Immersion vs Pour Over

Immersion and pour over methods are the most common methods for brewing coffee at home. There are key differences between each method that a you should know before choosing which to use for your morning brew. 

Immersion

Other equipment needed: scale, burr coffee grinder,

Immersion coffee brewing requires you to immerse the coffee grounds In water. Coarse ground coffee is preferred for immersion methods to slow extraction time and avoid over-extraction. During immersion brewing, the grounds are measured out, poured in the bottom of the canister, topped with boiling water and left to steep. Once the grounds are finished brewing, a plunger is pushed down to extract the coffee from the grounds. 

The resulting brew will have a full, rounded flavor with a heavy body and mouth feel, making darker roasts a better option for immersion methods. Using a metal filter, like with a French Press, allows more oil to fall into your cup, along with some sediment, which is what gives that heavy, robust mouth feel. Some methods, like the Clever Dripper, require a paper filter, which filters out some of the coffee oils. This results in a cup with less mouth feel that falls between the profiles of a French Press and a V60. 

Highlights

  • Coarse grinds are required

  • Coffee is immersed in water to bloom

  • Oils fall into your cup

  • Some sediment in the bottom of your cup

  • Robust flavor with heavy mouth feel

Pour Over 

Other equipment needed: scale, burr coffee grinder, gooseneck kettle

Pour over coffees requires you to bloom the grounds in pulses rather than letting them sit in water for a period of time. For pour over methods, you will need to grind your coffee on a medium, medium coarse, or medium fine grind. Too fine of a grind will cause your pour over to drain too quickly, resulting in a bitter, over extracted coffee. Too coarse of a grind will cause your pour over to drain too slowly, resulting in a sour, under extracted coffee. 

During pour over brewing, the grounds are measured out and poured into a filter. Then, you begin saturating the ground bed in pulses, pausing for at least 30 seconds in between each pulse. To evenly saturate the grounds and bring out all the flavors a roast has to offer, you will use circular motions as you go. While you pause between pulses, you will notice that gravity pulls water through the grounds and the filter and down into your cup. 

The resulting brew will have a clear flavor profile that isn’t too bold or muddy. The filters keep the oils and grounds from draining into the cup. You can expect a lighter body, with a bright crisp acidity without the heavy mouth feel associated with immersion coffee. 

Highlights

  • Medium coarse to fine grinds are required

  • Coffee is saturated in pulses to allow the grounds to bloom

  • Water is poured through grounds and a filter

  • Minimal oils and sediment fall into the cup

  • Clear and crisp flavor profile

  • Steep learning curve