46

    OK so I think I found the source of my particular problem: it was the kettle!
    To an untrained eye, it looked like I was pouring in exactly the same way from a regular kettle as with the Hario - I was able to produce a very thin very gentle stream, but it would come out extremely bitter each time. However, after I started using Hario Fit gooseneck kettle - it has become tasty and non bitter! The stream strength must be a lot less and it must not disturb the coffee as much.
    I am sure that with better beans it will be even better - but in my case the bitterness was just out of the charts (just beyond good and evil), I do not think any beans would have worked with that regular kettle.

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