How to Brew Pour Over Coffee at Home

What do you need to make pour over?

• A pour over dripper, such as a V60 or a flat bottom dripper.
• A paper filter that fits it.
• Fresh whole bean coffee and a burr grinder if you have one.
• A kettle, ideally a gooseneck kettle for a slow, steady pour.
• A kitchen scale and a timer. Your phone works fine.
• Cold water, filtered if possible. The National Coffee Association suggests avoiding distilled or softened water.

What is the best coffee to water ratio for pour over?

The National Coffee Association recommends 1 gram of coffee for every 13 to 16 grams of water, a ratio of 1:13 to 1:16. A lower number makes a stronger cup.

A friendly starting recipe for one large mug:

• 20 grams of coffee
• 320 grams of water (a 1:16 ratio)

Once you like the cup, keep the ratio and scale it up or down. For 15 grams of coffee, use about 240 grams of water.

Weighing beats scooping. Beans from different coffees and roasts take up different amounts of space, so a scale keeps your cup consistent from bag to bag.

What grind size and water temperature should you use?

Grind: start with a medium grind, a bit like coarse sand. Grinding right before you brew keeps the most aroma.

Water temperature: the National Coffee Association recommends 93°C, give or take 3 degrees, which is about 195 to 205°F. If you do not have a thermometer, bring water to a boil and let it rest for about a minute before pouring.

How do you brew a pour over, step by step?

1. Place the filter in the dripper and rinse it with hot water. This removes papery taste and warms everything up. Pour out the rinse water.
2. Add your ground coffee, shake it level and set the scale to zero.
3. Bloom. Start the timer and pour about twice as much water as coffee, so 40 grams of water for 20 grams of coffee. Wait 30 to 45 seconds while the coffee bubbles. That bubbling is carbon dioxide escaping, a good sign of fresh coffee.
4. Pour the rest of the water slowly in a steady stream, starting in the center and spiraling outward. Avoid pouring straight onto the filter paper.
5. Let it drain. Total contact time between water and coffee should be about 2 to 4 minutes.
6. Swirl, pour and enjoy.

Why does my pour over taste bitter, sour or weak?

Grind size is the main dial you have. The National Coffee Association gives this simple rule:

• Bitter or sour: try a coarser grind.
• Flat or watery: try a finer grind.
• Too strong or too weak overall: keep the grind and adjust the ratio, using a little more or a little less coffee.
• Draining much faster than 2 minutes or slower than 4: adjust the grind finer or coarser.

Change one thing at a time so you know what helped, and write down your recipe once you love the cup. A small notebook or a note on your phone saves a lot of guesswork the next time you open a new bag. And remember that stale beans cannot be fixed by technique, so start with fresh coffee.

How do you make French press and espresso?

French press: use a coarse grind, like rock salt, and a ratio of 1:10 to 1:16, for example 30 grams of coffee to 450 grams of water. Use water around 93°C (about 200°F), stir, put the lid on and steep for about 4 minutes. Press slowly and serve right away so it does not keep brewing.

Espresso: use a very fine grind and aim for about 1 gram of coffee in for 2 grams of espresso out, a 1:2 ratio. For example, 18 grams of coffee makes about 36 grams of espresso. The shot should take about 20 to 30 seconds.

For pour over, try our Natural Reposado or Semi-Washed in a light or light-medium roast. For espresso, a medium-dark roast or our Espresso Altitude subscription is a great fit. Jet A is the plan built for pour over and filter.

Frequently asked questions