Using a Manual Dripper

Manual drip or a pour over is one of the simplest brewing methods preferred by many a connoisseur.  Tiny droplets of water flow over the coffee grounds extracting all the oils and flavours that make a perfect brew.  As with any brewing method, the key parameters should be observed: your water should be 92-93 deg C, you should allow 6 g of coffee per every 100 ml of water (perhaps allowing a little extra - not more than 10% - to allow for the retention of water in the grounds at the end of the brewing process), and the brewing time should not exceed 5 minutes.

  1. Boil the water.
  2. Put the paper filter in the dripper cone and pour some hot water through the paper filter (this will prevent any hints of paper taste in your coffee).
  3. Discard the water used to prewet the paper filter.
  4. Place the required amount of ground coffee into the filter.
  5. Making sure that your boiled water is the right temperature (93 deg C), slowly pour the water over the grounds in a circular motion.  Do not pour more water than is required to cover the grounds - let the coffee bloom and the resultant foam to rise and fall.
  6. Pour more water to cover the grounds, repeat this step several times until you have poured the required amount of water.
  7. Once all the water has dripped through the grounds, remove and discard the filter.
  8. Stir the brew to ensure the even consistency of taste and serve.
  9. Enjoy!
Tip: Using kitchen scales is a great way to control the amount of water used in brewing.  Right before you start pouring water through the coffee grounds, place your brewer (with coffee grounds in the filter) on the scales, set weight to zero and start pouring.  Continue pouring water until the indicator on the scales shows the required target weight.