How to: pour-over coffee
Catherine Adam-Albarracin
Everything you need to know about pour over coffee!
Many of us have seen pour-over coffee set-ups in specialty coffeehouses, or in expert campers’ morning routine videos. But what exactly is a pour-over, does the coffee really taste better, and how can you master the art of a delicious pour-over at home? Today, we will explore all these questions to give you the confidence to spruce up your coffee routine.
How to make pour-over coffee
Making pour-over coffee is as the name suggests: at its base level, the process involves pouring hot water over coffee grounds, allowing the coffee to drip through the filter and into your mug. There are just a few steps to a perfectly balanced pour-over coffee, and all you need (besides your coffee beans and hot water) is a filter, a dripper, a timer, and a scale. A dripper is mug-shaped with a hole on the bottom that sits on the top of your coffee mug or carafe. The filter sits inside the dripper with ground coffee inside, and as you slowly pour hot water over the grounds, delicious pour-over coffee will flow from the dripper into your mug. As you pour, you will use the timer and scale to know how much water to continue adding as you time your brew to the perfect taste.
Pour-over coffee instructions
To make pour-over coffee, bring at least 20oz of water to a boil and grind 22-30 grams of coffee beans to a coarseness resembling sea salt. Place your filter of choice inside the dripper. Most coffee enthusiasts recommend pre-wetting the filter with hot water to remove the papery taste from your finished brew. Next, add your ground coffee to the filter and gently tap the dripper to create a flat, even surface of the grounds. Place your filled dripper on top of your mug or carafe, collect your hot water, and you’re ready to begin the brewing process!
Hot water is added to specialty pour-over coffee in a method using both a scale and a timer.
Time needed: 5 minutes.
- Weigh your coffee
Grind between 16-18 grams of coffee. Place your paper filter into your brewer and rinse it with some hot water.
- Blooming your coffee
Place your pour-over setup on a digital scale and set it to zero. Start your timer, and begin pouring hot water slowly over the coffee grounds, starting on the outside and moving in a spiral towards the center. Stop pouring when the scale reaches 60 grams (this should take around 15 seconds). For this first pour, make sure all the grounds are saturated. Wait 30 seconds before pouring water in again.
- Pouring you coffee
This time starting in the center and spiraling outwards, adding 90 grams of water (bringing the total to 150 grams). Wait an additional 45-60 seconds and repeat, spiraling hot water from the center outwards to bring your total to 250 grams.
- Finishing up
Finally, when all the water drips out (approx. 15-20 seconds), complete your final pour: adding 100 grams of water to bring your total to 350 grams.
Does pour-over coffee taste better?
The taste of pour-over coffee can be described as having the same consistency and caffeine level as drip coffee, but with the body and complexity of espresso. Pour-over coffee tastes balanced and sweet, and because of the precise method, the flavor profile of the coffee beans is able to truly shine. Pour-over coffee is the perfect brewing method to really taste the nutty, floral, or bold notes of your coffee beans.
The final taste of your pour-over coffee will depend on your extraction process as well, so similar to espresso, don’t be afraid to play with the grind setting of your coffee beans, the temperature of your water, and with small increments of time between pours! With practice, the delicate process of making a pour-over will become second nature, and a peaceful (and delicious!) part of your day.
How much coffee for one pour-over cup?
Using the recipe detailed above, one pour-over cup of coffee comes out to 350 grams of liquid, or around 12.5 oz. The recipe is flexible for other sizes, but to avoid complications, the method we shared is the most straightforward and simple. If 12.5 oz is too much, we suggest sharing it with a good friend!
How much caffeine is in pour-over coffee?
The caffeine level of pour-over coffee is approximately the same as that of drip coffee: 175mg per 8 fl oz, although some sources say that, because of the hot water temperature used in a pour-over, the caffeine quantity is slightly larger. Overall, there is 185-195 mg of caffeine in your 12oz pour-over, just above a normal cup of drip coffee (Source).
How pour-over coffee works
The pour-over coffee brewing method is fast, efficient, and produces high-quality, balanced brewed coffee. But how does it work? Pour-over brewing was invented by German entrepreneur Amalie Auguste Melitta Bentz in the 1930s. By using a slow extraction process, Amalie noticed the coffee grinds were able to “bloom” and settle in a way that created a flavorful, more full-bodied coffee than the standard percolator of the time. Her method is still used by specialty coffee connoisseurs and all who appreciate the fine flavor notes pour-overs offer!
Best pour-over coffee makers
There are so many pour-over coffee systems on the market, but three really stand out as shining above the rest to help you achieve the delicious brewed coffee you’re looking for!
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Chemex glass coffee maker review
More aesthetically pleasing than your standard pour-over system, the Chemex Pour-Over Glass Coffeemaker will make you feel like a chemist at work. Its simple and effective design will look great in your kitchen, and make you excited to brew your morning pour-over!
V60 Coffee Dripper Review
For a standard, affordable pour-over maker, there’s no better product than the Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper. This simple, perfectly-priced device sits right inside your favorite mug, no extra steps are needed!
Stanley The Perfect-Brew Pour Over review
There’s no better pour-over maker for campers and adventurers than the Stanley Perfect-Brew Pour over. This pour-over device will be your perfect choice for on-the-go coffee, and in gorgeous stainless steel, you don’t have to worry about breakage while on the road!
