Good things come to those who wait

Question

From the Company Kitchen
Dear Dr. Brew,
In our kitchen at work, we use a 3-burner Bunn-O-Matic. I was chastised this morning by a coworker for sneaking in my cup underneath the brewing stream because I didn’t want to wait for the whole pot to fill. She complained that by doing so, I took all the "strong" coffee and that the coffee that brews at the end of the cycle is mostly water. Is this true? I have better things to do with my time than wait for the whole pot to brew but heaven forbid that I deprive my coworkers of the perfect "blend" of strong and weak coffee.
Seriously, it’s that important to these people.
Thanks,
Anne

Answer

Anne,

It is true! Good things come to those who wait. Drip brewed coffee does extract in phases. The great elixir you are retrieving in your cup during the early portion of the brew, is two to three times stronger than what is left for you co-workers. Allowing the brew to complete the cycle provides uniform brew strength and flavor profile.

Happy Brewing,
Dr. Brew