Pour over coffee sounds fancy. It's not.
You're just pouring hot water over ground coffee. That's it. The difference between a mediocre cup and a great one comes down to a few variables: grind size, water temperature, and timing.
I've been making pour over coffee almost daily since 2018. I've also spent way too many hours reading r/Coffee and r/pourover threads—probably 800+ posts at this point. Here's what actually matters—and what doesn't.
What You Need
Before we start, here's the gear:
Essential:
- Pour over dripper (V60, Kalita Wave, or Chemex)
- Paper filters
- Kettle (gooseneck preferred, but not required)
- Fresh coffee beans
- Grinder (burr grinder strongly recommended)
Helpful but optional:
- Kitchen scale
- Timer
- Thermometer
If you don't have a scale, you can eyeball it. But here's the thing—a $15 kitchen scale will improve your coffee more than a $200 kettle. Trust me on this one.
The Basic Recipe
Here's the formula that works for most people:
| Variable | Target | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee-to-water ratio | 1:15 to 1:17 | Start with 1:16 |
| Water temperature | 195°F - 205°F (90°C - 96°C) | Off-boil works fine |
| Grind size | Medium-fine (like table salt) | Adjust based on taste |
| Total brew time | 2:30 - 4:00 | Depends on dose size |
For a single cup, use 15-18g of coffee and 250-300g of water.
Step-by-Step Process
If you're a visual learner, James Hoffmann's V60 technique video is the gold standard. Worth watching even if you've been brewing for years:
Now let's break it down step by step.
Step 1: Heat Your Water
Bring water to a boil, then let it sit for 30-60 seconds. Or just use it right off the boil—the temperature drop during pouring is usually enough.
One thing I learned from r/Coffee: water temperature matters less than you think for most medium roasts. Light roasts benefit from hotter water. Dark roasts prefer cooler.
Step 2: Rinse the Filter
Place your filter in the dripper and rinse it with hot water. This does two things:
- Removes papery taste from the filter
- Preheats your dripper and carafe
Dump the rinse water before brewing.
Step 3: Add Coffee and Create a Flat Bed
Add your ground coffee to the filter. Give it a gentle shake to level the bed.
Some people dig a small hole in the center. Others leave it flat. Honestly? Both work. Pick one and stick with it. (I'm a flat-bed guy, but I won't judge.)
Step 4: The Bloom (This Part Matters)
Pour about 2x the coffee weight in water (so 30-36g for 15-18g of coffee) in a circular motion. Make sure all grounds are wet.
Wait 30-45 seconds.
You'll see the coffee bed rise and bubble. That's CO2 escaping from fresh beans. If your coffee doesn't bloom much, it's probably stale.
Why bloom? Fresh coffee releases CO2 when it contacts water. Skip the bloom, and that gas creates channels in your coffee bed—leading to uneven extraction and channeling. The result? Sour, weak coffee that tastes like disappointment.
Step 5: The Main Pour
After the bloom, pour the remaining water in slow, steady circles. Start from the center and spiral outward, then back to the center.
Two approaches:
Continuous pour: Keep pouring slowly until you hit your target weight. Simpler, but requires more attention.
Pulse pouring: Pour in 50-60g increments, waiting 20-30 seconds between each. More forgiving for beginners.
I use pulse pouring. It's easier to control and gives you time to adjust if something looks off.
Step 6: Wait for the Drawdown
Once you've added all the water, let it drain completely. The total brew time should be somewhere between 2:30 and 4:00.
If it drains too fast (under 2:00): Grind finer If it drains too slow (over 4:30): Grind coarser
Common Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
After reading hundreds of Reddit threads, these are the problems I see most often:
"My coffee tastes sour"
Cause: Under-extraction. The water didn't pull enough flavor from the grounds.
Fixes:
- Grind finer
- Use hotter water
- Extend brew time
- Pour more slowly
"My coffee tastes bitter"
Cause: Over-extraction. You pulled too much from the grounds, including the harsh stuff.
Fixes:
- Grind coarser
- Use cooler water
- Shorten brew time
- Pour faster
"My coffee tastes weak and watery"
Cause: Usually a ratio problem.
Fixes:
- Use more coffee (try 1:15 instead of 1:17)
- Make sure your grind isn't too coarse
- Check that your water is hot enough
"My brew time is all over the place"
Cause: Inconsistent grind size. This is the #1 reason people struggle with pour over.
Fix: Get a burr grinder. Seriously. Blade grinders produce wildly inconsistent particle sizes, which makes dialing in your brew nearly impossible. A $40 hand grinder will outperform a $100 blade grinder—I learned this the hard way after wasting money on a fancy blade model.
If you're serious about pour over, check out our best burr coffee grinders guide.
The Gear That Actually Matters
Here's my honest take after years of brewing:
Worth the money:
- Burr grinder — The single biggest upgrade you can make
- Kitchen scale — $15 and transforms your consistency
- Fresh beans — Buy from a local roaster, use within 2-4 weeks of roast date
Nice to have:
- Gooseneck kettle — Makes pouring easier, but not essential. Check our electric gooseneck kettle guide if you want one.
- Quality dripper — A $10 plastic V60 works just as well as a $40 ceramic one
Overrated (don't @ me):
- Expensive filters — Standard filters are fine
- Fancy water — Tap water works unless yours tastes bad
- Temperature-controlled kettles — Cool feature, but off-boil water is close enough. Save your money.
Which Pour Over Method Should You Start With?
If you're new to pour over, here's my recommendation:
V60 — Most popular, most forgiving, tons of resources online. The cone shape and large hole give you control over flow rate.
Kalita Wave — Flat bottom with three small holes. More consistent results, less technique-dependent. Great for beginners who want reliability.
Chemex — Makes larger batches, uses thick filters that produce very clean coffee. The learning curve is slightly steeper.
For complete starter kits, see our pour over coffee set guide.
Pour Over vs Drip Coffee: What's the Difference?
The main differences:
| Factor | Pour Over | Drip Machine |
|---|---|---|
| Control | Full control over every variable | Machine controls water flow and temp |
| Time | 3-5 minutes of active attention | Set it and forget it |
| Consistency | Depends on your technique | Very consistent |
| Flavor | Can be exceptional with practice | Good, rarely great |
Pour over gives you more control, which means higher highs—but also lower lows if you mess up. Drip machines are more consistent but have a lower ceiling.
For a deeper comparison, read our drip coffee vs pour over breakdown.
Quick Reference: The 1-Minute Cheat Sheet
| Step | What to Do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Heat water to 200°F (off-boil) | — |
| 2 | Rinse filter, add 15-18g coffee | — |
| 3 | Bloom with 30-36g water | 0:00 - 0:45 |
| 4 | Pour to 150g | 0:45 - 1:15 |
| 5 | Pour to 250-300g | 1:15 - 2:00 |
| 6 | Wait for drawdown | 2:00 - 3:30 |
Total time: About 4 minutes from start to sipping.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the best coffee-to-water ratio for pour over?
Start with 1:16 (1 gram of coffee to 16 grams of water). If your coffee tastes weak, try 1:15. If it's too strong, try 1:17. Most people land somewhere in the 1:15 to 1:17 range.
Do I really need a gooseneck kettle?
No, but it helps. A gooseneck gives you precise control over pour speed and placement. You can make good pour over with a regular kettle—it's just harder to pour slowly and evenly.
How fine should I grind for pour over?
Medium-fine, roughly the texture of table salt. If your brew drains too fast, grind finer. If it drains too slow or tastes bitter, grind coarser. Your grinder and beans will require some experimentation.
Why does my pour over taste different every time?
Inconsistency usually comes from one of three things: grind size variation (get a burr grinder), water temperature changes, or inconsistent pour technique. Using a scale and timer helps eliminate variables.
Can I make pour over coffee without a scale?
Yes, but it's harder to be consistent. A rough guide: 2 tablespoons of coffee per 6 oz of water. But tablespoons vary based on grind size and how you scoop, so your results will be less predictable.
How long should pour over coffee bloom?
30-45 seconds is standard. Fresh coffee will bubble and expand noticeably. If your coffee barely blooms, it's probably past its prime—try to use beans within 2-4 weeks of the roast date.
Final Thoughts
Pour over coffee isn't complicated. It's just coffee and water.
The "secret"? Consistency. Same ratio, same temperature, same technique. Once you nail your process, you'll make better coffee than most cafes—for about $0.50 per cup.
Start simple. Use a scale. Pay attention to grind size. Everything else is fine-tuning.
Pro tip: If you're dealing with static (coffee grounds flying everywhere), try the RDT method—a quick spritz of water on your beans before grinding. Seriously cuts down on the mess.
And if you're looking for gear recommendations:
- Pour over coffee guide — the complete overview
- Best pour over coffee sets for beginners
- Single serve pour over options for one cup at a time
- Travel pour over makers for coffee on the go