Pour Over Coffee
As the name implies “Pour Over” is the method where water is manually poured OVER coffee grounds, in a paper or screen filter, to brew coffee.
There are many product on the market from separate brew baskets to integrated basket/carafe brewers using 3 primary shapes of filters.
- 90% Cone (Chemix/Hario)
- Modified cone (Melitta)
- Flat bottom (Bunn/Kalita)
![](https://coffeemike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/4_filter_types.jpg)
![](https://coffeemike.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/home-image-6-1024x669.jpg)
![](https://coffeemike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/10-9-2013_chemex-1.jpg)
First Step
All paper filter brew methods start the same way. Hot water is poured through the empty filter to rinse it, preheat it, and preheat the carafe.
I will usually use a measuring cup with 1-2 cups of the same water that I will brew with, heated to boiling in a microwave.
Second Step
Grind the coffee beans to around the consistency of table salt. This is a “starting point” If your brew runs long, you need to grind coarser. If your brew runs short, you need to grind finer. The grind controls how long it takes to brew a pot of cofffee. The finer the grind, the longer it takes. The coarser the grind the shorter it takes.
You should “shoot” for a total brew time of 5 minutes, depending on how much coffee you are brewing.
Third Step
The bloom. You want to pour only enough water on your grounds so that they bloom (rise like a loaf of bread rises) but not enough water to start it dripping into the carafe. Bloom time should be from 20-30 seconds until the coffee stops growing in size
Fourth Step
Now we start to brew coffee. Starting in the center, pour slow and steady in a circular motion, staying in the center of the coffee grounds, away from the sides. You should pour only as fast as the water goes through the coffee grounds, not getting them too high and NEVER letting the water drain out. Keep pouring until you have made your desired amount, usually 1 liter of brewed coffee. This should take about 5 minutes, start to finish.
![](https://coffeemike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/hario_shut-off-temp-time.jpg)
![](https://coffeemike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/rinse1-1024x974.jpg)
![](https://coffeemike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/bloom1-1024x1024.jpg)
![](https://coffeemike.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/hario_buono_v60.jpg)
Please feel free to comment on this page. Coffee is a “moving target”. There are no set in stone “coffee laws”. Everyone has different tastes and opinions. Please share yours.