The height of coffee making: key to strong brew revealed

Forget expensive beans and pricey filters - if you want a stronger cup of pour-over coffee, just add water slowly, steadily and from a height, researchers say.

- Nicola Davis

While there are myriad ways to make coffee - from moka pots to cafetieres and barista-style machines - pour-over coffee is an everyday staple for many. Now scientists say they have discovered how to make a stronger cup using the same quantity of ground coffee.

Dr Arnold Mathijssen, a co-author of the study from the University of Pennsylvania, said pouring the hot water slowly from a goose-neck kettle increases the contact time between the water and the coffee grounds, while pouring from a greater height increases mixing, both of which result in more coffee being extracted.