WHAT IS POUR OVER COFFEE? WHY PROS LOVE THIS BREWING METHOD

Are you pour-over curious? I’ve been brewing coffee this way for years, and I’m here to answer all your questions!

I’ve noticed many people are intimidated to try brewing pour-over coffee at home, and I get it. I used to feel the same way. Its reputation suggests it’s the method of specialty coffee shops and barista competitions.

Pour-over certainly can be incredibly complex and nuanced at the competition level, but it’s also an approachable and affordable way to make delicious coffee at home. You just need the right guidance, and that’s what I’ll provide in this article.

What Is Pour Over Coffee?

The pour over coffee method is very straightforward. Before the invention of auto drip coffee machines, it was a standard way of making coffee at home. 

By definition, a pour over is when you pour hot water over a bed of coffee in a filter. The water seeps through the grounds into a cup or carafe below, extracting flavorful coffee compounds on its way.

The reason it has been adopted by the specialty coffee industry is the control this manual method affords the barista. You can tweak every variable to deliver a precise combination of flavor, mouthfeel, and body (1).

Brewing pour-over coffee is exciting because it can be incredibly simple or complex, depending on your skill and preferences.

What’s The Difference Between Pour Over And Drip Coffee?

The difference between drip and pour over coffee is more of a distinction. Pour over is a type of drip coffee. Drip coffee refers to any coffee prepared by pouring water over coffee bed and letting it drip through a filter, including pour-over, automatic drip coffee maker, and slow-drip cold brew. 

Pour over coffee refers specifically to when this process is carried out manually. The barista pours the water using a kettle.

How To Make Pour Over Coffee At Home

Pour overs are beloved because they allow you complete control over the brewing process. That also means there is a lot to consider as you work towards your perfect pour over coffee recipe. Let me break it down for you, starting with what you need.

Equipment And Supplies

Here are the key pieces of gear you need to get started.

1. Pour Over Coffee Maker

Your choice of pour over coffee maker is essential because different brewers can highlight different flavors, even from the same beans. The shape of the coffee dripper, the number of drain holes, and the material – metal, glass, ceramic, plastic – all affect the taste of your brew.

Among the most common are the Chemex, the Kalita Wave, the Hario V60, the Origami Dripper, and the Fellow Stagg, but there are dozens of others. Pour-over coffee brewers tend to be inexpensive compared to coffee machines, so many coffee lovers own more than one.

Watch Steven from Home Brews Coffee review five top pour over brewers in this video:

2. Filters

The coffee filter also has a big impact on your pour over brew, particularly on the body and mouthfeel. Paper filters remove most of the coffee oils, leaving a light-bodied cup, whereas metal filters leave the coffee oils for a heavier body and richer mouthfeel. Cloth filters lie somewhere in the middle.

Note that you may be limited in your choice of filters by the shape and size of your chosen brewer.

3. Coffee Scale

The best way to perfect your coffee-to-water ratio when brewing a pour over is to measure both coffee and water using a coffee scale. It’s not mandatory, but it adds precision to your recipe and makes it far easier to repeat the same brew in the future. In contrast, the accuracy of measuring using a coffee scoop is affected by factors like grind size and roast level.

4. Coffee Kettles

You can do this brew method with any kettle, but a gooseneck kettle is by far the best option. The long spouts that give them their name are crucial for a precise pour.

What Is The Best Coffee For Pour Over?

Now that you have your equipment, it’s time to pick out some coffee. The pour-over method is known for producing a clean cup that highlights subtle flavors. It can be a great way to showcase different coffee types, which is why it is often preferred for single-origin beans.

Roast Profile

Pour-over brewing highlights flavor nuances that might become muddied or indistinct in an immersion brew. For this reason, light and medium roast Arabica beans are usually considered the best coffee for pour-over brewing. However, there is no reason you can’t make a pour over with dark roast coffee beans if that’s your preference.

Grind Size

A medium grind size is best for pour over coffee brewing, something finer than French press but coarser than espresso. I’d suggest medium-coarse for larger format pour-over brews, like an 8-cup Chemex, and a medium-fine grind when brewing a single cup.

Pre-ground coffee is about the right size for brewing a pour-over, but it is better to use freshly ground coffee beans straight from a burr coffee grinder for the most flavor – especially if it’s a subtle lighter roast.

Pro Tip: Use The Right Water!

The importance of water is often overlooked by coffee lovers. Coffee is about 98% water, so the water you use has a huge impact on your cup.

The science of coffee water is so complicated that the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) has released guidelines around the perfect water for coffee.

Water Temperature

The SCA defines the ideal coffee brewing temperature as between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit (2). Typically, lighter roasts are brewed at the higher end of this range and darker roasts at the cooler end. 

Coffee-To-Water Ratio For Pour Over

The best ratio for pour-over brewing, according to the SCA, is 55 g of coffee per liter of water – 1:17 coffee to water. So for a 12-oz cup of brewed coffee, you’ll need to use about 21 grams of coffee and 350 grams of water. 

However, this ratio isn’t set in stone; you can vary it to suit your taste. Try a ratio of 1:15 if you prefer a stronger cup or a 1:20 ratio for a milder brew.

Steven from Home Brews Coffee walks you through the basics of pour-over prep in this video:

Pouring Techniques

The two main pouring techniques are pulse pouring and continuous pouring. In either case, it is common to pour in a circular motion to maintain a steady flow and to ensure all the coffee grounds are evenly wetted.

The continuous pouring technique is done by continuously pouring water. The volume of water determined by the brew ratio is poured at a steady rate over the coffee grounds. This method requires excellent control and can be challenging when preparing large pour-overs.

With pulse pouring, you add the water bit by bit to maintain a steady level in the dripper. It can be varied by changing the time and frequency of the pulses. This is an easier method to be consistent if you are new to pour-over brewing.

Other Considerations

Agitation refers to agitating the wet grounds during the brewing process, either by swirling the brewer or stirring with a spoon. This breaks up any clumps and rescues any grounds stuck high on the sides of the filter, ensuring a complete extraction.

The coffee bloom is another integral part of the process (3). To bloom coffee grounds, pour just enough hot water over them to ensure they’re wet – usually about a 2:1 ratio of water to coffee. This allows any carbon dioxide left in the ground coffee to escape, which is the bubbling up you’ll observe, allowing for a more even extraction. It is essential to bloom freshly roasted coffee because it will have the most carbon dioxide.

The total brew time isn’t a factor you control as much as it is a consequence of your grind size, pouring technique, and coffee-to-water ratio. It should take about 3 to 5 minutes for a full extraction.

What Is So Special About Pour Over Coffee?

Pour over coffee has a lot of cachet these days, and that’s largely due to the quality of coffee it can produce – particularly when a skilled barista is paired with specialty beans. 

Because it is so simple, this brew method is good to use in many situations. It’s easy to brew a single cup, which is not true of many coffee machines, but you can also make larger carafes to serve a crowd using devices like the 10-cup Chemex. 

There are other perks as well. Pour over is a very affordable way to make coffee, requiring no expensive equipment. And while there are plenty of brewing variables to eventually dial in, it takes no expertise to get started.

It’s also a very versatile brewing method. You can make full carafes or single cups. You can brew at home, at the office, or out in the backcountry.

Is Pour Over Coffee Healthy?

All coffee is healthy, including pour-over. Coffee beans are rich in caffeine, antioxidants, and other nutrients. Many scientific studies have linked brewed coffee to various health benefits, including an overall lower risk of mortality. 

Pour-over brewing is particularly healthy for people with high cholesterol because the paper filter removes more of the coffee’s oils, some of which have been shown to raise LDL cholesterol (4).

Another potential health advantage is that pour-over coffee is more often consumed black to better appreciate its quality and flavors. This is valuable for anyone hoping to limit fat and sugar in their diet.

Final Thoughts

The pour over method is far simpler than specialty coffee aficionados might suggest. Sure, there are plenty of subtle nuances to explore as you progress, but at its core, it’s as easy as pouring hot water over coffee grounds in a filter. It’s an inexpensive and versatile way to produce a flavorful cup of coffee, whether you’re sipping a light roast Chemex at home or savoring a dark roast V60 on a camping trip.