Brew Guide

Pour Over Coffee

Pour over coffee may appear complicated, but the brewing procedure is surprisingly effortless, and with a little skill, the results can be spectacular. Making pour over coffee is even easier than setting up your home coffee maker, plus the cleanup is quick! You may expect excellent flavors in the finished cup because you have control over elements like water temperature and brew duration.

Keep in mind, the word “pour over” can refer to a variety of coffee makers, including the Kalita Wave, Melitta Cone, and even a Chemex. Depending on whose coffee maker you have, you may need to make minor tweaks, but this recipe is a nice place to start.

1. Add Coffee Filter & Grounds

Place a filter on top of your mug or carafe.

If you’re grinding your coffee beans from scratch, use a medium setting on your coffee grinder. The grind setting is one of the primary variables you can alter for future brews based on your results.

Place your mug and brewer on top of your scale (if you’re using one), then fill the filter with coffee grounds. Give your brewer a brief shake to level the coffee grounds; this will aid in even extraction, which is crucial in achieving a good cup of coffee.

2. Bloom to Enhance

Follow these simple steps to bloom your coffee:

– Your scale should be tarred (zeroed out).
– Set a timer for 15 minutes and slowly pour filtered water (about 200 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 20 seconds off the boil) to equal about twice the weight of the coffee (around 1.5 oz / 45 g of water).
– Cover all of the grounds with water, being careful to touch any parts that are still dry after your first pour. The bubbles you see are carbon dioxide escaping from the coffee grinds.
– Wait 45 seconds before continuing.

3. Pour Water

Take a cup of hot water and check the temperature to see if it’s within a few degrees of 200 F, or 20 seconds off the boil. Begin slowly pouring water in a circular manner. Pour about half of your water at first, then let it drain a little before refilling. Because you don’t want all of the water to drip through too fast or too slowly, this portion of making pour over requires a little practice. Slow down your pour or take a quick break if the water level starts to approach the top of your brewer when pouring to avoid an overflow.

4. Let Drip

Keep an eye on your coffee as the water pours through, and when the grounds start to appear, take the brewer from your mug and set it in the sink or on another cup to drain (the last few drops of water can be a little bitter). The timer should be set at anywhere between 2:30 and 3:30 p.m. If your water is taking too long to drop through, try pouring it faster or coarsening your grinder next time. Pour slowly or crush finer if it’s going through too rapidly.

5. Serve

If you’ve brewed coffee in a mug, let it cool somewhat before serving. Discard or compost the coffee grounds, and rinse the maker with any residual hot water from your kettle to clean it up.