BREW GUIDE / Filter coffee

Pour-over coffee

Start with an even bloom and measured pours, then distinguish a slow pouring routine from a clogged final drawdown.

English edition updated 2026-11-10 · Editorial reference recipe; adjust for your equipment and coffee.

Coffee amount15 g ground coffeeWater / ingredients240 g hot waterTiming referenceAbout 2:30–3:30Grind starting pointMedium

Pour-over coffee equipment and finished serving

Jump to the steps ↓

Equipment and measurements

Dripper, matching filter, carafe, grinder, scale, timer and pouring kettle.

Amounts marked as brewed espresso describe beverage weight, not dry grounds. Keep water, milk, ice and other additions as separate measurements; final volume varies with the method.

How to make it

Rinse a fitted paper filter and discard the rinse water. Grind 15 g coffee, add it to the dripper and gently level the bed. Set the dripper on the carafe and tare the scale.
Technique note
Fix a lifted filter seam before adding coffee. A different filter fit can change drainage, so do not diagnose every slower brew as a grind problem.
Start the timer and pour water at roughly 92–94°C to a cumulative 45 g. Wet the whole bed and wait until about 30 seconds before the next pour.
Technique note
Look for dry pale patches rather than a dramatic dome. Bloom height alone is not a reliable freshness or quality score; avoid repeated stirring just to make it swell.
Pour steadily to a cumulative 140 g, then make another controlled pour to 240 g. These are running scale readings, not additional amounts for each stage.
Technique note
Keep the spout low enough to maintain a continuous stream without digging a deep crater. Ease off before the target weight to account for the last water leaving the kettle.
Let the water drain, remove the dripper and gently mix the carafe. Treat 2:30–3:30 as an observation window, not a pass mark, and taste as the cup cools.
Technique note
Record when pouring stops as well as when dripping finishes. A long tail after a normal pour suggests a different issue from taking too long to add the water.

What to adjust first

Slow drawdown with a dry, astringent finish: check fine particles and filter fit, then try a slightly coarser grind. Fast flow and a weak cup: check wetting and dose before grinding finer. Keep water weight fixed while comparing.

A flat bed is a clue, not a tasting result

A tidy coffee bed can help you compare pouring habits, but it does not prove the cup is balanced. Do not add extra swirling merely to make the surface photogenic. Use drainage observations together with taste.

Try this comparison next time

Keep 15 g coffee and 240 g water fixed. Change only how evenly you cover the bed, then compare cratering and the final drawdown. Leave a balanced cup alone even if its time differs from the suggested window.

What to write down

Note the filter, grind setting, last-pour time, finish time and whether the aftertaste feels drying. Grinder numbers only describe your own grinder.

Further reading: source guidance for this method. Our quantities and troubleshooting notes are editorial starting points, not a claim to reproduce a brand recipe or a first-hand test.

Keep learning

Coffee basics · Flavour troubleshooting

Your notes for this cup

Record settings, flavour and one change for next time. Notes stay in this browser; they are not uploaded or synced. Clearing site data removes them.

My Pour-over coffee notes