Pour Over
​This simple method of extraction is a personal favorite. It is a little more involved than just pressing a button but really not too much to handle - even before full consciousness.
I see brewing coffee as a little personal "wake-up" ritual every morning. This is especially true when using a pour-over. Each step of this process is a pleasing nudge in the right direction. The whole thing is literally happening under your nose. I use an electric kettle so the start is easy, after that the smells, warmth and visual carries you through to the first sip. When pouring into really fresh roasted, just ground coffee, you can see those beautiful blue bubbles of carbon dioxide perking out of the grind. The SCAA recommends 33 grams of coffee to 500 milliliters of water and the rule of thumb is 1 to 2 tablespoons of coffee for every 6 oz cup. Because grind and roast effects volume, measuring weight is more accurate. But really as long as you measure, you can adjust to taste and from there consistantantly make great coffee. The water temperature should be 201 to 205 degrees F. That means boil, then lose 30 to 45 seconds before pouring - very easy when its early.
No matter which system you choose the pouring technique is pretty much the same. You first pour just enough to get all of the ginds wet. This is when you see the first bloom- as it was coined in France. Continue pouring slowly, starting in the middle and moving in and out in concentric circles until the desired volume is reached. Keep away from the walls of the cone at all times and try to maintain a constant volume throughout the brewing process.
Now to differentiate between manufactures
There is growing number of drippers out there, each very different than the other, each with a following that swears by them, the big three in the coffee world are Chemex, Hario and Melitta.