Drinks

Pour over

Pour over is a manual brewing method where hot water is poured slowly over coffee grounds in a paper-filtered dripper (V60, Chemex, Kalita Wave). The technique produces a clean, nuanced cup that highlights bean characteristics — popular in specialty cafés for single-origin coffees.

The basic pour over routine: rinse the paper filter (removes paper taste, preheats the dripper), grind coffee to a medium-coarse setting, bloom with 2× the coffee weight in water for 30 seconds, then pour in controlled pulses to reach total brew weight. Total brew time runs 3–4 minutes for most drippers.

Different drippers produce different cups. V60 (cone-shaped, large hole) emphasizes brightness and clarity. Chemex (thick paper filter) produces a clean, tea-like cup with low body. Kalita Wave (flat bottom, three small holes) gives more consistent extraction and forgiveness. Choice depends on bean and house preference.

Pour over is a specialty signature for several reasons: it highlights bean quality (no milk to hide behind), trains staff in extraction principles (variables are visible in real time), and creates customer connection (the barista pours one cup for one customer). It's slower than batch brew but creates a different kind of experience.

Related terms

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Espresso

Espresso is a small, concentrated coffee beverage made by forcing about 92–94°C water through finely-ground, tamped coffee at 9 bars of pressure for 25–32 seconds.

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Espresso

Extraction

Extraction is the process of water dissolving soluble compounds from ground coffee during brewing.

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Drinks

Cold brew

Cold brew is coffee made by steeping coarsely-ground beans in cold water for 16–18 hours, then filtering.

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FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How long does a pour over take?
3–4 minutes of brewing time, plus 30–60 seconds of setup. Total experience for the customer is 5–6 minutes from order to serve. Specialty cafés often build wait time into the pour over experience rather than rushing it.
What's the difference between V60 and Chemex?
V60 has a cone shape with a large bottom hole and standard paper filter — produces brighter, more nuanced cups. Chemex has a thicker paper filter that removes more oils — produces cleaner, tea-like cups with lower body. Different aesthetics, both valid.
What's the ideal pour over ratio?
1:16 is the SCA standard (e.g., 22g coffee, 350g water). Lighter ratios (1:15) give stronger cups; higher ratios (1:17) give lighter cups. Adjust based on bean and taste.

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