Brewing
How to Make Pour-Over Coffee That Tastes Clear and Sweet
Learn a repeatable pour-over coffee recipe with the right coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, temperature, bloom, and pouring technique.
Pour-over coffee rewards consistency more than complexity. Start with a sound ratio, control the few variables that matter, and let taste—not a timer alone—tell you what to change next.
At a glance
- Use 20 g of coffee to 320 g of water for a balanced starting ratio.
- Aim for a medium-fine grind and a total brew time near three minutes.
- Change only one variable at a time when the cup needs adjustment.
Part 01
A dependable pour-over recipe
Heat filtered water to 200°F (93°C). Rinse the paper filter, discard the rinse water, then add 20 grams of freshly ground coffee. Gently shake the brewer to create a level bed before placing it on your scale.
Start the timer and pour 60 grams of water, making sure every ground is wet. At 45 seconds, pour in slow spirals to 180 grams. At 1:30, continue to 260 grams, then finish at 320 grams around the two-minute mark. Let the brewer drain completely.
- Coffee: 20 g
- Water: 320 g at 200°F / 93°C
- Grind: medium-fine, similar to table salt
- Target brew time: 2:45–3:30
Part 02
Why the bloom matters
Fresh coffee releases trapped carbon dioxide when it first meets hot water. That gas can repel water and create uneven extraction, so the first pour should thoroughly saturate the coffee and give it time to degas.
Use roughly three times the coffee weight for the bloom. If you see dry pockets, give the brewer one gentle swirl. An aggressive stir can move fines into the filter and slow the drawdown.
Freshness cue
A dramatic bloom is not automatically a better bloom. Coffee that is 7–21 days off roast is often easier to brew evenly than coffee used the day it was roasted.
Part 03
Pour for an even extraction
Keep the kettle low enough that the stream enters quietly. Pour mostly over the coffee bed rather than directly onto the paper, and keep the water level reasonably stable. The goal is to move fresh water through all of the grounds at a similar rate.
A gooseneck kettle makes flow easier to control, but technique matters more than expensive gear. If you use a standard kettle, pour in smaller pulses and pause before the water approaches the top of the brewer.
Part 04
Adjust the recipe by taste
If the coffee tastes sharp, thin, or sour, extract more: grind a little finer or extend contact time with a slower pour. If it tastes dry, harsh, or hollow, extract less: grind coarser or shorten the brew.
Keep the dose, water amount, and temperature fixed while changing the grind. Once the cup is close, smaller changes to water temperature or ratio can refine sweetness and body without sending the whole recipe off course.
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Your next better cup starts here.