Coffea Circulor's recipe — three equal 100g pours, one each minute, with a center-out helix pour. A clean, precise competition approach to specialty.
Coffea Circulor is a Swedish roastery that specializes in the absolute top of specialty — exotic beans, geishas, and experimental processes. Their V60 and Origami method has become a competition classic thanks to its simplicity and consistency.
The idea: Three equal 100g pours, one every minute. No complex pulses, no crazy timers, no convoluted rules. Just 100, 100, 100 — and it works.
The 1:1:1 philosophy:
Kenneth Carlsten, founder of Coffea Circulor, developed the recipe for competition use. The structure is based on three sensory components each pour is responsible for:
Pour 1 (0:00-1:00) — acidity:
The bloom and first pour extract the fruity acidity and delicate aroma of the bean. 100g is enough for full saturation without creating muddiness. The helix (center-out spiral with 5 revolutions) maintains uniform movement of particles — critical for highlighting clean acidity.
Pour 2 (1:00-2:00) — sweetness:
After acidity is extracted, the second pour joins to extract sweetness that hasn't been revealed yet. With 100g more, the coffee enters the extraction range that pulls sugars and sweet phenols.
Pour 3 (2:00-3:00) — balance:
The last pour doesn't add much flavor — it levels the bed and balances the cup. It's also the transition to the final drawdown stage.
The technical secret:
1. Helix (center-out spiral):
Each pour starts at the center of the V60 and makes 5 expanding revolutions outward. This creates uniform agitation across 100% of the bed — no dry walls, no over-extracted zones.
2. Exactly 20 seconds:
Each pour takes precisely 20 seconds. Not 15, not 30. This creates a steady water rate of ~5g/s — the ideal rate for agitation without flooding.
3. Comandante 28 clicks:
Medium grind with a specific setting. Finer than this and the rate isn't fast enough. Coarser and extraction drops.
Target TDS: 1.40±0.02:
Most recipes don't specify a measurable TDS target. Coffea Circulor does — and it matches their preferred profile of a medium-strength cup, not too strong, not too weak.
This method is excellent for anyone who wants a repeatable cup — you can ask 5 different people to brew it and get similar results, which isn't true of more complex recipes.