Pour-over is one of the most rewarding ways to make coffee at home. You pour hot water over the grounds by hand, so you decide how fast it flows and how long it stays in contact with the coffee. That control is why the method brings out the lighter, brighter flavors in a coffee. The steps are simple. You need a few tools, a little patience and coffee you’re excited to drink.
At Coffee Republic we roast our own beans at our roastery in Mooresville, NC, and sell them under our Disco Roasters brand. Here’s how we suggest brewing pour-over at home.
What You’ll Need
- A pour-over dripper (cone-style drippers are the most common) and a paper filter that fits it
- A gooseneck kettle. A regular kettle works, but the narrow spout makes it much easier to pour slowly and steadily
- A kitchen scale that reads in grams
- A burr grinder, or coffee that’s already ground for pour-over
- A mug or carafe to brew into
- A timer (your phone is fine)
The Basics: Ratio, Grind and Temperature
Coffee-to-water ratio
A good starting point is about 1 gram of coffee for every 16 grams of water (1:16). For one large mug, that’s roughly 22 grams of coffee and 350 grams of water. If the cup tastes weak, use a little more coffee next time (try 1:15). If it tastes heavy or harsh, use a little less (try 1:17).
Grind size
Pour-over usually calls for a medium grind, about the texture of coarse sand. If your coffee drips through in under two and a half minutes and tastes thin or sour, grind finer. If it takes much longer than four minutes and tastes bitter or dry, grind coarser.
Water temperature
Use water between about 195°F and 205°F. If you don’t have a thermometer kettle, bring the water to a boil and let it sit for about 30 seconds. Lighter roasts often taste best toward the hotter end of that range.
Step-by-Step: How to Brew Pour-Over
- Heat your water. Heat more than you need, since some will go to rinsing the filter.
- Rinse the filter. Put the paper filter in the dripper, set it on your mug or carafe, and pour hot water through it. This gets rid of any papery taste and warms everything up. Pour out the rinse water.
- Add the coffee. Put 22 grams of medium-ground coffee in the filter and give it a gentle shake to level the bed. Set everything on your scale and zero it.
- Bloom. Start your timer and slowly pour about 45–50 grams of water (roughly twice the weight of the coffee), just enough to wet all the grounds. Wait 30 to 45 seconds. You’ll see the bed bubble and puff up as fresh coffee lets off gas, which helps it brew more evenly.
- Pour in stages. Pour slowly in small circles, starting in the center and working outward. Avoid pouring straight onto the filter paper. Add water in two or three pours until the scale reads 350 grams, keeping the water level steady rather than filling the dripper to the top.
- Let it drain. Once you’ve poured all the water, let it finish dripping through. The whole brew should take about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Swirl and serve. Take off the dripper, give your coffee a gentle swirl, and let it cool for a minute. Many of the flavors come through more clearly as the cup cools a little.
Troubleshooting Your Cup
- Sour or thin: Grind finer, use slightly hotter water, or pour a bit slower.
- Bitter or harsh: Grind coarser, or check that the brew isn’t running much past four minutes.
- Uneven bed or drips stalling: Pour more gently and keep the stream in the middle, away from the walls of the filter.
- Flat flavor: Try freshly ground beans. Grinding right before you brew makes a noticeable difference.
Change one thing at a time, so you know which change made the difference.
Which Coffee Should You Use?
Pour-over is a great way to taste the details in a light roast. Two of our Disco Roasters coffees work especially well:
- Wake ‘n Bake is a light roast blend of Guatemalan and Ethiopian coffees with notes of juicy berry, buttery English toffee and a crisp, clean finish. If you like a bright, fruit-forward cup, start here.
- Urban Blend is a light roast blending Colombia, Guatemala and Ethiopia, with notes of milk chocolate, roasted nuts and citrus zest. It’s a little rounder, which makes it a good pick if you’re new to light roasts.
Every 12 oz bag is $22 and comes whole bean or pre-ground. If you don’t have a grinder, choose the Medium (Pour Over) grind and you’re ready to brew.
Try It Before You Brew It
Want to taste what a well-made pour-over should be like before you try it at home? Pour-over is on the menu at Coffee Republic, and you can order ahead in the Coffee Republic app. Try it at a café near you, then take a bag home and practice.
