How to make a better pour over coffee
Pour over coffee is simple, sustainable, portable and delicious. With a few small tweaks, you can refine your process to get it just right. Get all the details for your best cup of coffee yet.
If you already make pour over coffee regularly, then you know the benefits it brings over machine-brewed coffee. If you’re new to the process and want to understand the differences between the pour over method and machine-brewed or French Press coffee, head over to our blog about the benefits of pour over.
In this article, we’ll discuss the basic elements of making a great cup or two, and help you refine those basics to get your brew just right.
Looking for a recipe? We’ve got 101 brew instructions here and a <recipe for spiced pour over here>!
Start with the basics and refine
OK, let’s jump in with the basics. To make a cup of pour over, you don’t need much.
A kettle to heat the water.
Ground coffee
A coffee filter that works for your coffee maker
Fresh water
Let’s dig a little deeper into each by answering the most-asked questions.
Can I use any kettle?
Technically you just need a kettle that can heat water, whether a stove-top kettle or an eclectic one. However, it truly helps to have a kettle with a small spout so that you can more precisely direct the flow of water.
A large spout allows a lot of water to come out all at once—which is great if you want to quickly get hot water into a cup quickly. For pour over, that is not what you want. To properly “bloom” your grounds (we explain this below), precision is better.
Choose a “gooseneck” kettle
A kettle with a long, thin spout is called a “gooseneck” kettle. It works great for pour over coffee, and works fine for all your other hot water heating needs too. It’s worth a small investment if you don’t already have one. And you can find these kettles in electric and stove top varieties.
What is the best coffee bean to use?
There are so many different flavors to play with for pour over, and no two sites agree on a “best.” The one you choose will depend on your preferred flavor profile.
Here are the basic factors to help you narrow down your favorite.
Blend or single origin?
A blend combines beans grown throughout a region or in different regions. A single-origin bean is just that—the beans come from the same region.
According to Gear Patrol, a site that deep dives into hobby gear, pour over is a great way to explore single origin flavors.
Because the pour-over technique is effective at highlighting more delicate coffee flavors, you're more likely to be able to highlight origin-specific flavor differences. Similar to how wine tasting can evoke the terroir in which it was grown, coffee takes much of its flavor from the soil it grows from. In contrast, blends take beans of different regions and combine them to create a roaster's idea of an ideal flavor profile.
In fact, our own sock papa, Robert, prefers “single origin Tarrazu, Chemex brewed.”
Of course, if you have a favorite local roaster, you might experiment with their blends and benefit from their expertise.
Light roast or dark?
On this, most sites agree. Light roast better highlights the pure flavor of the coffee bean and is better for pour over. But again, experiment with flavor profiles to get the taste that works best for you.
Pro tip: If you’re serious about finding your ideal brew, take notes! Note the origin, grind size, and roast of your coffee and how it tastes. Review your notes to figure out your favorite.
Which filter should I use?
We designed CoffeeSock filters especially for pour over coffee. The organic cotton filter results in a brighter, richer brew with just the right amount of acid. And while we started with a few basic sizes, we’ve developed socks for most brew methods.
Chemex pour over: Chemex makers come in multiple sizes. We use a six cup Chemex, but you’ll find filters for all sizes in the shop.
Small pour over drippers: For most small pour over devices that sit on a cup, you’ll use the #2 cone.
Hario v60 style has a slightly different shape. And we’ve got a filter for it. Same goes for the Kalita wave style.
Custom filters: Not finding what you’re looking for? We make custom filters too.
What is the right ratio of coffee to water for pour over?
We’ll let the experts over at Stumptown take on this one:
Using a consistent water to coffee ratio will help you with your dose. Then you can adjust for taste. As a general rule, we suggest about a 1:17, coffee to water weight ratio. In other words, for the Chemex we use 42 grams of coffee and about 700 grams of water.
This is close to the “golden ratio” you may have read about for a cup of coffee, which is 15-18 grams of water for every 1 gram of coffee. Again, play around to get your own golden cup!
Do I need a scale to weigh the coffee?
The short answer is no. You can “eyeball” your grounds and water or use a precise scoop if that’s your personality type. Some of our sockers definitely have a “devil-may-care” attitude about the golden ratio.
Of course, if you’re going for precision in your experiments, it will be easier to play around with that ratio if you can weigh your coffee and water. If you already have a kitchen scale handy, you’re in business.
Place your coffeemaker on top of the scale with the filter already in it and “tare” or zero out the scale. From there, add your coffee grounds to correct weight for the amount of coffee you’ll make and then keep on the scale as you add water. Stupmtown gives you a great starter weight for a single cup of coffee brewed with a Chemex.
How fine should I grind the coffee?
For this, you’ll want to do a little research to find out the right grind size for the coffee maker you’re using. As a general rule, you want a medium grind for pour over. Your grounds should look like table salt. Not a powder and not large sea-salt like pieces. But clearly defined individual grounds.
Some coffee makers will use a slightly smaller or larger size grind for an optimal cup. But a medium ground works for most pour over methods. And home-ground, fresh coffee is best. But if you don’t have a grinder and don’t want to invest, ask a barista at your local shop to grind it for you if you can.
Should I use boiling water?
You’ll want to bring your water to a boil and then give it a few seconds “off the boil.” Your water should be between 200-210 degrees when you pour it.
To start your pour over coffee, bloom the grounds
The “bloom” is your first pour. It allows the coffee to fully degas. Don’t skip the bloom! This method ensures that you get your grounds evenly wet and have a full flavor and even brew.
To bloom your coffee, pour the hot water slowly over the grounds in a spiral, starting at the outside and working your way to the middle. Make sure you get everything wet, then let the grounds sit for about 30 seconds.
You should see some slightly bubbling and rising action.
After 30 seconds, use the same even, slow spiral method to finish pouring the water.
Put it all together, step-by-step
To make your ideal pour over:
Rinse and wet your coffee filter and place it in your coffee maker
Place the coffee maker with the filter in it on a kitchen scale and zero it
Grind your coffee, if doing so at home
Measure out your coffee at about 42 gram per cup
Bloom the grounds with hot water (about 205 degrees) and let sit for 30 seconds
Finish pouring the hot water in slow spirals until you have the right amount of water, about 700 grams per cup.
Pour into your mugs and enjoy