Pour-over is the coffee-shop method that is easiest to copy at home. It needs very little gear, it is forgiving once you know the basics, and it makes a clean, bright cup that lets good beans taste like themselves.
The cheat sheet: 1 gram of coffee to 16 grams of water. 20 g coffee + 320 g water makes one large mug. Medium-fine grind, like table salt. Water just off the boil, about 200°F (93°C). Total brew time around 3 minutes.
What you need
- A pour-over dripper (cone or flat-bottom) and the matching paper filter
- Freshly roasted beans and a grinder; burr grinders give the most even grind (see burr vs blade grinders)
- A kettle, ideally a gooseneck for a slow, steady pour
- A kitchen scale
Step by step
- Heat the water. Bring it to a boil and let it sit for about 30 seconds.
- Rinse the filter. Pour hot water through the empty paper filter to remove the papery taste and warm the dripper. Dump that water.
- Add the coffee. Grind 20 g, add it to the filter and give it a gentle shake to level the bed.
- Bloom. Start a timer and pour about 40 g of water, just enough to wet all the grounds. Wait 30 to 45 seconds while it bubbles and releases gas.
- Pour in stages. Pour slowly in small circles, keeping off the very edge of the filter, until you reach 320 g. Aim to finish pouring by about 2 minutes.
- Let it drain. It should finish dripping around 3 to 3 1/2 minutes.
Fixing your cup
| If it tastes… | Try this |
|---|---|
| Sour, thin, drains too fast | Grind a little finer |
| Bitter, harsh, drains too slow | Grind a little coarser |
| Weak | Use a bit more coffee (try 1:15) |
| Too strong | Use a bit less coffee (try 1:17) |
Change one thing at a time, and write down what you did. After a few mornings you will have your own house recipe.
Prefer something cold? Try our easy cold brew.
Ingredients
Method
- Bring water to a boil and let it rest about 30 seconds.
- Rinse the paper filter with hot water and discard that water.
- Add the ground coffee and level the bed.
- Pour about 40 g of water to wet all the grounds and wait 30 to 45 seconds.
- Pour the rest slowly in small circles until you reach 320 g, finishing by about 2 minutes.
- Let it drain completely, around 3 to 3 1/2 minutes total.
Notes
Sour or thin: grind finer. Bitter or slow: grind coarser.
