Pour Over Tips - Tip #3: Use ~200°F Water

Why does this matter?

Out of the 5 factors of brewing great coffee, water temperature is one of the most important. If your water is not hot enough, you won't be able to properly extract the flavor from the coffee. If it's too hot, chances are that you'll end up burning the coffee. Coffee is a delicate beverage! However, if you dial in your water just right, your coffee will be full of flavor plus you'll be able get more out of each bean.

How do you do this?

There are two surefire ways to this tip. The first is simply to use a water boiler with a built in thermometer like in the image above or use a thermometer sitting in your kettle. Set it to 200°F and you're good to go once the water hits temperature. But when you're out on an outdoor adventure, you probably won't be carrying a thermometer with you. Our recommendation is to bring your water up to a boil, let it settle fully, then you're ready to brew. When climbing mountains, it's important to note that water boils at a lower temperature when at a higher elevation. So keep that in mind and boil your water longer if you're summiting peaks.

How will this make my Kuju Coffee better?

Not only will this extract flavor from the beans more efficiently, but you'll have a more full-flavored cup of coffee. The range in flavor will be wider and overall, it will be more enjoyable. If you find that the coffee you brew with our pour overs is too weak, then your water temperature might be the culprit. 

Try out this quick tip

If you want to put this quick tip to the test, grab a few pour overs, make yourself a cup of coffee and let us know how it was! If you're looking for a more in-depth explanation on how to make single-serve pour over, check out this video on The Kuju Journal.