Pour over vs drip: what are the differences?

IN THIS POST

Pour over vs drip: what are the differences?

Do you know the difference between pour over vs drip coffee?

Drip coffee is the most popular way to make your morning cup of joe, but it’s not always the best.

We’re going to tell you why pouring over is better than drip for making a great-tasting cup of coffee.

Pour over coffee gives you more control over how much water and how long it flows through your grounds. This means that you can use fewer grounds and still get an amazing brew. Our guide will show you step-by-step instructions on how to make the perfect pour over every time.

Read more on Golden Sin if you want more information on how these two brewing methods differ!

What is pour over coffee?

Pour over coffee is a type of coffee where hot water extracts the flavor from ground beans. This is also called “drip” or “filtered” coffee. Pour over coffees typically only take about two minutes for full extraction because they use less water than drip coffees.

Drip coffee uses a machine to pour hot water over ground beans and then through a filter, which then drips into a pot below.
This process can take up to five minutes for full extraction. Generally, pour over coffees only take about two minutes for full extraction because they use less water than drip coffees.

A lot of people like to drink pour over coffee more because you have more control over how much water and how long it takes to reach full extraction.

History of pour over coffee

We all know that coffee is a long way in our midst but it was in the early 1900s that it became more precise. Most of the coffeemakers before this period didn’t filter the coffee as well. This resulted in getting grounds in your cup and a more bad and bitter experience.

Melitta Bentz, a school teacher in 1907, introduced a filtering device that made it easier and more convenient to brew coffee at home. This was in 1908, she patented her invention. It was the first time that someone had ever invented a thing specifically for filtering coffee. This allowed her to design and patent her brewing system. And so began one of the greatest periods of innovation in the coffee industry up until the present day.

Popularity of pour over coffee

Pour over coffee is becoming increasingly popular due to its convenience and customization. While many people still use other methods, we take a few minutes at the end of this article to summarize the benefits of pour over coffee.

The control that you have over how much water is used, how long it flows through the grounds, and what type of grind makes this brewing method highly customizable.

The reason for increased popularity can be found in many factors. Some people like pour over coffee because it’s more affordable than some other brewing methods while others enjoy not having a machine do all the work for them. It’s also been noted that pour over coffee results in a stronger flavor and more flavor variety. This is due to personal preferences when choosing the correct grind, the number of grounds to use, and the water temperature.

How to make a pour over

You only need a filter, some coffee grounds, a funnel or cone, water, and something to ‘catch’ the brew into. Mostly you’ll have all these coffee tools in one package.

This manual brewing method gives you control of the brewing process. In the beginning, you might make a few errors but this will improve as you will do this regularly. The timing is very important. You’ll need to let it rest well and then pour again. Always pour in a circular motion because you’ll want everything to be wetted evenly to increase the extraction.

It’s nice that the coffee grounds ‘bloom’, this is the process of flavor extraction inside the grounds.

You can make your coffee with the pour over the method by doing the following steps:

Pour water to desired temperature into a carafe or heat-proof vessel
Add coffee grounds to filter, medium roast is a good pick
Wet the paper filter by pouring hot water slowly over it then discard excess water. This enhances the extraction and improves the taste.
Completely cover grounds until you can’t see any more of them through the wet paper filter (this is called ‘saturating’)
Gently pour the right amount of boiling water onto the ground beans, starting at edge and working your way towards the middle. Bloom your coffee and wait for 30 seconds.
In the 2nd round you’ll go for the darker parts of the grounds. Wait a few seconds.
In the last round you’ll pour for about 2 minutes.
Remove the upper part with the filter or coffee maker, remove the filter so you’ll have only the brew left
Stir the brew in order to mix it all
Serve your cup of coffee and enjoy it!

What is drip coffee?

Drip coffee, also known as “filtered,” is a type of coffee where hot water extracts the flavor from ground beans. This is also called “drip” or “pour over” coffee. Drip coffees typically take about five minutes for full extraction because they use more water than pour over coffees.

Pour over coffees typically only take about two minutes for full extraction because they use less water than drip coffees.

Drip coffees are brewed with an automatic process; the user doesn’t have to control the water temperature, how long to wait before pouring into a cup, or how much coffee to put in their cup. This brewing method produces a set taste that can be predetermined by the user.

History of drip coffee

The invention of Melitta Bentz did not only increase the popularity of the pour over brewing method but also gave a boost to the development of electric drip coffee makers. Before that, coffee was made using pour over, a percolator, or a Moka pot.

Think about this when you make a coffee today how fast the industry has evolved!

The popularity of drip coffee

Drip coffee is increasingly popular due to its convenience and customization. The user has control over how much water is used, how long it flows through the grounds, and what type of grind makes this brewing method highly customizable.

This way of brewing coffee became popular because it integrates well with the busy lifestyle of going to work all day. How easy it became to make your daily cup of coffee and don’t lose a lot of time with it.

Because of the convenience, it’s always nice to have one in reserve for a quick cup of coffee!

How to make the best drip coffee

This is a bit more convenient when compared to the pour over method. Are you in a hurry or do you just want an easy cup of coffee? You can use an electric drip coffee maker.

You only need to put a (paper) filter in the machine (some machines have a permafilter), put your coffee grounds into it and add the right amount of water to the water tank and press the button.

Most of these coffee makers will come with a warmth plate to keep your coffee warm for some time. Always think about the quantity you’ll consume because you don’t want your coffee to go bad or your coffee maker to get moldy.

Pour over vs drip: 7 differences?

Here we’ll talk about some important differences between these 2 brew methods.

Control(ling)

The pour over brew method gives you the possibility to keep control over the brewing process. After you’ve selected the best beans possible, ground the beans freshly, and just in time, you can control the pouring rate and flavor extraction.

The electric drip brew method takes a lot of that control over you. You just need to plug in the coffee maker, put in the right amount of (filtered) water in the tank, a paper filter, and the right amount of coffee grounds. Pus the button and let the machine do the rest.

Quality

That’s a more difficult one. For us, if you use an electric drip coffee maker, you can only choose the best water, filter, and coffee grounds to brew your cup of coffee. However, if you use pour over, you can use the same input and use your own experience and see that all will be saturated and poured over evenly to increase the extraction. This is why we think the quality of a manual pour over might be better than the electric variant.

Taste – flavor

The flavor and taste are heavily correlated with the level of control. You can get the brew more quality by controlling the water flow and make sure everything is poured over evenly and thus everything is done to increase the best extraction rate. However, a cup of coffee from an electric drip coffee maker has to be of low quality for that reason! It’s more likely that pour over will get you a better cup!

Gear

You don’t need a lot of gear for both brewing methods. With pour-over, you’ll need your filter, water, coffee grounds, something to put your grounds into (carafe), and something to put the filter in. Things like a gooseneck kettle are essentially not needed for this brewing process, it only gives you extra control over the pouring of your water.

A drip coffee machine is very straightforward. The only extra things you might need are a paper filter, maybe a grinder if you grind your beans. The downside to this is that it’s less portable than pour over.

Durability

The durability of the gear is pretty straightforward. If you take care of your gear, they can last a long time, even a lifetime. Especially for pour over since it’s very simple.

The materials will mostly compose of the following: metal, glass, ceramic, and plastic.

Plastic is very common, doesn’t break fast and still is durable.
Ceramic is thick, sturdier and can hold heat very well.
Glass can also hold heat very well but can break.
Metal is more durable but can’t hold heat very well.

When it comes to electric drip coffee makers, they won’t cost you a lot of money but will last for a lot of years.

Consistency

When you’re pouring over, it’s you who’s the boss. You can perfect the brew and go for the darker grounds to increase the extraction rate and make sure they’re extracted evenly. You’re in control of the consistency.

With the drip coffee maker method, you give up a lot of control and it happens that grounds aren’t extracted evenly. If you don’t use a paper filter and only your permafliter, chances are higher than some of the grounds can get into your brew, making the taste more bitter and downgrade your coffee experience.

In a way, they can be both fairly consistent, we prefer the pour over for this matter, you can intervene in the process.

Temperature

Temperature is very important when it comes to coffee. The temperature of the water will affect the taste and quality of your brew. With coffee, if you use hotter water, you’ll get a better extraction of oils and flavors; however, if you go too hot with your water, you could end up with scalded grounds.

It’s important to determine what temperature will be best depending on what kind of type of coffee roast you’re brewing. For example, for light roasts or coffees that are lower in acidity, higher temperatures would be best; whereas for darker roasts or coffees that are higher in acidity, lower temperatures work better.

When you’re brewing with drip coffee, you don’t heat the water yourself but the machine does so there’s not a lot you can do. When you pour over yourself, you must be aware of the fact that when the water is too hot, you’ll achieve over-extraction, resulting in a more bitter taste. Ideally, water temperature is in the range between 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit.

Things to consider when choosing between pour over and drip

Drip = convenience:

Drip coffee makers are intended for convenience. You brew coffee as you would tea by pouring water over coffee grounds, letting it stand for a specific amount of time, and pressing a button. This method is simple in that there’s no need to measure the amount of ground coffee used for the ration or control water temperature.

Pour over = more control:

Meanwhile, pour over coffee requires more attention during the brewing process as the user can determine water temperature, amount of time allowed for steeping, and volume of water poured over the grounds. This means that users can control how strong or weak they want their coffee and how much they want to drink at any given time. Plus, because grounds are steep in a carafe on top of a warming pad rather than in a machine, it’s an ideal method for users to keep their coffee warm after brewing.

The blend:

The blend is the last factor that makes a big difference between coffee prepared by drip versus pour over. One of the beneficial aspects of drip is that blends can be kept simple since there is little room to control taste profile. The downside is that once you have a blend you like, it’s impossible to change the taste profile of your coffee without buying a new blend. You can’t choose to use more or less of any given feature because there are no other options available as long as you’re using that same brand. So while drip is convenient in its simplicity, it doesn’t offer the ability to customize the taste or use diverse flavor profiles.

Pour over = experience:

Pour over is a little more complicated, but it’s worth learning a few tricks to customize the taste of your coffee. The obvious benefit here is that you can get as creative as you want with the blend and add any combination of elements to make your coffee exactly what you want it to be. However, it takes some time to get the hang of it, which is why this brewing method isn’t exactly as convenient as using a drip coffee maker. The ingredients are also more costly than those in an average blend because of the customization needed for each brew.

So while pour over doesn’t have the same convenience and consistency features that drip does, it can offer a more diverse flavor profile. If you want to learn how to customize your coffee, it’s worth the extra effort to gain familiarity with this brewing method.

F.A.Q.

Is pour over the same as drip?

No, they aren’t the same. Drip coffee is brewed through a machine by using predefined settings that produce coffee automatically. Pour over is done manually and gives the brewer control about the process of brewing the coffee. The brewer decides on temperature, can water darker grounds in a second round and build on his experience and thus have a higher chance to make a great cup.

Is pour over coffee healthier?

We simply say no, not because they’re unhealthy because we don’t know what you’ll use to brew your pour over. Every coffee brewing method, food, the drink has e lethal quantity. As with most things, enjoy it and don’t drink to drink it. Do you add sweeteners and so on? Coffee is known for the possibility to increase your cholesterol level. Just drink your daily cup with ease and don’t overdo it!

Is pour over coffee bad for you?

No, there’s nothing wrong about brewing yourselves a pour over coffee. If you drink a lot of these coffees and add sweeteners and other stuff with it, then maybe… Coffee is known for the ability to increase cholesterol, but is that a reason not to drink it? If you’ve doubts, ask your doctor for medical advice on your file.

What’s so special about pour over coffee?

You are in full control of your brew! You’re the boss. We also like it because it reminds me of the older days, when our grandmothers made their coffee this way. It’s a way of brewing that gives you ease and can be relaxing.

Why does pour over need to be ground finer than drip?

Brewing pour over is a manual process. To get a great cup, we need to reduce the resistance of the water running into the grounds. Chances are that if your grind isn’t coarse enough, you’ll have a more sour taste. We like to use medium-coarse. If your brew is too sour or bitter, go for a finer grind and try again. Tweak the process by doing!

Is pour over coffee worth it?

Absolutely. It’s an honest method of homebrewing your coffee. You’re the one responsible for making the best output of your input. Brewing the coffee yourself can unstress you and improve your experience. It reminds me of our loving grandparents and is a signal to enjoy life to the fullest with the ones you love!

Conclusion

So, that’s a lot info on pour over vs drip coffee right? We quickly wrap up for you.

If you’re looking for a way to enjoy your coffee that is less convenient and more personalized, pour over brewing may be the method for you. Pour overs are brewed with a manual process where the user decides on when to start pouring water, how long to wait before pouring into a cup of the desired volume, and what kind of beans they want in their cup. You’re the boss!

Unlike pour over coffee, drip coffees are made through an automatic machine that has predetermined settings that produce specific tastes by default. Pour over offers control for customization but doesn’t offer diverse flavor profiles or as much convenience as other methods such as drip coffee brewers do.

Whatever you choose, enjoy your coffee!

Enjoy your coffee!