Takes too long to make coffee using pourover method

Coffee preparation techniques besides espresso like pourover.
Chris205
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#1: Post by Chris205 »

I am using a plastic Melitta single cup brewing cone and it is taking me way too long to brew a single cup. It takes about 25-30 minutes just to brew a single cup and I know it should only take 2-3 minutes. I use Gevalia coffee which is a medium fine grind. I find that if I use a more coarse grind, the coffee brews quicker but tastes very watered down. I use 20mg of grounds per 10oz of water and I use a glass measuring cup to pour in the water. I also use #2 Melitta filters. When I pour in the water, I let the water level go just a little bit above the bed of grounds because if I fill the cone with too much water at once, the coffee tastes too watered down. In the first two or three fills of water, the water passes through the grounds fairly quickly but then it just passes through very slowly.

I feel like I am using the correct amount of grounds because if I put in more than 20g of grounds when using 10oz of water, the coffee is too strong and if I put in less, then it is too weak. My Melitta cone only has 1 small hole in the bottom for the liquid to pass through and I am wondering if maybe the hole is too small to allow liquid to pass through quickly. I thought about just drilling two additional holes in the bottom of the cone to help the flow. I know that there are a number of different brewing cones and I should really be using a kettle but this is all I can afford for now.

What do you guys think? Why is it taking so long for me to brew a single cup of coffee?

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johnny4lsu
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#2: Post by johnny4lsu »

That's entirely too long. You may just really like overextracted coffee.

Have you tried getting in the 3-4 minute range? It may be better for you.

Eta: I didn't initially see that you changed grind size. What grinder are you using?

Check out http://www.brewmethods.com for brewing help.

Welcome to the crazy journey to the perfect cup!!

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aecletec
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#3: Post by aecletec »

Are you using pre-ground coffee?

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baldheadracing
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#4: Post by baldheadracing »

One hole is fine. Here's a straightforwarrd Melitta technique - demonstrated with a three-hole, but a one-hole is the same, and a one-hole is arguably better for pre-ground "filter drip" coffee - I have a few Melitta one-hole cones (#2/#4/#6) for pre-ground (usually decaf).
Good luck!
-"Good quality brings happiness as you use it" - Nobuho Miya, Kamasada

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yakster
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#5: Post by yakster »

johnny4lsu wrote:What grinder are you using?
+1, you may have too many fines (tiny coffee particles) clogging up your filter when you get close to the right coffee grind size for a good extraction. Are you using a whirly blade grinder, a burr grinder, pre-ground? A picture of the grinds could help, but you'll struggle to get a good, consistent pour-over with a whirly blade grinder because of the grind size inconsistency and variability of the grind quality, along with a lot of coffee fines and dust which can clog the filter.
-Chris

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Chris205 (original poster)
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#6: Post by Chris205 (original poster) »

baldheadracing wrote:One hole is fine. Here's a straightforwarrd Melitta technique - demonstrated with a three-hole, but a one-hole is the same, and a one-hole is arguably better for pre-ground "filter drip" coffee - I have a few Melitta one-hole cones (#2/#4/#6) for pre-ground (usually decaf).
Good luck!
Thanks, I will try brewing again with the tips from this video. I notice that he is filling up his cone with more water than I do and maybe that is forcing the water through more quickly to reduce brewing time.

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johnny4lsu
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#7: Post by johnny4lsu »

Can you give us more information?

Grinder?

Preground coffee?

I'm sure we can help you out better with a little more information.

Chris205 (original poster)
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#8: Post by Chris205 (original poster) »

yakster wrote:+1, you may have too many fines (tiny coffee particles) clogging up your filter when you get close to the right coffee grind size for a good extraction. Are you using a whirly blade grinder, a burr grinder, pre-ground? A picture of the grinds could help, but you'll struggle to get a good, consistent pour-over with a whirly blade grinder because of the grind size inconsistency and variability of the grind quality, along with a lot of coffee fines and dust which can clog the filter.
I am using pre-ground Gevalia coffee. I will take a picture of the grinds. I have used freshly ground beans from my local supermarket with their grinder but I don't think it was a burr grinder. Using the fresher grounds from my store helped reduce brewing time but it still took a while to brew.

If I was to buy a cheap burr grinder, should I get a manual or automatic grinder? Am I correct that I should be using a medium fine grind with the pour over method?

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johnny4lsu
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#9: Post by johnny4lsu »

It all depends on your preference. If you don't mind cranking you can get more for your money hand grinding, but lack convenience. I rather the convenience. :)

If you have a budget we can suggest some affordable burr grinders for you.

Chris205 (original poster)
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#10: Post by Chris205 (original poster) replying to johnny4lsu »

What is the least amount of money I could spend on an automatic Burr grinder for it to at least do an okay job and what are some models that you suggest?

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