Pour-over coffee is a simple, subtle method that allows you to brew an amazing cup of coffee with just a few tools and ingredients. The best part? You don't have to be a coffee pro to brew the perfect pour-over. Let’s walk through what pour-over coffee is all about and how you can start brewing it yourself.
What Is a Pour-Over?
This coffee is made with a manual brewing method using hot water and freshly ground beans. It's a percolation technique that allows you to control the temperature and amount of water used for the perfect extraction, resulting in an incredibly flavorful cup of coffee.
Making a Pour-Over Coffee
Confused about where to start? You've heard about the French press and cold brew, but pour-over seems like it’s something else. Not to worry. Making a pour-over from scratch is far from intimidating. Actually, it’s really easy. You only need hot water, coffee beans, a grinder, a gooseneck kettle (like our Stagg EKG) and a filter.
Step 1: Pick your coffee beans. You always want to start with freshly ground beans when making pour-over coffee. It’s up to you whether you buy pre-ground coffee or grind your own beans, but we always recommend going with freshly ground to brew a ridiculously good cup of coffee. We recommend opting for a high quality, light to medium roast.
Step 2: Start measuring. You’ll probably want a scale to help measure the beans and water. Generally, a good water to coffee ratio is 1:16, but you should experiment and find what tastes best to you. For a 12 oz cup, weigh 23 grams of beans (about 3 tablespoons). Put away the calculator and grab Tally Pro Precision Scale to make this part easy. With an easy Brew Assist™ Mode, just choose your ratio and Tally guides you the rest of the way.
Step 3: Find the right grind size and grind. The grind size is essential when making pour-over coffee, because it determines how quickly the water will extract flavor from the beans. For a robust pour-over, opt for a medium-coarse grind. All of Fellow’s Grinders have an intuitive guide to help you grind the right size. Once you start grinding,
Step 4: Prep the filter. Grab a clean filter and get it ready before you pour. You avoid getting any off-flavors in your brew. With your dripper on the carafe, pour enough hot water to wet the filter. This not only gets rid of potential “papery” tasting notes, but also preheats your carafe for extra heat retention.
Step 5: Heat the water. The ideal temperature is 205°F. Why? It’s important for proper extraction. Sure, you can brew your coffee at “about boiling,” but you’re cutting yourself short in producing the best tasting cup. You'll get a weak cup of coffee if it's not hot enough, and if it's too hot, the coffee will be bitter and over-extracted. Control your temperature to the exact degree and pour with perfection with Stagg EKG.
Step 6: Pre-wet the grounds. Once you've set up your filter, it's time to add in the coffee grounds. Pro tip: shake the coffee grinds lightly to flatten the bed. Why? If your coffee bed resembles a topographic map, your brew will be more prone to clogging and uneven extraction. Next, start pouring your hot water at the center of your dripper, working your way out to the sides. Pour 40 grams and wait 30 seconds for the coffee to “bloom” and release some of their flavors.
Step 7: Pour the water. Once the grounds have bloomed, it's time to pour in your hot water slowly. Aim for an even and slow pour so that all grounds are evenly extracted. Your total brew time should land between 2:30-3:00 minutes.
Step 8: Enjoy your cup. Once you've finished pouring the water, you should be left with an intense, rich flavor with no bitterness or off-flavors. That’s all it takes.
Why You Should Try The Pour-Over Method
Pour-over coffee is one of the best ways to experience freshly brewed coffee. Here’s a few of the benefits that make it stand out from other brewing methods.
The main difference between the two brew methods is that you have more control of the elements with a pour-over. You decide the water temperature and flow rate, which means you can extract maximum flavor from your beans, so you get a vibrant cup without any bitterness. Plus, it’s a much cleaner cup of coffee since you're able to remove sediment from the grounds completely.
Unlike French press coffee, pour-over coffee takes less time to prepare and gives a cleaner, less cloudy cup. The grounds are filtered out of the water using a filter, which gives you a clear, intense brew that pairs perfectly with your choice of milk or creamer.
Espresso is a smaller portion of concentrated coffee made using an espresso machine. Pour-over coffee can be as strong as espresso, but you don’t need a special machine to make it. All you need to get started is good-quality beans, a dripper and hot water. Plus, you can adjust the strength of your coffee by controlling how much water you pour and how finely you grind your beans.
The benefits keep coming…
Here’s a few more reasons to make pour-over coffee your go-to brewing style:
• Ease: It’s simple. You really only need your favorite beans, hot water, and a few minutes.
• Affordability: Making pour-over coffee is much more affordable than using an espresso machine or other expensive devices.
• Amazing taste: As long as you use good-quality beans, the flavor of your cup of coffee will be rich and full-bodied.
• Eco-friendly: It uses less electricity, so it’s better for the planet than other methods.
With the right equipment and simple steps, anyone can make delicious pour-over coffee in no time. If you're looking for an easy way to make amazing coffee at home, pour-over is an excellent option.
Getting the right equipment. Here’s what you need:
Dripper: This is the leading equipment needed to make pour-over coffee. You must find one with good flow control to extract all grounds evenly. Check out our Stagg [X] Pour-Over Set to help you get started.
Gooseneck Kettle: This is used to control the water temperature and flow rate when pouring over the grounds for better accuracy and precision. See our Kettle Collection to find your perfect kettle.
Coffee Beans: You should use freshly roasted, high quality beans for the best results. The grind size and ratio of coffee to water should be adjusted accordingly. Discover our small-batch, curated coffee from rare roasters around the world.
Grinder: A good grinder is necessary to get the right consistency and grind size. Compare our groundbreaking grinders.
Filter: You'll need a paper or reusable filter to make classic pour-over coffee. This will help keep the grounds out of your cup and clarify the final brew. Yep, we have coffee filters, too.
Measuring Devices: You'll need a scale for accurately measuring beans and hot water. The ratio of coffee to water should be carefully adjusted to get the best flavor. Tally Pro has you covered with accuracy, beauty, and functionality in perfect balance.
These are the essential items you need to start brewing delicious cups of coffee right away.
Not sure where to start? Check out The Rookie Kit, the perfect beginner pour-over coffee kit, which includes all the essentials to brew fantastic coffee. If you’re feeling adventurous and ready to dive in check out the how-to guide on pour-over coffee, add on a coffee subscription to your order and try a different roast each month. Happy brewing!