Pour Over, Step by Step

Pour over rewards patience more than any other method. You're not just adding hot water to grounds — you're controlling exactly how fast that water moves through the coffee, which is where all the flavor clarity comes from.

Start with a ratio of 1:16 — for every gram of coffee, use 16 grams of water. A good starting point is 20g of coffee to 320g of water, which gets you roughly two cups. Grind medium-fine, similar in texture to table salt.

Rinse your paper filter with hot water first. This isn't optional — it washes away the papery taste and warms your dripper, so your coffee doesn't lose heat the moment it touches the vessel.

Add your grounds and level them off. Start your timer and pour just enough water to saturate the grounds evenly — about double the weight of the coffee itself. Wait 30 to 45 seconds. This is the bloom, and you'll see the coffee puff up as it releases trapped gas. Skip this step and your final cup will taste flat.

After the bloom, pour the rest of your water in slow, steady circles, working from the center outward and back in. Avoid pouring directly against the filter wall. Aim to finish your total pour by around the 2-minute mark, with total brew time landing between 2:30 and 3:30.

If your coffee tastes sour or thin, your grind is too coarse or your water wasn't hot enough — aim for water just off the boil, around 92-96°C. If it tastes bitter or harsh, your grind is too fine or you poured too slowly. Small adjustments, one at a time, get you there faster than starting over.