Pour Over Coffee Brewing Guide
How to make pour over coffee at home
In this article we share with you a description of the pour over coffee making method with brewing instructions. We also offer some tips to make the best filter coffee and how to fix common problems. Finally, we will answer some common questions about this topic.
What is the pour over coffee brewing method?
Pour over coffee, also called filter coffee or manual drip coffee, is a method which involves pouring hot water manually through coffee grounds in a filter. A plastic or glass cone with a filter is usually placed over a mug in which the coffee will be served, either directly on the mug or on a stand above it. The filtered coffee drips to a mug or flask. As you can see, all the names are derived from the brewing process and we will use them interchangeably.
Pour over coffee is a manual coffee brewing method. When you brew coffee by hand, you can adjust a lot of variables, that’s why you have a lot of control over the process and you can adjust the way you make your coffee depending on what beans you have, the weather and other factors.
What does pour over coffee taste like?
Pour over coffee brewing method gives a vibrant, aromatic cup of coffee. Filter coffee, if brewed well, can bring out the best flavors and aromas in coffee. Because the brewing time is relatively long, you can extract more flavors and oils from the coffee.
What you need to brew pour over coffee at home
The equipment you need to make our over coffee includes:
- Filters
- Scales
- Pour over cone
- Mug or jar
- Gooseneck kettle
Pour over coffee brewing guide
Here are our pour over coffee making instructions:
- Grind the coffee beans
The optimum grind for pour over coffee is medium.
If your coffee is under extracted or over extracted, the coarseness of the grind is the key to make changes when brewing with a pour over coffee maker. Use a finer grind to extend the extraction time, and a coarser grind to shorten the brewing. - Prime the dripper and the mug
Place the paper filter in the cone. Pre-heat the coffee maker and wet the paper filter with hot water, you want to warm them up and to remove the papery taste.
To rinse the filter, place it on the cone and pour over the hot water.
Remember to dispose of the water before brewing. - Place the coffee in the cone
Coffee to water ratio: 20 g of coffee per 300 g of water (or 1:15). This is the amount which serves one person.
Tip 1: never press the coffee in the cone. To flatten the bed, give it a shake.
Tip 2: to have a good level of precision in pouring the coffee, use a gooseneck kettle. - Bloom the coffee
Pour some hot water over the coffee starting from the bed center. Use just enough water to wet all the coffee. Give it a gentle stir to make sure all the grounds are soaked. Use just enough water to cover the grounds.
Bloom the coffee for 30 – 45 seconds. - Continue brewing
Begin pouring the water slowly in smooth, circular motions starting from the center.
Avoid pouring water on the sides of the filter. If this happens, the water will flow underneath the coffee without going through the coffee grounds. This will result in an under extracted, watery cup.
Brewing time: 2,5 – 3,5 minutes
Water temperature:
– for a lighter roast: around 87 ℃
– for a darker roast: 94 – 96 ℃Tip 3: Give it a swirl at the beginning of the brewing. But do it only once. If you keep doing it, the water will go through the coffee too fast.
- Enjoy!
More tips on brewing delicious pour over coffee
The depth of the coffee in the cone / the amount of coffee
The depth of coffee matters a lot. If there isn’t enough coffee, and the coffee cone is too shallow, water will go through it too quickly and you will get an under extracted cup. The opposite happens if there is too much coffee and the cone is too deep – you will increase the extraction time and may get a bitter cup of coffee.
Water temperature
If you want to play around with the extraction and the flavors you get in the cup, try changing the temperature of water. Also, the best temperature of water depends on the type of roast you brew. Hotter water will work better with lighter roast and cooler water will give a darker roast better extraction.
Pour over coffee filters
What filters are best for pour over coffee?
You can use paper, metal or cloth filters for your pour over coffee. Each of them has advantages and disadvantages, which we explain in this article about pour over coffee filters.
Common problems with pour over coffee and how to fix them
My filter coffee is too sour
What to do if my pour over coffee is too sour?
The main reasons why your drip coffee tastes sour are:
- Under extraction
- Too coarse grind
- Too low water temperature
Here is more on these:
So one of the reasons why your coffee is too acidic is because of too short extraction time. Try to use a finer grind to extend the extraction time.
Another reason for high acidity may be too low temperature of brewing. To fix this, first of all, remember to warm up your coffee maker before brewing, if this isn’t enough, use hotter water.
Filter coffee tastes too bitter
Your pour over brew may be too bitter if it’s over extracted. To fix this issue, use a finer grind to shorten the extraction time.
How to experiment with pour over coffee
The manual drip coffee brewing method is great for experimenting and adjusting pretty much all the variables, as you have a lot of control over each stage. You can experiment with the following:
- Coffee to water ratio
- The coarseness of the grind
- Roast types
- Water temperature
- Extraction time
Quick answers to frequently asked questions about manual drip coffee
What is the best grind for pour over coffee?
The best grind for pour over coffee is medium.
How many grams of coffee for pour over?
The optimum coffee to water ratio is 20 g per 300 g of water.
What’s the best water temperature for filter coffee?
The best filter coffee water temperature will depend on the type of roast you use. For a lighter roast it will be around 87 ℃ and for a darker roast 94 – 96 ℃.
What’s the difference between automatic drip coffee and manual drip coffee (pour over coffee)?
Both methods use the same process: hot water goes through coffee and the coffee is filtered through a paper filter. The main difference is in the quality of the cup. Automatic drip coffee makers give a lower quality cup and coffee is often under extracted. You have much more control over the brewing process in the manual drip coffee method, so using this one you can get a higher quality brew.
Final note
Filter coffee is one of the best ways to make coffee at home. Using this method you can brew a delicious, full of flavours and aromas cup of coffee. What’s gret about it is that you have a lot of control over each stage of the brewing process, so you can adjust pretty much everythig. This is especially useful when you brew coffee for people with different preferences – each cup can be different.
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