The Ultimate Pour Over Guide – Brew the Perfect Cup of Coffee at Home

Pour over is not just a brewing method – it is a small morning ritual where you have 100% control over the flavor. Once you have mastered the details, it beats almost all other filter coffee. Here is the complete guide, from bean to last sip.

What you need

Freshly roasted coffee beans (preferably roasted within 1–3 weeks)
Pour over brewer (V60, Kalita Wave, Chemex, or Origami)
Filter paper that fits your brewer
Gooseneck kettle (important for even pouring)
Precision scale (with timer)
Grinder (preferably a good hand grinder or electric)
92–96 °C water

The golden recipe (standard for 1 cup)

Coffee: 15 g
Water: 250 g (ratio 1:16.7 – can be adjusted to taste)
Grind size: Medium-fine (a bit finer than filter, coarser than espresso – think fine river sand)
Total brew time: 2:30–3:00 min

Step-by-step brewing (V60 style – also works for most others)

Warm the brewer and serving pot/cup with hot water (then empty).
Place the filter in, rinse it thoroughly with hot water (removes paper taste + preheats).
Add 15 g of freshly ground coffee to the filter and make a small depression in the center. Place on the scale and zero it.
Start the timer and pour 40–50 g of water (three times the amount of coffee) in circular motions. Make sure all coffee grounds get wet. → This is called bloom – wait 30–45 seconds. CO₂ develops here, giving more sweetness and clarity.
Now pour the rest of the water (200–210 g) in slow, circular motions from the center outward. Keep the water level about 1 cm below the edge. Try to finish pouring at 1:30–1:45.
When the water has drained through (total time 2:30–3:00), remove the brewer and gently stir the coffee.
Drink, enjoy, be happy.

Adjustments – find YOUR taste

For sour / weak coffee → grind finer or pour slower
For bitter / heavy coffee → grind coarser or pour faster
Want more body? Try 1:15 (16–17 g coffee to 250 g water)
Want more clarity and elegance? Try 1:17 (14–15 g coffee to 250 g water)

Pro-tips

Use water with low mineral content
Grind just before brewing – it’s 80% of the flavor
Try the “Rao Spin” at the end: When the last drop has fallen, gently rotate the brewer 360° – this gives a more even extraction
Experiment with pouring techniques: James Hoffmann’s “single pour” (pour all at once after bloom) or the 4:6 method by Tetsu Kasuya (world champion 2016)

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