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A Guide to Pour-Over Brewing

A Beginner's Guide to Pour-Over Coffee

March 8, 2026
Pour-over is the simplest way to make excellent coffee at home. No machines, no pods, no complexity. Just hot water, ground coffee, a filter, and gravity.
Here's how we do it at the roastery.

What You Need

  • A pour-over dripper (we use the Hario V60, but a Kalita Wave or Melitta works fine)
  • Paper filters
  • A kettle (gooseneck preferred, not required)
  • A kitchen scale
  • A timer
  • Freshly ground coffee

The Recipe

Coffee: 20g (about 3 tablespoons)
Water: 320g (about 11 oz), heated to 200°F / 93°C
Grind: Medium-fine (roughly the texture of table salt)
Total brew time: 2:45 – 3:15

The Steps

  1. Boil water. Let it cool for 30 seconds off the boil, or use a thermometer to hit 200°F.
  1. Place the filter in the dripper and rinse it with hot water. This removes paper taste and preheats the brewer. Discard the rinse water.
  1. Add 20g of ground coffee to the filter. Shake gently to level the bed.
  1. Start your timer. Pour 40g of water over the grounds in a slow, circular motion. This is the "bloom" — it lets CO2 escape from the fresh grounds. Wait 30 seconds.
  1. At 0:30, begin pouring slowly in concentric circles. Aim to reach 320g of water by about 1:45.
  1. Let the water draw down through the coffee bed. Total brew time should land between 2:45 and 3:15.
  1. Remove the dripper, swirl the cup gently, and let it cool for a minute before drinking.

Troubleshooting

Too bitter or harsh? Your grind is probably too fine, or your water is too hot. Coarsen the grind or let the water cool a bit more.
Too sour or thin? Your grind is too coarse or your water is too cool. Go finer or hotter.
Brew taking longer than 3:30? Coarsen the grind. The water can't get through.
Brew finishing before 2:30? Go finer. The water is passing through too fast.
The best part of pour-over is that it rewards attention. Small adjustments to grind, water temperature, and pour speed produce noticeable differences in the cup. Experiment. Take notes. You'll dial it in faster than you think.
— Tomoko Reeves, Tasting Room Manager