Pour Over: The Start of Sustainable Coffee
Coffee has become a big part of many people's daily routines. You may like a cup of decaf in the evening or a strong espresso immediately when you wake up. Maybe you like to down three lattes before noon to help you face the day. Whatever way you like your coffee, it's safe to say that you drink it often. But is it sustainable coffee?
With the current state of the environment, more people are looking toward having environmentally sustainable lives. This means that every aspect of our lives can come up for review. While drinking coffee, it's easy to let the troubles of the world fade away. However, it's essential to try and be conscious in everything we do, including enjoying our cup of joe.
What is sustainability?
Sustainability is about meeting our own needs while ensuring the next generations can also meet theirs. We want our lives to be sustainable and impactful, even if we simply breathe and exist. In making our habits sustainable, we help our planet be habitable for generations to come. Sustainable practices are being embraced in cleaning, traveling, eating, and studying. Using ebooks, refillable laundry and cleaning products, and increased home cooking are some of the habits many have embraced during this season of increased sustainability.
Coffee lovers across the globe have also embraced the idea of sustainability. More people are seeking to make their coffee drinking habits more sustainable. So how can you do this? The answer lies in pour-over coffee.
What is pour-over coffee?
The pour-over method has become popular over the last few years. Also known as filter coffee, pour-over coffee involves pouring boiling water over coffee grounds and letting it pass through a filter. This practice produces a rich and full-bodied flavor for your coffee.
What makes pour-over coffee sustainable?
Pour-over coffee is sustainable compared to other coffee making due to this method of brewing and accessories used to brew.
The Method
To make pour-over coffee, you need hot water, your choice of coffee beans, and your pour-over coffee maker. A pour-over coffee maker does not require electricity to heat or operate. You place a filter in the top portion of the coffee maker, then place your ground coffee beans inside; in a circular motion, pour your hot water over the top and then watch as the coffee drops into the bottom of the maker.
Once completed, you can enjoy a freshly brewed cup of joe. Pour-over coffee does not keep its warmth like a traditional coffee pot on a heat source, but you can easily heat more water and brew another cup.
The Accessories
There are several accessories associated with pour-over coffee that make the practice sustainable.
The Filter
Pour-over coffee can be filtered using recyclable filter paper, a cloth filter, or a metal filter. All three options are sustainable, and the metal filter will be reusable time and time again, making it the most sustainable.
The Coffee Maker
Next, the pour-over coffee maker is usually glass or metal, with a few plastic options. Once again, this cuts down on waste and allows for constant reuse.
The Drinking Vessel
Most pour-over coffee drinkers make their coffee at home. They then pour their coffee into reusable mugs or travel mugs, cutting down the waste of paper and plastic cups. When pour-over coffee is made at small coffee shops, they may even use ceramic dishes to cut down waste. This small move of switching out your coffee drinking vessel makes a considerable difference towards sustainability.
These sustainable accessory options allow for your coffee brewing to have a better impact on the environment. With the popularity of pour-over coffee makers, you may also have a chance to pass down your coffee maker to your family as an heirloom from your life. Don't forget to write down your top secret pour-over coffee ratio to your family as well. That is coffee gold to drinkers.
Sustainability Takes Practice
Remember, while you try to adopt more sustainable coffee-making techniques, it takes practice. You may be new to the pour-over method and struggle to brew yourself a cup that you can enjoy. Don't give up; simply use our pour-over coffee taste-troubleshooting guide to help you perfect your brewing. Go easy on yourself and take small steps. Don't forget to enjoy every cup.
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