The Pour Over is a simple technique for manually filtering coffee. Producing consistent results is harder than with a Cafetière or Aeropress because it’s difficult to independently control the key variables.

The finer the coffee is ground the greater the surface area and so more will be extracted into the water. Finer grounds also slow the water down and so increase the contact time which also increases extraction. More grounds will also increase the contact time as will pouring more slowly. Aim for an extraction time of 2 - 3 minutes. If you need to slow things down to make it last 3 mins start by adjusting the grind a little finer. If that isn’t enough you may want to add more coffee next time.

The most popular filter cones are the Chemex and the Hario V60 which is available in plastic, ceramic, glass or metal. Plastic is a great choice thanks to its insulating properties and cheap price. Ceramic retains heat well but be sure to pre-heat so it doesn’t absorb heat from the water. Metal is durable but may conduct heat away too quickly so not a great option.

Filters are available in paper, cloth and metal. The most popular are bleached paper as they’re convenient to dispose of after each use and don’t risk adding stale flavours from previous use. Rinsing the paper in the cone and pre-heating the cone and mug is as simple as setting it up and pouring boiling water through, then dispose of the water in the mug and you’re ready to go.

The method below is a great starting place but you’ll need to adjust the variables to get the best results.

For darker roast beans try using more coffee with the same amount of water but grinding it more coarsely. For lighter roast, single origin coffee use less but grind it finer.

Start by adding twice the coffee’s weight in water to wet the grounds allowing them to bloom. Try to get all the grounds wet giving it a swirl if needed.

Pour the water slowly in a clockwise motion trying to keep the grounds moving and avoiding pouring down the edge of the filter. Let the level rise up to ⅔ of the cone and try to maintain this level by adjusting the pour speed.