A Beginner's Guide to Pour-Over Coffee
Better coffee with the simplest setup possible. Here's how to get started in under ten minutes a morning.
Pour-over coffee has a reputation for being fussy — all those scales and gooseneck kettles and timing charts. It doesn't have to be. With a basic setup and about ten minutes, you can make coffee that's noticeably better than anything you'd get from a drip machine.
What You Need
- A pour-over dripper (we like ceramic, but anything works)
- Paper filters
- A kettle — any kettle, doesn't need to be fancy
- Fresh whole beans
- A burr grinder (the one non-negotiable)
The Basic Recipe
- Boil water. Let it cool for 30 seconds after boiling.
- Grind 20g of beans to a medium coarseness (like table salt).
- Rinse the filter with hot water to get rid of papery taste.
- Bloom: Pour just enough water to soak the grounds (about 40g). Wait 30 seconds.
- Pour the rest slowly in circular motions, aiming for 300g of water total over about 2 minutes.
That's it. The coffee should taste clean, bright, and distinctly like the beans you used.
Common Mistakes
Grind too fine. Water pools, coffee gets bitter.
Water too hot. Burns the grounds, makes everything taste harsh.
Old beans. Coffee tastes best 7-14 days after roast. Buy small batches.
When You're Ready to Go Deeper
Once the basics feel natural, try experimenting with brew ratios (we like 1:15 water-to-coffee), pour patterns, and different origins. Pour-over rewards curiosity — every change you make shows up in the cup.