Finca Majahual, El Salvador, Three Process Tasting Set – Filter

The V60 recipe lands at 475μm — 25μm below default. The grind is finer for light roast extraction, but pulled back slightly because this 800m farm produces a less dense bean than highland lots. Low-grown Red Bourbon has less density than highland coffees, so tightening the grind too aggressively risks channeling through a bed that won't compact evenly. The 1:15.5 ratio is slightly richer than the default 1:15, compensating for the coffee's lower solubility. At 94°C (the default V60 temperature — no adjustment needed for this bean), you're in the right range to fully extract the earl grey and white grape character without pushing into harsh over-extraction. The thin V60 paper passes enough oil to give tangerine brightness definition without filtering out the mouthfeel the low-altitude bean can contribute.

The Kalita Wave's flat-bottom geometry and three-hole drain create the most even water distribution of any gravity dripper, which matters for this 800m Red Bourbon. Low-altitude beans have less uniform density than highland lots — uneven water channeling would expose the extraction asymmetry Gagné identifies as producing cups that taste simultaneously sour and bitter. The flat bed equalizes contact time across all particles. The 505μm grind applies the same -25μm light-roast penalty as other pour-overs, and the pulse-pour technique (100g, then five 50g pulses) keeps the bed agitated through enough brew cycles to dissolve the roast-developed compounds — hazelnut, blood orange — that require extended contact time to clear. The 1:16.5 ratio is slightly leaner than V60 to account for the Kalita's characteristically fuller body from longer drawdown.

The AeroPress recipe drops to 85°C — 25μm finer grind and lower temperature both push against the light roast's reduced solubility. The lower temperature is counterintuitive for a light roast, but the AeroPress compensates via pressure: the mechanical press forces water through the puck faster and with higher extraction efficiency than gravity alone, which changes the temperature-extraction relationship. The 1:12.5 ratio is richer than pour-over, concentrating the washed El Salvador's citrus and white grape notes into a shorter volume where they read more intensely. The fine 375μm grind means even at 85°C the bright fruit character develops fully before the plunge. For this low-altitude bean where soluble mass is the limiting variable, the AeroPress's shorter contact time at pressure is more efficient than extended gravity extraction at the same temperature.

The Clever Dripper combines immersion contact time with a paper-filtered release — a hybrid that sits between French Press and pure pour-over for this washed light El Salvador. The 505μm grind carries the standard -25μm light-roast correction, and the 1:15.5 ratio is identical to the V60 recipe. What the Clever adds is dwell time: the sealed valve holds water in contact with the grounds for the full 3–4 minute brew window before draining, which extracts more flavor than a comparable pour-over from this low-altitude, low-solubility bean. The paper filter then removes the oils that immersion generates, preserving the washed processing's clean character. For a bean where soluble mass is the constraint, the Clever's extended contact time at 94°C is a meaningful advantage over the V60's gravity-dependent extraction.

Espresso fires the light-roast rule, and the parameters show why: the ratio lands at 1:2.4 (19g in, 45g out) — longer than the typical Italian 1:2, and the recipe calls for preinfusion. Light-roast El Salvador at 800m is less soluble than darker-roasted or higher-altitude espresso beans; the finer 225μm grind maximizes surface area, and the longer output ratio gives more water time to dissolve the roast-developed sweet compounds before the shot completes. At 93°C, you're 1–2°C below typical espresso temperature — a direct compensation for the roast level, acknowledging that light roasts extract bitter compounds faster under 9-bar pressure than under gravity. The result concentrates the blood orange and tangerine bright acidity into an intensity that exploits espresso's TDS advantage. Expect a bright, fruit-forward shot rather than a traditional espresso profile.

Moka Pot generates roughly 1.5 bar — far below espresso's 9 bar — which means the same fine-ish 325μm grind extracts differently here than in a portafilter. The recipe uses pre-boiled water at 100°C to prevent the lower chamber from cooking the grounds with rising steam during the heat-up phase, which is the most common source of bitterness in Moka Pot output. For this washed light El Salvador, the risk is the reverse: the coarser-than-espresso grind combined with low pressure may underextract the roast-developed sweet compounds (hazelnut, blood orange) that need more energy to dissolve. The -25μm light-roast grind adjustment addresses this by tightening the particle bed to compensate for lower pressure. The 1:9.5 ratio produces a concentrate with enough TDS to register the tangerine and white grape character, though it lacks the espresso's acidity-concentrating precision.

French Press scores 76 for this washed light El Salvador because the brewer's mechanism — full immersion without paper filtration — adds variables that work against the washed lot's key attribute: processing-derived clarity. A washed coffee's identity comes from clean processing so the variety and terroir read cleanly. French Press leaves oils and fine particles in the cup, layering textural noise over the earl grey and white grape character. The recipe runs 96°C (2°C above the pour-over recipes) to compensate for heat loss in an open vessel, and the 975μm grind is coarse enough to prevent sediment overextraction during the extended 4–8 minute steep. The lower score reflects a genuine mechanism mismatch: the washed process stripped fruit compounds to reveal terroir, and French Press reintroduces textural complexity that partially obscures that expression.