How to Make Pour Over Coffee

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson Reviewed by Chef Jeff Woodward

Last Updated: September 22, 2024 Approved

If you'd love to control every aspect of coffee brewing, set up a pour over brewer. Place the brewer over a carafe and line it with a moistened paper filter which will remove the natural oils in the coffee. Slowly pour boiling water over coffee grounds in the filter so coffee drips into the carafe below. Just lift away the brewer and pour your hand-crafted coffee into serving cups.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons (about 30 g) of medium-ground coffee
17 ounces (500 ml or g) of water

Makes 2 cups (473 ml)

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Wetting the Filter and Boiling the Water

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1
Set up your pour over brewer and get out the coffee. Place the pour over brewer of your choice over a carafe. Get out a digital scale and measure out 3 tablespoons (about 30 g) of medium-ground coffee or whole beans, if you want to grind your own.^{[1]
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- You can use a glass, plastic, or ceramic brewer. Keep in mind that plastic brewers can give a slight taste to the coffee.
- You'll also need a grinder, if you plan to grind your own beans.
2
Bring fresh water to boil. Pour at least 17 ounces (500 g or ml) of water into a kettle and heat it until it boils vigorously. You can use tap or filtered water, depending on your preferences. Remove the kettle from the heat and let the water cool for about 30 seconds before you start the pour over.
- The temperature of the water should be around 205 °F (96 °C).
- To make it easier to pour, consider using a kettle with a long, narrow pouring spout.
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Use a filter designed for your specific pour over. If you're using one shaped like a cone, you'll need to fold the filter along the flat bottom and the edge with the seam. Set the filter into the brewer and place it on your carafe.^{[2]
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4
Rinse the filter. Pour enough hot water into the filter to wet it. The entire paper filter should be moist. Rinsing the filter will remove any papery residue so your coffee doesn't have a woodsy taste.^{[3]
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- The moistened filter will also seal the filter against the brewer while warming up the carafe.
Avoid using the rinse water in the bottom of the carafe. Lift up the brewer and pour out the water. Then set the brewer with the wet filter back on the carafe.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Blooming the Coffee Grounds

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1
Grind the coffee, if you're using whole beans. You'll get the best flavor of coffee by grinding whole beans just before brewing. Measure out 30 g of whole beans and place them in your grinder. Grind the beans until they're medium-fine which is about the size of coarse sugar.^{[5]
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- Burr grinders will give you more control over the grind and will make more uniform grounds than blade grinders will.
2
Put the coffee in the filter and set the pour over on a digital scale. Measure 3 tablespoons (about 30 g) of coffee grounds into the moistened filter. Shake the brewer a little so the coffee grounds are at an even level. Level grounds will make the coffee extract evenly. Then place the carafe with the brewer on a digital scale and set it to zero.^{[6]
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- You'll need to keep track of how much water you're pouring over the grounds, so the scale comes in handy.
3
Start the timer and pour enough water to saturate the grounds. Start your digital timer so you can keep track of how long to brew the coffee. Take the kettle of hot water and slowly pour water in a circular motion over the coffee grounds in the filter. Pour just enough water to soak the grounds, but not so much that water begins to drip out of the bottom of the filter.^{[7]
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- You should see the coffee bloom. This bubbling is the carbon dioxide releasing from the beans.
Let the coffee grounds finish releasing gas so water can replace the carbon dioxide during the brewing process. Keep the timer going during the entire brewing process, which should take 3 to 4 minutes total.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Pouring and Brewing the Coffee

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1
Pour hot water into the coffee grounds and wait 30 seconds. Slowly pour hot water into the grounds in a spiral movement. Take about 15 seconds to pour enough water to fill the brewer 1/2 to 3/4 full. Then wait 30 seconds while the coffee brews into the carafe below it.^{[8]
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- Avoid pouring onto the filter because you'll get the best taste by saturating the coffee grounds.
2
Pour again and wait another 45 to 65 seconds. Slowly pour hot water into the center of the grounds and move towards the edges in a spiral motion. Fill the brewer 1/2 to 3/4 full again and then let the coffee brew for 45 to 65 seconds.
- The coffee should steadily drip into the carafe below the brewer.
Take 35 to 40 seconds to slowly pour the rest of the water into the coffee grounds. Your scale should read 500 g once you've poured enough water into the brewer.^{[9]
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4
Remove the pour over and serve the coffee. Once the coffee has finished dripping out of the bottom, lift off the pour over brewer. Carefully pour the hot coffee into 2 mugs or cups and serve them immediately.^{[10]
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- You can discard or compost your coffee grounds. Wash out the pour over brewer according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Community Q&A

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Question

Do the coffee grinds have to be small?

Community Answer

With pour-over, a medium to fine grind is ideal. not as fine as espresso, and not as coarse as french press. It will still work with any other grind size, but the flavor may not be quite right.

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Question

What is the best grind for pour over coffee?

Community Answer

The best grind for pour over coffee is medium-fine. The grounds should be about the same size as coarse sugar.

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Question

What is the ratio of coffee to water?

Community Answer

Plan on using about 17 ounces (500 g or ml) of water for every 3 tablespoons (about 30 g) of ground coffee. Keep in mind that you may not end up using all of the the water at once.

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