Mastering the Perfect Pour Over Coffee: 5 Easy Steps

Brewing great pour over coffee is simpler than you might think. With just a few essential steps, you can enjoy a delicious cup at home. Here’s how to do it, inspired by coffee expert James Hoffmann.

5 Steps to Brewing Great Pour Over Coffee

1) Gather Your Materials and Prepare the Dripper

You’ll need a pour over dripper (like a Chemex, Hario V60, Origami, or Loveramics), fresh coffee beans, a burr grinder, a kettle, a scale, and your favorite mug. Start by placing a paper filter in the dripper and rinsing it with hot water to remove any papery taste and preheat the dripper.

2) Grind Coffee Beans

Using a burr grinder, grind your coffee beans to a medium-fine consistency (finer works best for lighter roasts). Measure about 15-18 grams of coffee for every 250 ml of water.

3) Heat the Water

Heat your water to around 93-96°C. Water temperature is crucial—hotter water extracts more from lighter roasts, while slightly cooler water works better for darker roasts.

4) Bloom and Pour the Water

Add the ground coffee to the dripper, shake it gently to level the grounds, and pour a small amount of hot water (about 60-70 ml) over the grounds. Let it sit for 30-45 seconds to release gases and enhance flavor. After the bloom, slowly pour the remaining hot water in a steady stream, making sure to wet all the coffee grounds evenly.

5) Let it Drain and Enjoy

Once the water has passed through the coffee, remove the dripper, and enjoy your freshly brewed pour over coffee. It’s the perfect way to savor the rich flavors of your brew.

A couple notes from James:

1. "Excuse the error at 10:13 where I say 'Don't be afraid of going a bit coarse' when I meant 'finer'. Apologies!"

2. Regarding preheating with the hot water tap: There's clearly a lot of variation out there on this front, and I could well have made a mistake here. It might be better to use a kettle. I'd recommend transferring the V60 to the sink before adding the water, to slow its exit from the cone, which helps do more heating up with less water.