Pour over coffee is a method of coffee making in which hot water is poured over coffee grounds. The method lets the brewer take control of four key elements. These include the temperature of the water, the speed at which it is poured into the grounds, the ratio of grounds to water, and the amount of coffee brewed. Coffee aficionados prefer the pour-over method as it allows them to get their desired strength, temperature, texture, and taste of the brew.
Why Use the Pour-over Method?
Owing to the difference in the brewing process, the pour-over coffee method tends to create a more flavorful coffee as compared to other methods (such as regular drip coffee). This is why it is a popular choice when it comes to single-origin coffees; it lets the flavor and aroma of the coffee stand out. Good filtered coffee is clear, clean, and consistent. In other words, if you want clarity of flavor, you should use the pour-over coffee method and it would be difficult to achieve the same from an electric drip coffee maker.
Secrets to Make Great Pour-Over Coffee at Home
Now that we’ve defined what a pour-over coffee method is and what a pour-over coffee tastes like, let’s discuss the secrets through which you can brew a great cup of pour-over coffee at home.
What Equipment to Use?
First and foremost get all the equipment you need to make your coffee together. This is important so that you don’t have to run around to grab things in the middle of the process. To make pour-over coffee, here is what you need:
- A burr grinder to grind your coffee beans evenly
- A gooseneck kettle with a narrow extended neck is highly recommended
- A scale
- A dripper with a filter
- A timer to monitor the brew time

pour over coffee
Which Coffee to Prefer?
The pour-over method is known to highlight the aromas and subtle flavor notes of coffee beans which is why it is preferred to use light roasts. They are less porous than darker roasts thus their compounds extract more slowly. Because in the pour-over method, the beans are in the water for a longer duration thus you can get the maximum flavor out of the beans.
- Set & Rinse the Filter
Before adding coffee, place the filter in the brewer and rinse it with hot water. This would rinse away the papery taste that could get pulled into your brew. Also, it would seal the filter as well as warm up your brewer.
- Grind Right
The size of the coffee grind has one of the greatest impacts on the flavor and strength of your coffee. Yes. If the grind is too coarse, it would not let the water extract the maximum flavor from the beans, resulting in a weak and sour taste. On the other hand, if the coffee grind is too fine, your coffee will turn out too strong and bitter.
Get a good quality burr grinder to ensure you get an even particle size that allows for even extraction. You can always tweak the size of the grind to see how you like your coffee.
- Perfect the Bloom Pour
The bloom pour is the first pour of water that wets all the grounds and later helps in even extraction. It is also important to time your pour. It should be slow and steady (preferably using a gooseneck kettle) to keep things even. The total pour-over time should ideally be 30-45 second
Ideal Ratio of Coffee to Water?
Using a consistent coffee-to-water ratio for your pour–over coffee will help you attain a consistent taste. The recommended coffee to water ratio is 16:1, that is 16 grams of water for every one gram of coffee. So to calculate how much coffee you need to use, weigh the amount of water that you intend to use to brew and divide it by 16. Of course, you can make adjustments (15:1 or 17:1) according to your taste.
Conclusion
With the above-mentioned tips, you can master the pour-over coffee method and get consistent results. It's all about using the right equipment and the right technique.