Ever since freshly-roasted, third-wave coffee became a thing, so also has the pour-over method of brewing coffee. Why? Because along with other brewing methods developed since then to showcase the flavors formerly lost by stale or over-roasted coffee, the pour over coffee brewing technique has been found to be one of the best brewing methods to truly display every feature a coffee has to coffee — everything from flavor, to brightness to mouthfeel.
Plus, for people who enjoy experimenting with coffee and perfecting processes, the pour over system is sure to please.
So now that we tackled the why, let’s talk about the how. Here is a step-by-step guide on brewing coffee via the pour-over method:
What you’ll need:
- Pour-over brewing device (Pour-over funnel and mug or a Chemex-type brewing vessel)
- Goose-neck spouted water kettle
- Burr grinder
- Filter (either paper or metal to fit brew method)
- Fresh-roasted, whole-bean coffee (order from your's truly here!)
- (or if buying ground coffee, order it with a medium to course grind)
- Hot water
- Scale
- Timer
It’s Brew Time!
Now that you have everything, it’s time to brew.
A note on the coffee: We recommend buying fresh, locally roasted and whole bean coffee. This way you know the coffee is fresh, giving you the most flavor for your money. Coffee purchased at the local grocery or big box store is often months old, if not more than a year past its roast date. Coffee begins to change its flavor 10 days after roasting. Also, ground coffee begins losing its flavor three days after grinding. So if you order ground coffee, make sure to use it soon, or if you grind your coffee, only grind what you’ll need when you need it.
Okay, enough with the tips. Now on with the brewing.
Step 1: Measure for your brew ratio
Measure out the coffee and water for how much you want to brew. We recommend brewing with a 1:17 ratio for coffee to water to get the a cup that is not too strong, not too weak, but just right. That means, for example, if you are using a Chemex-type vessel, you will use 42 grams of coffee and around 700 grams of water. If the resulting brew is too weak for your taste, make the ratio 1:16 or even 1:15 — and vice versa if too strong.
Step 2: Grind the coffee
After determining how much coffee you want to brew per the above ratio, grind it to somewhere between a medium grind consistency and set it aside.
Here’s our guide on getting the proper grind: Your easy guide to the proper coffee grind size .
Step 3: Boil the water and wait 1 minute
Bring your measured 700 grams of water to a boil and then let it cool for one minute. As water boils at 210 degrees Fahrenheit and the temperature of the water you use should be about 205 degrees, a 1-minute wait should bring the water to a usable temperature. While you are waiting, complete Step 4.
Step 4: Place and wet the filter
If you are using a single cup brew funnel, place the funnel on the mug. If a paper filter, whether with a funnel or a pour-over carafe, place the filter in the funnel portion, folding it to fit the funnel. If using a metal filter, set it in the funnel and quickly proceed to Step 6.
While you are waiting for your water to cool in Step 3, and especially if you are using a paper filter, pour some of that water onto your newly placed filter. Doing so not only rinses out any paper or other off flavors, it warms the funnel and mug or carafe to help your coffee stay warmer longer, once brewed. Dump the rinse water out.
Step 5: Place the coffee in the filter
Now, take that 42 grams of freshly ground Heaven you measured out earlier and dump it in the middle of the newly rinsed filter. It’s brew time!
Step 6: Pour and wait
Do your first pour. This first pour, called the bloom pour, is a relatively short pour, only adding to the filter twice the amount of water as coffee. If fresh roasted, the coffee grounds will begin to bubble and foam, forming a nice round head as water saturates the grounds and gases escape. Between the start of your pour until you resume pouring, you should waiting anywhere from 30 to 45 seconds.
Step 7: Continue and complete your pour
At the point when the bubbling stops and the head begins to subside, it is then you resume your pouring, over the course of the next three minutes, carefully and slowly guiding the stream of water in a spiral-like motion over the grounds to evenly saturate them. You may need to stop briefly at points to allow the foam and water to subside. Be sure not to pour too fast. Just focus on even saturation and make the pour last a few minutes.
This pacing allows for maximum extraction of flavor, while not letting to much bitter get in your brew.
Step 8: Enjoy your coffee!
This is the fun part! Lift the funnel and filter off the mug, or the filter out of your brewing carafe, dispose of the grounds, and drink (or dispense and drink) your coffee!
Hopefully, you found these instructions easy to follow and with them a perfect or perfected pour over coffee.
Savor the flavor and enjoy!
About G4C
Grounds 4 Compassion is an Oklahoma City-based company focused on providing freshly roasted quality coffee for our customers and investing back into our community. Our goal is ultimately to help improve our community and our world as we endeavor to make a good cup of coffee.
Click here to learn more about or to shop Grounds 4 Compassion.
