Pour-over is a simple brewing method that creates a smooth, light coffee by pouring hot water over ground coffee. They use paper, cloth, or mesh cone filters and produce a similar coffee to a drip coffee maker.
The most common pour-over coffeemakers are the Chemex brewer and Hario V60.
If you want to make great-tasting coffee quickly and easily without expensive coffee machines, pour-over is a good way to go.
Read on to learn all about pour-over coffee and the brewing technique. We’ll cover how the brew tastes, its origins, how it works, and how to make it.
What Does Pour Over Coffee Taste Like?
Pour-over coffee typically has a clean, bright, and well-balanced flavor, highlighting subtle notes that are often lost through more invasive extraction methods.
Compared to automatic drip coffee machines, pour-overs provide more control over water flow and extraction time, leading to a cup of coffee that’s often smoother and less bitter.
Depending on the type of beans used, you may notice floral, fruity, and nutty undertones that you wouldn’t normally notice in a drip coffee, espresso shot, or French press coffee. With that said the flavor can vary dramatically depending on the type of bean used, extraction time, coffee-to-water ratio, and roast level.
How Pour Over Coffee Works
Pour-over coffee works by manually pouring hot water over ground coffee in a filter. Gravity pulls the water through the grounds to extract the coffee’s flavors.
The process involves placing coffee grounds in a paper filter inside a simple pour-over coffee maker. As the water flows through the coffee and filter, the brew is collected below in a chamber, carafe, or single coffee mug (depending on the type of pour-over coffee maker used).
As water is slowly poured over the coffee grounds in a circular motion, the water extracts the oils, flavors, and aromas of the beans before dripping into the container below.
This method of brewing provides control over the brew’s strength and taste. It results in a clean, flavorful cup without the risk of over-extraction or under-filtration.
How is Pour Over Coffee Different From Drip Coffee?
Pour-over coffee and drip coffee are remarkably similar. Both brews are made by slowly pouring hot water over ground coffee. They both use filter cones, and both produce a clean, thin-bodied coffee. So what makes them different?
Drip Coffee
Drip coffee is made using an automatic drip coffee maker. These machines have a water reservoir that’s filled up with cold water. The water is heated as it’s dripped into a filter basket containing a paper filter filled with ground coffee.
The hot coffee is collected in a carafe below the filter basket.
Drip coffee tastes remarkably similar to pour-over coffee. The two brews are basically the same, but drip coffee is made using an electric machine rather than a "manual" pour-over filter.
Pour-Over Coffee
Pour-over coffee is often known as a "manual" drip coffee maker. The basic system is the same — a paper filter is used to hold coffee grounds, and water is poured over, and the extraction is collected below.
Instead of the water being heated and “dripped” over the coffee automatically, water must be boiled first and poured over by hand.
Pour-over coffee tastes remarkably similar to drip coffee. However, there is much more control in the extraction process. You’re able to control the drip rate and brew time more when you manually pour the water over the coffee.
Most people agree that pour-over brewers produce a more “complex” cup of coffee with more noticeable flavor notes.
What Do You Need to Make Pour Over Coffee?
Pour-over coffee isn’t particularly complicated. You only need a couple of ingredients and a few pieces of equipment.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Ingredients
- High-quality coffee
- Water
- Milk (optional)
- Sugar (optional)
Equipment
- Pour-over coffee maker
- Burr grinder (if using whole-bean coffee)
- Kettle or pan (for heating water)
- Coffee mug
- Teaspoon
Coffee Recommendations
You can use any coffee in a pour-over as long as it’s ground medium to coarse. We recommend a dark roast coffee for pour-over for the best depth of flavor.
Freshly ground coffee produces a more complex brew. If you don’t have a coffee grinder, opt for a high-quality pre-ground coffee.
The type of coffee bean you opt for will affect the overall flavor of the brew.
You have three options — arabica, robusta, or a blend of the two:
- Arabica beans produce a sweet, smooth, balanced coffee. If you prefer a milder coffee with floral undertones and a subtle bitterness, arabica is the way to go. We recommend the DaLat Coffee.
- Robusta beans produce a stronger, richer, more bitter brew. Robusta beans contain more caffeine than arabica beans and have woody, nutty undertones. For robusta pour-over coffee, we recommend HaNoi Coffee.
- Arabica and robusta blends create a coffee with the dynamics of both beans. You get the dark, strong, bitter notes of robusta with the sweet, smooth flavor of arabica. We recommend the Saigon OG blend for a solid pour-over blend.
How to Make Pour Over Coffee in Five Simple Steps
Making pour-over coffee is a simple process. However, a few simple techniques will elevate your brew to the next level.
Here’s a simple step-by-step guide to making the perfect pour-over coffee:
1. Prepare the Pour-Over Coffee Maker
There are several different types of pour-over coffee makers, but they all work in a similar way. They will have a filter chamber and a collection chamber or "carafe."
To prepare the equipment, dampen a paper or cloth coffee filter with water and place it in the cone chamber.
2. Boil Water
Fill a kettle or stovetop pan with filtered water and bring to a boil.
3. Measure and Grind the Coffee
You’ll need to measure and grind your chosen coffee according to how many cups of coffee you want to make. Small pour-overs make around three cups of coffee. You’ll need around 30 grams of ground coffee for three cups (700 mL) of water.
Use a burr grinder to process your whole coffee beans to a medium grind. Skip this step if you’re using pre-ground coffee.
4. Bloom the Coffee
Place the ground coffee in the pre-moistened filter of your pour-over. Pour a small amount of water over the grounds so they're lightly covered, and wait for 45 seconds. This will "bloom" the coffee, allowing all the gasses to escape, making for a more even extraction.
5. Brew the Coffee
Once the coffee has bloomed, slowly pour the remainder of your water through the coffee in a circular motion.
It will take a while to see the first drips of coffee come through into the collection chamber or carafe. You will typically see the first drips in 30 seconds to three minutes, depending on your equipment.
Wait for all the water to drip through the filter, completing the brewing process.
6. Pour and Enjoy
Once brewed, remove the filter and spent coffee grounds. Gently swirl the brew in the collection chamber. This will redistribute any fine coffee grounds that may have settled at the bottom.
Pour the coffee into your favorite coffee mug and enjoy. If you prefer a creamy, sweet brew, add milk and sugar to taste, stir, and enjoy.
The Origins of Pour Over Coffee
The origins of pour-over coffee can be traced back to Germany in the early 20th century. In 1908, an inventor called Melitta Bentz invented the first paper coffee filter. She wanted to create a way to brew coffee without over-extraction to avoid producing a bitter brew.
Bentz experimented with blotting paper and eventually created the first paper cone filter over months of trial and error. Her simple invention revolutionized the coffee industry and birthed the pour-over brewing technique and, later, the drip coffee maker.
Her invention led to the formation of the Melitta company and the “Melitta filter” — a company and product that’s still around to this day.
Since the early 20th century, pour-over brewing has evolved and gained global popularity for its precision, flavor clarity, ease, and short brewing time. What once started as one woman’s way to make her morning brew more enjoyable has turned into a world-renowned brewing method.
FAQs: Pour Over Coffee
Want to learn more about pour-over coffee and other brews?
Check out the answers to the FAQs below:
1. Is Pour Over Coffee the Same as Drip Coffee?
Pour-over coffee is similar to drip coffee. The only real difference is the brewing technique. Pour-over coffee is made by manually pouring hot water over ground coffee. Drip coffee is made in an electric coffee maker where water is heated and poured over the coffee automatically.
2. Do You Need Coffee Filters for Pour Over Coffee?
You need some kind of filter for pour-over coffee. However, they don’t need to be paper coffee filters. It’s possible to use metal mesh cone filters and cloth filters. Some pour-over setups also have a built-in filter.
3. How Much Caffeine is in a Cup of Pour Over Coffee?
A regular eight-ounce (240 mL) cup of pour-over coffee contains around 175 mg of caffeine. However, the exact caffeine content can vary depending on the type of bean, the roast level, the grind size, and the coffee-to-water ratio used.
4. What is a Chemex Brewer?
A Chemex brewer is a manual pour-over coffee maker with a glass flask and filter chamber. A paper filter is used to hold the coffee grounds and hot water is poured over slowly. A clean brew is collected in the flask below.
5. How Long Should Coffee Brew in a Pour Over?
Unlike submersion coffee makers such as the French press, there isn’t one strict brewing time for pour-over coffee. The brewing time is determined by how long it takes for the water to pass through the coffee grounds and filter and drip into the collection chamber below (usually a couple of minutes).
6. Can You Reheat Pour Over Coffee?
Yes. If you've forgotten about your pour-over coffee and it has gone cold, you can reheat it. However, this must be done carefully to maintain its flavor. Microwaving is convenient, but it can lead to uneven heating. It's better to heat the coffee slowly in a stovetop pan before returning it to your cup.
7. Can You Make Iced Coffee With a Pour Over?
Yes. You can make iced coffee with a pour-over coffee maker. Simply brew a concentrated coffee by adding more coffee and less water. Allow the concentrated coffee to cool, and then add milk and sugar to taste.
8. Can You Store Left Over Drip Coffee?
Yes. You can store leftover pour-over coffee by cooling and storing it in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for five to seven days. To use, add to a pan and heat slowly.
9. What’s the Best Way to Clean a Pour-Over Coffee Maker?
To clean a pour-over coffee maker, disassemble the components. Rinse with warm water to remove any coffee residue. Use a mild dish soap and a soft sponge to remove any stubborn stains. Rinse and dry thoroughly before reassembling.
10. Can You Add Milk to Pour Over Coffee?
Yes. You can add milk and/or sugar to pour over coffee to suit your taste. Add the milk and/or sugar once the coffee has been brewed and stir gently to combine.
