Boyan — Owner of P. Coffee Roaster

Boyan, the owner of P. Coffee Roaster, also serves as the shop’s roaster and barista. He did not originally start his career in coffee. A few years ago, he decided to pursue what he truly loved.

He began by setting up booths at local creative markets, roasting coffee himself and interacting directly with customers. Through that process, more people became familiar with his work, while he gradually developed a deeper understanding of both the market and coffee flavor profiles.

During a 1Zpresso brewing session at the Taiwan International Coffee Show, Boyan shared some of his observations and approaches to coffee brewing.

How Boyan Approaches Flavor Balance in Brewing

At his café, Boyan usually aims for coffees with bright acidity and aromatics, a rounded body, and lingering sweetness.

To achieve that balance, he adjusts several brewing variables depending on the coffee and the flavor profile he wants to bring out, including:

• グラインダー
• Dripper
• Pouring technique
• Water temperature

At-Home Brewing: The Grinder Matters

Boyan shared that when selling coffee beans at the shop, he often hears customers ask the same question:

“Why can’t I brew coffee at home that tastes the same as it does in the café?”

He explained that many factors can cause this difference, but two of the most important are water and the grinder.

For coffee drinkers who do not brew large quantities every day, he actually recommends using a manual coffee grinder.

The K-Ultra: 1Zpresso’s Flagship All-Round Grinder

For this demonstration, Boyan used the 1Zpresso K-Ultra manual coffee grinder.

He described the K-Ultra as the all-purpose flagship model in the 1Zpresso lineup, suitable for multiple brewing methods including espresso and pour over. He also mentioned that it feels “very easy to grind.”

During hands-on use, one feature stood out to him immediately:

“It’s pretty cool. With just one turn of the adjustment ring, you can get to the grind setting you want.”

P. Coffee Roaster’s Pour Over Recipe

Brewing Parameters

• Coffee dose: 18g
• Total water: 300ml
• Water temperature: 92°C
• Grind setting: K-Ultra 8.5

** When brewing a Panama Geisha, Boyan adjusted the grind setting to 8. The slightly finer grind helped increase extraction, bringing out more floral aromatics, citrus notes, and caramel-like sweetness.

Pouring Structure

• Bloom: about 40ml for 30 seconds
• Second pour: pour to 160–180ml using small circular pours
• Third pour: pour to 230–240ml using center pours
• Final pour: finish at 300ml using center pours

Boyan explained that using center pours in the later stages helps avoid pulling too much heaviness into the cup, keeping the flavor cleaner and lighter.

** When brewing a Panama Geisha, however, he continued using circular pours in the later stages to increase extraction.

Pour Over Brewing Tips

1. Finer Grinding Can Increase Extraction

During the Panama Geisha demonstration, Boyan adjusted the K-Ultra to grind setting 8.

Compared to the previous setting of 8.5, the slightly finer grind helped release more flavor compounds, making the floral notes, citrus tones, and caramel sweetness easier to express.

2. With a V-Shaped Dripper, Keep Circular Pours Tight

During this brew, Boyan intentionally kept his circular pouring motion within an area roughly the size of a coin.

He explained that because the coffee bed in a V-shaped dripper is deeper in the center, keeping the pouring range smaller allows the water to stay concentrated in the middle, improving extraction in the main coffee bed.

3. If the Flavor Is Off, Adjust Grind Size First

If the coffee tastes bitter or overly heavy, the grind may be too fine.

When aiming for a cleaner and lighter flavor profile, and assuming the coffee-to-water ratio is already appropriate, he recommends adjusting the grind coarser first.

Compared with other brewing variables, he suggests starting with grind size adjustments before changing anything else.

Boyan’s Overall Thoughts on the K-Ultra Grinder

This demonstration showed how directly the grinder can influence brewing results and flavor expression.

Boyan noted that when people struggle to recreate café-quality flavor at home, two common reasons are water and the grinder.

For people who brew smaller amounts on a daily basis, he believes a manual grinder is more than sufficient and also convenient to carry around.

He also shared a practical rule of thumb for dialing in flavor: grind size directly affects extraction speed and flavor expression. If a coffee tastes bitter, heavy, or lacks clarity, one of the first adjustments should be grinding slightly coarser.

According to Boyan, the K-Ultra’s adjustment system feels intuitive, allowing users to quickly switch between brewing styles within a single rotation of the adjustment ring, while still maintaining a smooth and effortless grinding experience.