How to Brew Pour Over Coffee

Pour over coffee brewing is an art form that allows you to extract the full potential of your coffee beans. This manual brewing method gives you a lot of control over every variable. It's a style of brewing that helps to highlight the flavour of light to medium roasts, giving clarity to the resulting cup.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through everything you need to know to master the pour over technique and brew exceptional coffee at home.

Why Choose Pour Over?

Pour over brewing offers several advantages over other brewing methods:

• Complete control over brewing variables (water temperature, pour speed, timing)
• Clean taste profile with bright, distinct flavors
• Highlighting origin characteristics of specialty coffee beans
• Minimal equipment required - perfect for home brewing, or when travelling
• Meditative brewing process - there's a ritual in preparing pour over that many people find relaxing

Essential Equipment

Before we dive into the technique, let's cover the essential equipment you'll need:

Must-Have Items

• Pour over brewer (E.g. V60, Chemex, or Kalita Wave)
• Coffee filters that match the style of brewer you're using. Generally that means that the shape and size of the filter paper is the same as the brewer.
• Kettle for boiling water. Many people like gooseneck kettles, but the important thing is that you can control the flow of water with whatever kettle you use.
• Digital scale for accurate measurements. If you don't have one, a scale is one of the best (and doesn't have to be large) investments you can make to brew better coffee.
• Coffee grinder Coffee grinders are a deep rabbit hole, but as long as you have some kind of burr grinder (either a conical or flat profile) you can make a good pour over.
• Timer for consistency.

The Perfect Pour Over Recipe

There's a lot of different recipes and techniques to brew pour over. Because it's a manual process you get control over all the variables - and as a result there's no one perfect way to brew it. This is how I brew pour over, and I think it's a good starting point for anyone wanting to learn.

Coffee-to-Water Ratio

This is how much coffee you'll use compared to how much water. The lower the ratio, the more coffee you'll use and more coffee flavour will be extracted into the resulting cup. I usually brew at a ratio between 1:16 to 1:17. That's between 15.6g to 14.7g of beans to a standard 250ml cup of water.

• Standard ratio: 1:15 to 1:17 (1g coffee to 15-17g water)
• For lighter roasts: Use 1:15 ratio for more intensity
• For darker roasts: Use 1:17 ratio to avoid over-extraction

Grind Size

Grind size will change the flow of water and the amount of coffee that will extract into the water. The finer the grind, the slower the water flows and the stronger the extraction. I aim for all the water to have flowed through the coffee bed in 2 minutes or so for a single cup. Time is a starting point, but you end up adjusting the grind based on taste (too bitter - go coarser, too sour - go finer).

• Medium-fine grind - similar to kosher salt
• Adjust based on taste: Finer for faster flow, coarser for slower flow

Water Temperature

The higher the temperature, the more the flavour of the coffee will be extracted. With light roasts, you want to use a higher temperature (but not too high!). With darker roasts, you want to avoid over-extraction. Reducing the temperature of the water can help avoid bringing too much bitterness into the cup.

• Optimal range: 90°C to 93°C (194°F to 200°F)
• Light roasts: Use higher temperature (93°C / 200°F)
• Dark roasts: Use lower temperature (90°C / 194°F)

Step-by-Step Brewing Process

Step 1: Prepare Your Setup

1. Place filter in dripper and rinse with hot water
2. Place dripper on scale with your cup or carafe
3. Heat water to target temperature
4. Grind coffee beans to medium-fine consistency

Step 2: Add Coffee and Create Well

1. Add ground coffee to filter
2. Create a small well in the center with your finger
3. Zero your scale

Step 3: The Bloom (0:00 - 0:30)

This step is to soak the grounds, with the water prior to the main pours. This will help to extract the full flavour of the coffee and extract carbon dioxide that's trapped in the beans. Lighter roasts will have less carbon dioxide than darker roasts.

1. Start timer and pour 40-50g of water in circular motion
2. Ensure all grounds are saturated
3. Let coffee "bloom" for 30 seconds
4. Watch for CO2 release and expansion

Step 4: Main Extraction (0:30 - 2:30)

1. Begin second pour in slow, circular motions, aim for the inside of the paper filter. Go around the edge, almost washing the coffee down.
2. Pour slowly, getting to 250g total weight by 1:30
3. Swirl the brewer to ensure the coffee bed is evenly distributed.

Step 5: Final Drip (1:30 - 2:15)

1. Allow coffee to finish dripping
2. Total brew time should be somewhere between 2:15 and 2:30 or so.
3. Remove dripper and swirl cup gently

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Coffee Tastes Sour or Weak

• Increase extraction: Use finer grind or higher temperature
• Extend contact time: Pour slower or use more coffee

Coffee Tastes Bitter or Harsh

• Decrease extraction: Use coarser grind or lower temperature
• Reduce contact time: Pour faster or use less coffee

Uneven Extraction

• Improve pour technique: Maintain consistent circular motions

Recommended Coffee Beans

It comes down to personal preference, but pour over helps to extract coffees with bright, fruity flavours. Light to medium roast coffees tend to have these flavour profiles and are often delicious as pour over.

Conclusion

Pour over brewing is a great way to really taste the different flavours of a coffee. It's also a technique for anyone who enjoys perfecting how they brew, and enjoys experimentation. Start with this basic recipe, then experiment to find your perfect cup!