How to Make Pour Over Coffee (Preparation and 5 Easy Steps)

The increasingly popular pour over coffee maker is one of the simplest ways to make coffee. But despite its simplicity, this coffee making method still provides a rich, bold and delicious cup of coffee.

And even first-timers will not need to spend a lot of time or comb the internet for many hours trying to figure out how to make pour over coffee.

Although there are different brands of pour over coffee makers such as the Chemex, Hario and Melita, the working mechanism and the components required to make coffee are the same.

This working mechanism will involve pouring hot water over and through ground coffee in a paper filter, and the set up will have three main components which are the filter, filter holder and the ground coffee.

In this piece, we explain in more detail the things that you will need to make pour over coffee and also provide a detailed step by step guide.

Preparation

Despite this coffee making method being quite straightforward, you will still need to do some preparations before you can make the coffee.

And the first and probably most obvious thing to do is to make sure that you have everything you will need and that it is clean. Cleaning your coffee making equipment is crucial because anything dirty can ruin the taste and make your beverage bitter.

But before you can even clean anything, you will first need to gather everything that you need. Making sure you have everything before you start makes the coffee-making process smooth.

What You Will Need:

• Pour over coffee maker (basically a filter and filter holder)
• Kitchen measuring scale
• 30 grams of Roasted coffee beans (makes two cups of coffee)
• Coffee grinder
• Kettle (more preferable a gooseneck)
• Coffee mug, cup, tumbler or a carafe

Average Brewing Time: 4 Minutes

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1: Heat Water

Given that heating the water is probably what will take the most time for many people, it should be the first step to ensure you will not end up wasting any unnecessary time waiting for water to heat up.

And when it comes to heating water, you should first start by measuring it. Although what you need will depend on how much coffee you want to make, heat 1 cup for every tablespoon of coffee you will use. But, for 30 grams of coffee you need at least 2 cups of water.

If you are using an electric kettle set the temperature to around 205 degrees Fahrenheit and if you are heating the water over a stovetop, heat it until it is just about to start boiling. But, when it comes to the water temperature, feel free to experiment until you get the flavors you want.

Step 2: Put Filter in Place

As the water is heating up, you should use this time to prepare your filter. You can still use a metal mesh filter for pour over coffee-making but paper filters are often more preferred due to their fineness.

While still at the filter, there is also debate on whether you need to rinse your filter or not. But, every coffee expert seems to recommend rinsing the filter before use as it helps to prevent a papery test. Once wet, you should place the dripper over the cup or mug before placing the paper filter.

Step 3: Grind Coffee Beans

Before you even think about making pour over coffee, the first step should always be to choose the right coffee beans. Although you can still use pre-ground coffee, nothing beats freshly ground beans.

For pour over coffee, Ethiopian and Costa Rican coffee beans are often the most preferred, but you can go with any that you like as it is all up to your preferences.

When it comes to the grind, you will need a medium-fine grind for pour over coffee, but a medium-coarse can also work well enough. And to ensure you get the perfect grind, you should use an electric burr grinder. Once the coffee grounds are ready, measure and add them to the filter.

Step 4: Bloom the Coffee Grounds

The next step is the actual brewing that starts with blooming and here you will need to pay extra attention if you want to end up with a tasty cup of coffee.

Blooming helps to release carbon dioxide and creates a blossoming effect which will make brewing possible. For a good bloom, you should wet the grounds evenly and make sure they are all saturated but also make sure you do not pour too much water.

Start by pouring water on the outer rim of the filter and move inwards in a spiral motion, and while it might seem a little complicated at first, you will get the hang of it after a few tries. And using the gooseneck kettle will give you more control over the process for more even saturation.

Once the coffee grounds are fully saturated, you need to give them time to bloom which will take between 30 to 45 seconds, and you should start to see the coffee grounds bubble, rise and swell.

Step 5: Make the Final Pours

The last step of this coffee brewing process will involve pouring the remaining water. In most instances, this will involve at least 2 or 3 more pours which you will need to do meticulously.

Using the gooseneck kettle, pour the water slowly and in a circular motion moving from the outer edge of the filter towards the center, and make sure the spout is as close to the coffee grounds as possible when doing this. 

Take breaks between the pours to allow coffee to drip into your cup or mug and once the waterline drops significantly you can make another pour and finish once you add your desired water ratio.

Notes:

1. The pouring technique is what separates pour over from regular drip brewers and so you cannot afford to get it wrong.

2. Never forget to bloom the grounds as skipping this step can ruin the coffee quality and taste.

3. Try to be consistent with your pour over coffee by keeping records of coffee measurements, grind size and even blooming time.

Conclusion

Pour over coffee is quite a straightforward way to make coffee once you master it and any coffee lover that has tried the coffee will agree it is one of the most flavorful you can make at home.

Also, this coffee making method is quite economical because besides the coffee beans, the other things required such as dripper and filter are cheap and widely available.

Finally, like with most other coffee-making methods, you can experiment with pour over coffee until you get that perfect coffee for you.