We grind our own beans for our morning coffee, and recently started using a pour-over device rather than a regular electric coffee pot. My wife insists that we have to pour in just a small amount of water first, to let the coffee “bloom” before filling the container all the way. I insist this is nonsense, but I would also be fine drinking day-old coffee pot coffee reheated in the microwave, so clearly I’m not the connoisseur here.
Looking online, this “blooming” nonsense is common advice, typically justified in terms of releasing excess carbon dioxide so that it doesn’t affect the flavor. But: There really isn’t terribly much carbon dioxide in the air, there isn’t all that much trapped air in with the ground beans anyway, and good luck if you’re trying to get carbon dioxide to dissolve readily into near-boiling water. I just don’t see how this could make any discernible difference.
Am I wrong here? Could some experienced barista and/or organic chemist here enlighten me?
My skeptical suspicion is that it’s just another one of those bits of esoterica that snob hobbyists use to try and separate themselves from the hoi polloi. You know, stuff like ‘bruising the gin’, corks are somehow superior to twist-off caps on wine, or that whisky/whiskey actually ever meant anything significant.
We do French press, and I’ve read about that “blooming” stuff. Bah. What do I care at 5 a.m.? I just want a strong cuppa coffee as soon as possible and am not about to add any more time to the brewing process.
I’ve switched over to cold brew here, so it’s irrelevant to me. I urge all coffee lovers to give it a try. NOT the commercial products (tho that’s the one starbucks product I think they do well) but making it at home.
I’ve had one of those for decades, and always wet the beans and given it a few seconds before pouring over the rest of the water, but I always thought it was to let the grounds get wet thoroughly so you would get stronger coffee.
However, I’ll bet it doesn’t make any real difference in flavor. I wonder if Cook’s Illustrated has tested that?
They mention the process but it doesn’t look like they ever taste-tested it;
Sorry if anyone hits a paywall)
*How to Make Pour-Over Coffee
How it Works: Place ground coffee in a wedge-shaped filter holder and pour water over it into a container below.
Why We Like It: The manual drip allows the natural acidity of coffee to shine through, yielding bright, flavorful coffee. As with the French press, you control water temperature and brew time.
Downside: Since you have to add water in batches, you can’t leave the kitchen during brewing.
The Right Grind: Medium (like coarse cornmeal) for paper filters; medium-fine (like fine cornmeal) for metal filters.
Add 2 tablespoons coffee for every 6 ounces water to filter.
Pour 1/2 cup just-boiled water over grounds, saturating thoroughly; let stand for 30 seconds.
Pour remaining hot water over grounds, in batches if necessary, stirring gently after each addition.*
If I’m doing a pour-over rather than french press, using fresh-roasted beans, I wait for the bloom to do its thing so the froth doesn’t overflow the filter cone and make a mess.
I’m also more a French Press person but when I’ve done the pout over it does just seem practical. If you don’t let it settle before pouring more much of the grind is up in the froth and not getting poured over.
Coffee bloom is real. It’s the froth that blooms up when you pour water on coffee grounds. If you don’t manage it, some of your grounds won’t get wet enough to brew properly.
You can’t just pour a little water and passively expect it to work. Pour a little, watch the grounds swell and shift, pour more over the grounds that don’t seem wet enough.
French press is easier. Stir, wait, then stir again.