The forgotten ZEN Method from Asia
"A forgiving pourover technique focusing on the coffee, yielding a soft, bright, and consistent cup, especially with experimental coffees."
The Coffee Chronicler
Tips & Preparation
Reason to try:
- Rediscovered technique used by baristas across Asia, a forgotten technique in the West.
- Handles funky fermented coffees well, pulling out clean flavors without harshness.
- Forgiving and works even without perfect execution.
Theory or idea behind:
- Sacrificing a little bit of extraction in exchange consistency soft and bright cup
Notes:
- Depends on the brew size, normally 6-7 pours
- keep each pour close to the surface, watch slurry carefully to control agitation
Preparation:
- Works with any conical brewer
- Water TDS recommendation: 40-80 ppm.
- Grind size: Medium coarse: kosher salt or cane sugar crystals (around 800 microns).
- Dose: Usually 12-20 grams
Variation or Adjustment:
- funkiness naturals or anorobics use 1:16-1:17
- washed or classic nuts and chocolate notes coffee go 1:15
- Brew tiem: 12g: 2:00-2:30, 15g: 2:30-3:00, 20g: 3:00-3:30
Recipe Steps
Rinse filter, load coffee, tare scale, and even out the bed.
0:00
Start timer and do a quick bloom, don’t need to look at the weight, stop pour until saturating all grounds.
0:30
Let sit for 30 seconds.
Pour in small circles, starting at the middle and going out to the edge, maintaining water level around 1.5 cm over the brew bed.
When almost all water has drained, start filling up again.
When first few coffee grounds come through, add a bit more water. Keep doing this step
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