I really enjoy making pour over coffee at home because its simple to make and just as easy to learn so you can get the perfect cup of coffee each and every time.
To make great tasting pour over coffee you will need a fresh roasted coffee, a kettle, a burr grinder, a scale, timer and good water. Since Brewing Pour over coffee gives you complete control over the coffee making process, it important to have right the amount of coffee and grind size, as well as water temperature and brewing time
In this post I can going to share with you what a pour over coffee is, how to brew it so you can repeat it every time make coffee. With also a couple of tips and helpful suggestions, you’ll be brewing pour over coffee like the pros, so lets get started!
Essential Ingredients
- 25g of Fresh Roasted Whole Bean Coffee – Preferably from a local roaster
- Gooseneck Kettle – This will give you the control you will want when pouring the water over the coffee
- Burr Coffee Grinder – Probably the most important item on the list. Make sure you have a good one.
- Scale – Should have the option of using grams
- Timer – Your watch or phone will do but a digital kitchen timer is ideal
- 400g Purified Water – Unless you live in a place that has good quality water
- Pour Over Brewer – Whichever is your preferred choice.
How to Make Pour Over Coffee – Step by Step
In this pour over brew guide I will be using 25g of coffee and 400g of water but you can use more or less depending on how many people you are making coffee for. Once you have everything set up, lets start making some coffee!
Step 1 Heat the Water
Heat 400g Water to between 195 – 205 F.
Step 2 Measure and Grind
Measure out 25g of coffee and use the grind size according to the brewing method you are using.
Step 3 Rinse Filter
Place the pour over brewer and filter over the vessel are you brewing into. Rinse the filter and discard the water.
Step 4 Create the Bloom
Pour water that is about 20% of the amount of coffee that is in your brewer ( 50g in our case) and wait 30 seconds. If you have fresh roasted coffee you will see what is referred to as the Bloom which is basically the slight rise and fall of the coffee.
Step 5 Add More Water
After 30 seconds pour in 30% more water. Pour in concentric circles, into the coffee itself (not the sides of the filter paper!).
Step 6 Add Water
At 45 seconds pour in 20% more coffee, still using concentric circles
Step 7 Add Water
After 60 seconds, pour in 20% more water.
Step 8 Finish Brewing
At 90 seconds, add the remaining 10% of water. All your water should be in by 90 seconds. Now, let it drip until finished. Your brew should be done in about three minutes.
4 Tips For Better Pour Over Brewing
1. The Right Amount of Coffee
The correct coffee to water ratio is the first step to brewing a great cup of coffee. I like to use a 16 to 1 (Water to Coffee) as I found that this is a great balance. However there are those who would say that they prefer a 15 to 1 or 16 to 1. There is no right answer here. You just have to experiment with each to see the one you like
2. Correct Water Temperature
The best water temperature for Pour Over coffee is between 195 – 205 degrees F. Ideally you will have Kettle that has a temperature gauge on that you can set However, if you don’t, then bring the water to a boil and then wait 30 seconds
3. Rinse The Paper Filter
You need to rinse your paper filter with the hot water in order to remove any possibilities of getting that paper taste in your coffee. It also serves a second purpose and that is to warm up the pour over brewer and the vessel that the coffee it is going into.Discard the water and put you coffee in.
4. Use the Proper Grind Size
Take the coffee you have measured out and grind it with the burr grinder. The reason you want or should I say need to use a burr grinder is because you will get a much more even grind of the coffee beans. This will prevent parts of the coffee beans from being over or under extracted during the brewing process.
TIP: If it’s taking longer to brew than next time coarsen the grind. If it’s a shorter time, use a finer grind size.
Pour Over Coffee Makers
There are a lot of pour over brewing methods out there and their seems to be a new one coming out all the time. they all very slightly from the type of filter they use to the amount of coffee they can make at one time.
For those just starting out, I would recommend either the Bee House dripper or the Kalita wave. Both are little more forgiving and if you make a slight mistake during the brewing process it probably will not be noticed.On the opposite end, I would not begin with a Hario V60 until you get a some practice time in. The most common pour over brewers are:
There are links to these brewers with more specific information on how to use them.
Cleaning up
Cleaning any one these pour over brewers is simple and essential. So simple in fact that some people forget to do it properly. To clean the brewer, all you need to do is throw away the paper filter and grinds. Better yet, use the grinds in your garden. Then with ingredients as simple as soap and water, rinse out the brewer and dry it out. If after cleaning, you smell any odors just repeat the process.
Final Thoughts
As you can hopefully see by now that making great tasting coffee using a pour over is not that hard. You can save a lot of money by making this coffee at home and also have the satisfaction of knowing that you made the coffee the way you like it
