Filter Brew Guides

We often talk about agitation and bloom when brewing filter coffee, but what do these terms mean and why are they important in the brewing process?

First, there’s agitation. During the brewing process, agitation is a slight disturbance of the coffee grounds. Coffee can be agitated in a variety of ways, the most common of which is stirring. Agitation increases the cup’s intensity at the expense of clarity. We only recommend agitating older coffee because it gives the cup more life and complexity.

The bloom is the release of gases from the ground coffee during the brewing process. The grounds begin to purge themselves of carbon dioxide as soon as hot water comes into contact with them, resulting in the bloom effect. The bloom’s purpose is to pre-wet the coffee grounds so that they can expand. When coffee comes into contact with water, it expands, resulting in a larger surface area and a more flavourful brew.