How To Make Pour Over Coffee

Making pour over coffee is my favorite way to enjoy an amazing cup of joe each morning. Unlike other brewing methods, pour over coffee allows you to control the quality and strength of your coffee by controlling the speed, temperature, and amount of water used in the process.

With this method, you can achieve a rich flavor that many people find superior to regular drip-brewed coffee. In this post, I’ll provide step-by-step instructions for making pour over coffee at home.

First, you’ll need the right equipment. At a minimum, you’ll need a pour over coffee maker, a pour over filter, freshly ground coffee beans, and hot water.

1. Heat Up Your Water

Heat up your water until just before boiling (ideally 195–205°F). I have a digital kettle that I set to 203°F, but you can play around and find what works best for you.

2. Add Coffee Filter & Grounds

Add a filter to the coffee brewer and place it on top of your mug or carafe.

If you’re grinding your coffee beans fresh, you’ll want your coffee grinder on a medium setting. Based on your results, the grind setting is one of the main variables you can adjust for future brews until you dial into a taste that suits you.

Set your mug or carafe and brewer on top of your scale (if you’re using one). Pour a little bit of hot water from your kettle into the empty filter. This wets the filter and also heats up your brewer and mug / carafe.

Dump out the water and tare (zero) your scale. Add coffee grounds to the filter. You want a ratio of in the range of 15 to 17 grams of water to 1 gram of ground coffee.

If you go more towards the 15g side, you’ll get a stronger coffee, while the 17g ratio will give you a weaker coffee. You can always use my Pourover Coffee to Water Ratio Cheatsheet to have the perfect weights at your fingertips.

Once you’ve added the ground coffee, give your brewer a quick shake to level the coffee grounds; this will help you get even extraction, which is super-important on your journey towards a delicious cup of coffee.

I also like to push my finger in the middle of the grounds to give a little dimple for the hot water to pour into. I’m not sure if this actually does anything, but I saw it the first time I made pour over and I’ve done it ever since.

2. Pour the Water and Bloom to Enhance

Now that your grounds are set, you’re ready to pour your hot water. Tare your scale again so it reads zero, then pour enough water to just cover all of the coffee. This should be about double the weight of your ground coffee.

Wait 30 to 45 seconds for the coffee to bloom, then slowly pour more hot water in a circular motion into the pour over filter, making sure your water lever does rise above the top of the filter. Wait for the water to filter through the coffee, then repeat until you’ve hit your target weight.

3. Let It Drip

Keep an eye on your coffee as the water drips through, and when you start to see the coffee grounds appear, remove the brewer from your mug or carafe and place it in the sink or on another cup to drain (the last few drops of water can be a little bitter).

The timer should read between 2:30 to 3:30 minutes. If your water is taking too much time to drip through, try to either pour faster or set your grinder a little coarser next time. If it’s going through too quickly, pour slower or grind finer.

4. Serve

Serve the coffee from your carafe or let it cool slightly if you’ve brewed into a mug! 

Conclusion

Making pour over coffee is a relatively simple process that will result in a delicious and aromatic cup of joe. With the right equipment, fresh beans, filtered water, and patience you can make pour over coffee like an expert barista at home. Whether you’re looking for a strong espresso or something more mellow to start your day with, pour over coffee is sure to please your taste buds. So go ahead – give it a try! You won’t regret the perfect cup of pour over brewed just for you.