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How to Brew the Perfect Pour Over Coffee At Home!

At The Roasterie, we buy great coffee beans to brew great coffee. One of the many great brewing methods we use is the “pour over.” Pour over coffee is the act of pouring hot water into a filter with coffee grinds to slowly extract a rich, flavorful cup of joe.  We discuss the history of this simple tradition and explain how to brew the perfect pour over coffee at home.

What is pour over coffee?

Pour over brewing is a simple way to brew a crisp, clean coffee at home. While it’s often considered to be the slowest (and sometimes least efficient) way to brew a cup of coffee, pour overs offer a simple twist on the new-age world of coffee gizmos and gadgets. Making a cup of pour over coffee requires just four items: water, coffee, filter, and your pour over maker of choice. While this sounds like any other method, the difference is clear: pour overs offer more control of the coffee-making process. You can experiment with your ideal water temperature and grind size to find the perfect cup of coffee.  Many coffee snobs think that this method of brewing is the best (or only) way to drink coffee because of its full flavor and aroma. Plus, there’s just something mesmerizing about watching coffee slowly drip from the filter into the carafe, knowing that you made it yourself. 

Pour over makers

There are many different types of pour over makers, from slow drip traditional options to even automatic machines. Hario V60, Clever Dripper, and Chemex are all popular, and easy-to-use tools that we sell at The Roasterie!  They all use essentially the same brewing procedure with variations and produce similar and delicious results.  *Note: While an electric kettle isn’t precisely a pour over maker, it can be a very useful tool when making your own cup at home! Boiling water takes time, and this machine can help expedite that process and help get your morning cup of coffee in your hands before it’s too late.

How to Make Pour Over Coffee

Making a pour over coffee takes time, but it’s straightforward once you get the hang of it. Plus, you’ll impress your guests when they wake up to the sight of you manually making coffee in the morning. Watch this video or read our instructions to learn how to use a pour over coffee maker to perfect the art!

STEP 1: PREPARATION

Bring your brewing water to boil and transfer to a preheated kettle of your choice. Meanwhile, put the paper coffee filter inside the brewer and rinse it with hot water. This helps get rid of any papery taste and also preheats your brewer.  Remember, “heat loss” is the biggest coffee killer when it comes to extraction!

STEP 2: MEASURE COFFEE

Measure out your coffee beans and grind them. Auto drip grind will work fine for this method; if you grind at home, grind size should resemble sand.

How much coffee do you use for a pour over?

You’ll want to use about 29 grams of coffee beans, or about two scoops of coffee beans for a single cup of pour over coffee. You can experiment with more or less coffee to find your perfect amount.

What kind of coffee should I use?

Because this method enhances the flavors of a coffee bean, we recommend using it with flavorful single-origin coffees, like our Guatemala La Frontera.

STEP 3: BLOOM THE BEANS

Saturate all grounds with as little water as possible. Let sit for 30 seconds until the bloom has settled. This is called “pre-infusing” it begins the extraction process releasing gases and softening oils. 

STEP 4: BREW THE COFFEE

Begin pouring again very slowly, allowing the water to reach halfway up the cone. The crust formed by the initial pour (the bloom) should “break up.”  After foam forms on top of grounds, begin the rest of the brewing. Do this by adding the rest of your water into the center of the brewer, keeping water level high. Don’t leave any grounds high and dry!

STEP 5: ENJOY

Wait until the stream slows to a drip, remove the filter, dump the grounds, and enjoy your home-brewed cup of coffee. Now you’re ready to try making pour over coffee yourself! Next time you have guests over, try your hand at brewing a carafe of manual coffee and watch their eyes light up as they taste the rich, flavorful difference a cup of coffee can make. You can always stop by one of The Roasterie Cafes to watch our baristas make a cup and ask questions along the way! They’d be happy to help you.