Who Cafe Roasting: A Specialty Coffee Roaster from Yilan

Founded in 2013, Who Cafe is a specialty coffee roastery and café that has spent more than a decade serving the specialty coffee community in Yilan, Taiwan. Built around the idea of third wave coffee, the café sees specialty coffee not just as a beverage, but as a connection between flavor and everyday life.

During 1Zpresso’s live brewing presentation at the Taiwan International Coffee Show, the manager of Who Cafe Roasting, Jian Shih-Yan, better known as Yezi, demonstrated his pour over approach and shared practical insights on grinders, brewing parameters, and pouring techniques.

The X-Ultra: A Grinder for Both Pour Over and Espresso

Yezi describes the X-Ultra as a grinder designed for both pour over and espresso use.

Because it supports espresso grinding, it produces slightly more fines than grinders designed specifically for pour over brewing. As a result, he adjusts flavor through the combination of grind setting and water temperature when brewing pour over.

For this demonstration, he chose a grind size slightly finer than his usual pour over setting, paired with a relatively lower brewing temperature to create a fuller overall flavor profile.

The X-Ultra Flavor Profile: Balanced

Yezi describes the X-Ultra’s flavor profile as balanced.

To build on that character, he used a slightly finer grind, a lower water temperature of 90°C (194°F), and the 1Zpresso Dripper. Combined with pulse pouring and intentional pauses between pours, the setup helped increase body and concentration, producing a richer and fuller cup.

The X-Ultra Design: Compact, Magnetic Catch Cup, Easy to Store

Yezi shared that one of the X-Ultra’s most appealing features is its relatively compact size. Compared side by side with the ZP6, the X-Ultra is noticeably smaller and easier to carry around.

In terms of usability, the X-Ultra features a magnetic catch cup design that can be removed with a simple twist, making daily dosing and cleaning more intuitive.

He also mentioned that the foldable crank handle makes storage more convenient. When attached to the grinder, it is also less likely to tip the grinder over if the handle is accidentally bumped.

Who Cafe Roasting’s Pour Over Recipe

Brewing Parameters

• Coffee: 20g Ethiopia Guji Natural Bastet Geisha
• Water: 320ml
• Water Temperature: 90°C (194°F)
• Grinder: X-Ultra
• Grind Setting: 1 rotation + 5.5
• Dripper: 1Zpresso Dripper

Pouring Structure

• Bloom: 40ml water, about 50 seconds
  (Wait until slight cracking appears on the coffee bed)
• First Pour: Pour to a total of 220ml
  (Allow the drawdown to finish before starting the next pour)
• Second Pour: Pour to a total of 320ml

Total Brew Time: Approximately 3:00–3:30

Brewing Tips from Yezi

Bloom Time: How Long Should It Be?

During the bloom phase, Yezi intentionally extends the bloom to around 50 seconds. His goal is to allow the coffee bed to absorb water more thoroughly so the overall flavor becomes more balanced.

He also pointed out that bloom time should not be treated as fixed, but instead judged together with the condition of the coffee bed.

Once the grounds are fully saturated, slight drying and cracking will begin to appear on the surface. That signals it is time to move into the next pouring phase.

He added that if the coffee is less fresh, the bloom time can also be shortened accordingly.

How Pouring Affects Flavor

For this demonstration, Yezi designed his pouring approach around the characteristics of a conical dripper, where the coffee bed is deeper in the center and shallower along the outer edge.

During the first phase, he keeps the pours concentrated in a small circular area near the center to draw out acidity, aroma, and sweetness early in the extraction.

After the first phase is complete, he gradually expands the pouring range outward during the second phase to adjust concentration and body.

He also emphasized that pouring onto the outer edge too early can cause water to pass through the thinner coffee bed near the sides and run directly down the filter wall, resulting in a weaker and more diluted cup.

Pulse Pouring and Drawdown Pauses for More Body

For this brew, Yezi used a pulse pouring method with intentional pauses between pours.

The first phase ends at 220ml, after which he waits until the coffee has nearly finished drawing down before beginning the second pour.

In his approach, the earlier stage focuses on extracting acidity, aroma, and sweetness, while the later stage is used more to shape body and concentration, helping the cup taste fuller and more rounded.