Pour over coffee has a reputation for being complicated. Between precise ratios, grind sizes, water temperatures, bloom times, and elaborate pouring techniques, it can feel like you need a laboratory to make a great cup.
The truth? You don't.
The general rule of thumb for pour over coffee is a 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio—one gram of coffee for every 16 grams of water. But many people overcomplicate pour overs. The reality is that you can make the process as easy or as detailed as you want. At the end of the day, it's all about your preferences and finding what makes your perfect cup.
Start With the 1:16 Ratio
A 1:16 ratio is a great starting point for most coffees. From there, you can adjust the amount of coffee or water based on the flavor you're looking for.
If you don't want to use a scale, there's an easy way to estimate your coffee:
1 tablespoon of coffee beans = approximately 1 cup of brewed coffee.
So, if you're making 8 cups of coffee, you can start with roughly 1 cup of whole beans.
Of course, a scale is the best way to get consistent results, but don't let the lack of one stop you from enjoying pour over coffee.
Water Temperature Matters… A Lot
Your water temperature can be just as important as your coffee-to-water ratio and grind size. The ideal temperature depends largely on your roast level.
As a starting point:
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Light roast: 200°F
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Medium roast: 197°F
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Medium-dark roast: 197°F
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Dark roast: 195°F
Getting the temperature right helps you extract the flavors you actually want from your coffee. Water that's too cool can lead to underextraction, while water that's too hot can produce harsh, scorched flavors.
Think of temperature as another dial you can adjust while you're dialing in your brew.
Don't Skip the Filter Prep
Before you start brewing, always wet your paper filter with purified water.
This isn't just about getting the filter to sit properly in your brewer. Rinsing the filter helps remove the papery taste that can otherwise make its way into your finished coffee.
Once the filter is thoroughly wet, discard the rinse water and add your coffee grounds.
For your grind, aim for fine to medium-fine.
If you'd rather skip the grinding step, you can order our tested pour-over ground coffee. We've dialed in a grind that works well for pour over, while still leaving plenty of room for customization if you want to experiment with your own grind size.
The Bloom: Give Your Coffee Room to Breathe
Your first pour is about more than simply adding water. It's also when you get your coffee ready for extraction.
Start by pouring a small amount of water in the center of the grounds and gradually work your way outward in a small circle. Then stop pouring and let the coffee bloom.
Fresh coffee will generally produce a taller, more expansive bloom because the grounds still contain more trapped carbon dioxide.
Let the bloom settle. As the coffee and foam begin moving downward into the cone filter, you're ready for the next pour.
Continue pouring gradually until the water level reaches about ¾ inch below the top of the paper filter. Then allow that water to steep and pass through the grounds before pouring again.
The key here is to avoid overpouring. Slow, controlled pours give you more control over the extraction and help keep your brewing process consistent.
Use Good Water
Coffee is mostly water, so the quality of your water matters.
One of the best ways to preserve the flavor of your coffee is to use purified water. Avoid distilled water, though. Without the minerals naturally present in water, coffee can taste flat and muted.
Good coffee deserves good water.
Adjust Your Ratio for Your Coffee
There isn't one ratio that works perfectly for every coffee.
Factors such as altitude, bean quality, roast level, grind size, and your own taste preferences can all influence how much water your coffee needs.
High-quality specialty coffee is typically associated with beans scoring 80+ on the SCA scale, and many exceptional coffees are grown at high elevations of 2,500 feet or higher.
Our Nicaraguan beans are a great example. For coffees like these, you can experiment with a more concentrated ratio, around 1:14.5 grams of water, depending on your brewing method and desired strength.
Coffees grown at lower elevations may benefit from more water, with some brewers going as high as 1:18 when needed.
The important thing isn't memorizing one perfect number. It's learning how to adjust.
How to Dial In Your Pour Over
When you're dialing in your coffee, your taste is your best guide.
If your coffee tastes sour or overly sharp, you generally want to increase extraction. Start by using a little more coffee and less water, and consider adjusting your grind finer if your brew is flowing too quickly.
If your coffee tastes bitter or overly harsh, try using more water and less coffee. You can also adjust your grind coarser depending on how quickly your brew is flowing.
Your grind size and flow rate work together, so don't be afraid to make small adjustments and taste the difference.
How Long Should a Pour Over Take?
For roughly four 8-ounce cups, expect your pour-over brew to take around 5–10 minutes.
Don't get too hung up on the clock, though. Brew time is another useful reference point, not an absolute rule. Your brewer, grind, coffee, pouring technique, and ratio will all affect how quickly the water moves through the grounds.
Instead of chasing a specific number of minutes, pay attention to how the coffee tastes.
The Perfect Pour Over Is Yours
If there's one thing to take away from all of this, it's that there isn't a single "perfect" pour-over recipe.
The 1:16 ratio is an excellent place to start. A scale, properly dialed-in grind, quality water, and the right temperature for your roast can help you make consistently great coffee. But once you've got the basics down, the fun is in making it your own.
Add a little more coffee if you want a stronger cup. Add more water if you prefer something lighter. Change your grind. Adjust your temperature. Experiment with your pouring technique.
Your perfect cup doesn't have to be anyone else's perfect cup.
That's the best part of pour over: it's incredibly personal. Use these guidelines as a starting point, then make adjustments until you find the combination that tastes best to you.
Here's to finding your perfect pour.