Agitation

What it is and what sets it apart: Agitation adds mechanical energy to the bed or slurry. It differs from grind or ratio: it tunes contact uniformity—a fine Brew Lab / home lever after bloom or during immersion.

How it’s used or measured: After bloom in pour-over: gentle swirl. In press/Clever: one or two short stirs. Espresso analogue is WDT/distribution, not stirring the drink.

Flavours and cup impact: Done well: fewer dry pockets, more sweetness. Excess: muddiness and bitterness. Benefit: pour-to-pour consistency.

Technical notes: Not channeling and not WDT. More stirring is not always better.

Common mistakes: Stirring hard at the end of a pour-over. Stirring espresso to “fix” a shot. Changing agitation and grind together.