Aadam Soorma shares his experience with Adda's Pour Over Kit.
Among the many things I am NOT good at, one - I’ll admit - is staying home.
Pittsburgh’s breweries and coffee shops - and scootering along the vibrant, storefront-lined stretches of Butler Street - are where I am most at peace. And until mid-March, this lifestyle was hardly out of the ordinary.
Our collective acceptance in an era of COVID - underscoring the importance of masking up and staying home - has been the life pivot my fellow extroverts and Libras are adopting into our routines.
Where this (new) day-to-day intersects with my love for coffee has created an opportunity to explore. I’m learning more about myself and leaning into time spent experimenting.
The pour over kit from Adda marks my first foray into methodical homebrewing. And so far, I couldn’t be happier with my morning cup of joe.
After some pro tips and guidance from my friend Julie Kahlbaugh, it was time to dig in. Here’s a look at my pour over kit and some noteworthy takeaways from a homebrew novice.
It goes without saying, my pour over stream of consciousness begins with beans. I decided to pick up a bag of the Conversation Blend - Adda’s exclusive coffee roasted and packaged by the fine folks at Verve Coffee Roasters.
To my knowledge, Adda is the only Pittsburgh-based coffee shop currently working with Verve to source and brew using their beans. Folks drinking Conversation Blend can expect sweet and spicy tasting notes, including allspice and earl grey. Adda keeps this coffee on as their house drip everyday of the week at both of their Pittsburgh cafes.
I’ll be honest, my bean grinder is simple and timeless; like the bass-filled beat in ‘Grindin.’ If you’re old enough to remember the summer of 2002, then feel free to join me in this flashback hat tip to the Lord Willin’ record from Clipse.
You didn’t expect an early 2000s hip hop reference thrown into this, huh?
Can’t have coffee without coffee’s number one ingredient. We’re talking about water, folks.
For your hot water needs, I’m comfortable recommending this Hario Bona Enamel kettle. Just fill ‘er up about two-thirds of the way, hit the stove top, wait a bit and voila. You’re gameday ready, gooseneck and all.
Pro Tip: if you’re a noob like me, be sure to pre-wet your filter a bit as you get it all nice and snug in the dripper.
The most pronounced and recognizable component of pour over coffee, here’s a closer look at the Hario V60 Copper Dripper. Elegant, shiny and practical, the copper - from what I’ve learned - actually serves an important purpose. By evenly distributing heat as the water cascades down, this dripper ensures that your end result truly is the best part of waking up.
Also - please note that I am deadass focused on making ‘concentric circles from the inside out.’ When you’re pouring over, feel free to use your non-occupied hand to achieve a nice, steady balance. This is a nice moment to plug the fact that I ran cross country during high school which did NOT involve hand-eye coordination.
If (when) you spill over, I recommend keeping a hand towel nearby to lap up any excess hot water. No shame folks.
When you’re ready to decouple from the dripper, your pour over is ready to be poured. And what better vessel to serve from than the Mighty Glass Carafe from Fellow. The hand-blown glass body features an easy to grip handle and no-drip spout for taking your creation into its final vehicle: your mug of choice.
Again, as a noob to pour overs, my biggest fear with the carafe was that it would be ultra delicate. The Fellow carafe is actually quite sturdy with a confident grip-point and an easy to wash belly.
It also just looks sweet chillin on its own.
And that’s pretty much it, folks.
Transferring the finished pour over from carafe to cup marks the final step. Hopefully if you’ve read this far along, you’ve found this step-by-step somewhat helpful.
Got questions? Ready to give it a whirl on your own?
Hit up the fine folks at Adda - they’ll get you set up and keep you stocked up - both on homebrew gear and beans.
Stay safe, stay healthy and - it pains me to say this - stay home, when possible. I’m excited to hang with everyone over a coffee or a beer when we come out of this in the future.
Cheers!
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