What is a Pour-Over?

Pour-over coffee is one of the most traditional brew methods from around the world. It has experienced a resurgence in popularity in the past years, thanks to its cheapness, ease of use, and ability to bring out the unique flavours of a given coffee. 

The modern concept of a pour-over coffee was invented by German entrepreneur Melitta Bentz in the early 20th century. By replacing old-fashioned cloth filters with a perforated brass cone lined with blotting paper, she was able to achieve a great tasting brew with minimal hassle. She later founded the Melitta Company, now one of the largest global players in coffee brewing machines and technology.

Why are Pour-Overs so Popular?

Coffees brewed in a pour-over are perfect for distinguishing between different origins and flavour notes. Unlike espresso, gravity is the sole factor drawing water through the coffee grounds, leading to a gentle extraction and exceptionally clean taste.

In recent years this style has been championed by the speciality coffee movement. It helps consumers understand the nuance of individual terroirs, and appreciate the hard work by producers to create exceptional quality - in both growing and processing.

Basic Pour-Over Recipe (Three Pours)

You will need:

• 30g medium ground coffee (freshly ground if you have a grinder)
• 500ml hot water at 91-93 degrees - leave for a few minutes after boiling
• Dripper (such as a V60) and some kind of server
• Filter paper
• Scales (optional but recommended)
• First, pour a little hot water through the dripper and paper to warm everything up.

The First pour is what's known as the bloom phase. Pour 60ml water into the coffee grounds in a circular motion, and wait 30 seconds for excess CO2 to bubble away.

The second pour should be 290ml, again always in a circular motion.

Once there is enough room to pour in the remaining water without the watermark getting any higher, add the final 150ml and give the dripper a little swirl to ensure all the grounds are evenly coated.

Aim for a total brew time of 3-4 minutes - if it is too fast, try using a finer grind or add a little extra coffee at the start. If it's too slow, then make the grind more coarse.

Advanced Pour-Over Recipe

In this advanced pour-over recipe, we'll use five separate pours to help us fine-tune the balance of flavours within the cup. 

Unlike in the simple recipe above, for this recipe you must wait until all the water has passed through the coffee before moving on to the next pour. 

You will need: 

• 30g medium/coarse ground coffee - your grind will need to be more coarse than for the simple recipe
• 500ml hot water at 91-93 degrees - leave for a few minutes after boiling
• Dripper (such as a V60) and server
• Filter paper
• Scales 

The first pour (bloom) should be 75ml. Wait for the water to fully drip through - about 45 seconds.

The second pour is 125ml, and again wait for the water to drip through.

The ratio of the first and second pours will determine whether sweetness or acidity is heightened. A smaller first pour will bring extra sweetness, and a larger first pour more acidity.  

The third, fourth, and fifth pours are 100ml each, adding up to a total of 500ml for the whole recipe.

The total brew time should be four minutes - if it is too fast, try using a finer grind or add a little extra coffee at the start. If it's too slow, then make the grind more coarse.