Perfecting the Coffee Pour-over

The pumpkin spice latte may be back, and it seems to show up earlier every year, but not everyone wants a sweet and spicy latte all the time. So with national coffee day coming up, we thought the timing was right to enjoy a lovely cup of bean juice—straight-up. 

One of the easiest, and least expensive methods (no fancy machinery required) for single serve coffee is the pour-over method. It consists of literally pouring water over coffee at short intervals to brew. It can however, look more intimidating than it actually is. Contraptions like the Chemex, a coffee dripper and carafe in one which is typically made from glass, can look a lot like mad scientist work-ware. Pour-over kettles resemble watering cans for plants, (please don’t use watering cans for your pour-over coffee. Trust us, it doesn’t work!) and the majority of pour-over images found on social media carry with them an air of unattainable perfection. We’re here to tell you that none of that really matters. It’s all about just making a simple, delicious cup of coffee. 

Follow along to craft the perfect cup in under five minutes. 

Here is what you will need:

Coffee because, obviously. We used a blend from a local roaster.

A Chemex or pour-over dripper and carafe. (If your set-up does not come with a reusable filter, pick up some disposable ones as well.) And a digital scale.

A pour-over water kettle. These typically feature a thin, long spout. 

Directions:

1. Begin by boiling 350g of water

2. If using whole bean coffee, grind to a sand-like texture

3. Place the empty Chemex (or pour over dripper) and coffee filter on your digital scale and tare to ensure the marker reads 0g

4. Some coffee filters need to be pre-moistened to remove residue. If this is the case for the filters you are using, go ahead and pre-moisten and tare the scale once again.

5. Add 30g of ground coffee into the filter

6. It’s time to “bloom” the coffee. Add 30g of water to your coffee, ensuring all of the grounds are touched by the water evenly. Do this by pouring in a slow circular motion, going from outside to inside.

7. Wait roughly 45 seconds and repeat the process until your scale reads 150g (give or take). Allow the coffee to drip for another minute or so. The idea is to ensure your coffee grounds are never completely dry!

8. Add 100g of water in the same fashion, slow pouring to make sure all grounds are saturated, and allowing roughly 45 seconds for water to drip through the coffee grounds. Repeat until your scale reads 350g.

9. Wait and watch your coffee brew. Once all the water has dripped through, your coffee is ready to drink.

Now is the time to add cream, milk, sugar, honey, or whatever suits your fancy. We like this coffee black, perfect for dunking some of our Organic Almond Biscotti into. They’re firm enough to withstand some serious dunking, and sufficiently sweet to compliment a strong coffee brew. So drink, dunk, and enjoy. You’re now a pour-over coffee master!

— Best Express Staff