Pour over is one of the simplest ways to brew a clean, flavorful cup of coffee at home. All it takes is hot water, ground coffee, and a few pieces of basic equipment. You control every variable, from grind size and water temperature to your coffee to water ratio, which lets you bring out the subtleties of each coffee and make a cup that’s perfect for your taste.
This recipe makes one 10oz cup of coffee, covers the best pour over coffee ratio, and works with any dripper. If you’re looking for a recipe written for a specific brewer, visit our Brew Guides.
What you'll need
- Pour over dripper
- Paper filters
- Fresh coffee (24g)
- Burr grinder
- Scale
- Timer
- Gooseneck kettle / filtered hot water (360g)
- Carafe or mug to brew into
How to make pour over coffee, step by step
- Heat your water. Aim for 205°F, just off the boil. Use filtered water, but not distilled, since a little natural mineral content helps pull flavor from the coffee.
- Rinse the filter. Place the filter in your dripper and rinse it with hot water. This removes any paper taste and preheats the dripper and your cup. Discard the rinse water.
- Grind and add your coffee. Grind on a medium-fine setting, toward the fine side of the middle of your grinder. Add the grounds to the filter and tap the dripper lightly to level the bed.
- Tare your scale. Place the dripper and cup on the scale and zero it.
- Bloom. Start your timer and pour about 2 to 2.5 times the weight of your coffee over the grounds (60g for a 24g dose), making sure all of the grounds are wet. Wait about 30 seconds. The bloom lets trapped gases escape so the water can extract evenly.
- Pour in three stages. Divide the remaining water into three even pours. For our 24g recipe, that is 100g each at :30, 1:00, and 1:30. Pour slowly in gentle circles starting from the center, and avoid pouring directly on the filter edge.
- Let it finish draining. Most brews finish between 3 and 4 minutes. Remove the dripper, give the coffee a swirl, and serve.
Pro Tip: Did your brew take longer than 4:00 minutes? Try a coarser grind. Go finer if it finished in under 3:00.
Pour over coffee ratio
The coffee to water ratio is the weight of water for every 1 part of coffee. At 1:15, you use 15 grams of water for every 1 gram of coffee. We recommend starting at 1:15, which makes a strong, balanced cup, and adjusting from there.
Measuring in grams is more accurate than using scoops, because beans vary in size and density.
How to fix a cup that tastes off
Your cup will tell you what to change. Change one thing at a time so you can tell what worked.
- Sour, thin, or sharp, and the brew finished quickly. The coffee is under-extracted. Grind finer, which slows the water down and pulls out more flavor. Water that is too cool can also cause this, so check your temperature. For a very light roast, you can try water up to 208°F.
- Bitter, dry, or harsh, and the brew dragged on. The coffee is over-extracted. Grind a bit coarser so the water moves through faster.
- Tastes good but is too strong or too weak. Adjust your coffee to water ratio instead of your grind. Move toward 1:16 for a lighter cup, or toward 1:14 for a stronger one.
- Inconsistent from day to day. Weigh your coffee and water every time, and use the same water temperature. Small differences in dose or pour speed add up quickly.
Why grinding fresh matters
Coffee starts losing flavor soon after it is ground, because more of its surface is exposed to air. Grinding right before you brew keeps more of the aroma and flavor in your cup. A burr grinder like the Baratza Encore ESP Pro also produces a more even grind than a blade grinder, which helps the coffee extract evenly.
Pour over drippers
Any of these will make a great cup, and each has its own character. There isn’t one best pour over coffee brewer, so choose the one that fits your taste and routine. For exact recipes, follow the guide for your dripper:
- Hario V60: a balanced, clean cup. Precise technique matters a lot because of the large single hole at the bottom.
- Origami: clean and bright, with a similar flow to the V60. It works with V60 filters or Kalita-style filters.
- Kalita Wave: a flat bottom and small holes make it easier to get an even extraction.
- Chemex: a thick paper filter produces a well balanced, clean cup, and it is great for serving more than one person. Be sure to use Chemex’s own custom filters.
Want it iced? Try our flash brew guide, which is pour over brewed directly over ice.
Pour over coffee FAQ
What is the best pour over coffee ratio? We recommend starting at 1:15, or 1 gram of coffee to 15 grams of water, and adjusting between 1:14 and 1:17 based on how strong you like your coffee. The less water, the stronger the coffee.
How much coffee do I use for one cup of pour over? For a 10oz cup, use 24g of coffee and 360g of water.
What water temperature should I use? 205°F, just off the boil, works well for most coffees.
What grind size is best for pour over? Medium-fine. If the brew runs too fast and tastes sour, go finer. If it drags and tastes bitter, go coarser.
How long should the pour over take? Usually 3 to 4 minutes, depending on your dripper and grind.
What is the best pour over coffee brewer? It depends on how you like to brew. The Hario V60 makes a balanced, clean cup and rewards careful pouring. The Kalita Wave’s flat bottom and small holes make it easier to get an even extraction. The Chemex is great for serving more than one person.
What coffee should I brew? Any coffee works. Our light roast coffees and single origin coffees are great for showing off a coffee’s unique characteristics. Or try our Equator Blend for a balanced everyday blend.
How fresh should coffee be? Equator Coffees always roasts to order so that your coffee arrives fresh. For the best flavor, let coffee beans rest for at least 5 days after the roast date, then brew within a few weeks of opening the bag.
Remember to grind your coffee fresh, whenever possible. Pre-ground coffee loses its natural aroma and flavor relatively quickly, even when stored in a sealed bag or canister.