What Is Pour Over Coffee And Why Is It Getting So Popular?!

Have you heard the term pour over coffee only to scratch your head and wonder what that is? Not to worry, this post will teach you everything that you ever wanted or needed to know about pour over coffee.

Pour-over coffee simply refers to coffee that is brewed by pouring hot water over coffee grounds in a filter and then allowing the hot water to drip down on to the grounds into a carafe leaving you with a delicious cup of coffee. 

This method is also sometimes referred to as hand brewing or manual brewing, and while many act as though it is a new discovery, this method of brewing coffee has actually been used in Europe since the 1900s.

You may be wondering why people would choose this method of brewing over others, and it is because this method of brewing coffee accentuates the flavour of the coffee, giving it a depth of flavour, especially when it comes to single-origin coffees. 

Grind for Pour-Over Coffee

The grind for pour-over coffee does vary from different types of beans, what type of grinder you are using, and your personal taste preferences. However, the general consensus seems to be that you should use a Burr grinder for your beans moments before brewing and that you should start with a medium grind that is about the same texture as kosher salt. 

If you find that your coffee is weak, watery, or sour try grinding your coffee a little bit finer. If your coffee is coming out bitter, harsh, or lacking in-depth, then try grinding your coffee a little bit coarser. One of the awesome things about pour-over coffee is that you can tweak it until it is just right for you. 

How to Make Pour-Over Coffee at Home

Making pour-over coffee at home is easy if you have a few simple tools to help you do the job. You will need a pour-over brewer and the appropriate filters to fit your model of a brewer, and a carafe for the freshly brewed coffee to drip into. You will also need hot water, a burr grinder, coffee beans, and initially a scale to perfect your coffee to water ratio. 

A generally acceptable coffee to water ratio to get you started is 1:17 which would be 42 grams of ground coffee to 700 grams of water. Your water should be heated to approximately 96 degrees Celsius, or removed from boiling after about 30 seconds. Set up your brewer and place your coffee in the filter. Your first pour of water is for the blooming process, this pour should be about 10 to 15% of your total water volume and should take about 30 seconds. 

Now you are ready to pour the remaining water volume over the grounds. A gooseneck kettle can help you with more precision pouring. Avoid lighter spots and pour in the darker areas, and let it drip down into the carafe, this process should take 3 minutes and 30 seconds to four minutes. 

Why is Pour Over Coffee Better? 

Pour-over coffee is better because it allows you to control nearly every aspect of the brewing process from the temperature of the water, the amount of time it brews, how quickly water is released into the grounds, and how much coffee is made in one batch. Pour-over coffee tens to have a richer and deeper flavour than other methods of coffee brewing. 

Temperature For Pour-Over Coffee

Finding the perfect water temperature for your pour-over coffee can affect the rate and time that extraction will take and the taste of your pour-over coffee.

Ideally, your water temperature will be between 90 degrees Celsius and 96 degrees Celsius. If your water temperature is higher than 96 degrees Celsius your coffee will be extracted too quickly and the flavour of your coffee may end up being too bitter. 

Pour Over Coffee Tips

A gooseneck kettle while not necessary for making pour-over coffee, can make it a lot easier for you to perfect your pour. 

Never use water to make pour-over coffee that you would not drink on its own. The quality of the water that you use for your coffee will have a direct impact on its taste. 

Grind your coffee beans right before making your coffee. The process of oxidation begins as soon as the coffee bean is ground, so try to grind your beans no more than a minute before you plan to brew. 

Heat your carafe before brewing. Cold glassware will absorb all of the heat from your freshly brewed coffee and may leave the end result cooler than you would like. Warm up the carafe with some hot water before brewing. 

Now that you know everything that you need to know about making pour-over coffee, are you going to try this brewing method out at home? If you have used this method of brewing before, what is your favourite roast of coffee and grind to use? Do you have any pour-over coffee tips to add that wasn’t mentioned here?

If you want to explore more about coffee, why not read up on all the different types of coffee machines, best coffee gifts or check out our brewing guides.