Mastering the Pour Over: A Guide for Coffee Purists

For those who love precision, aroma, and ritual in their daily cup, pour over coffee is more than a brewing method—it’s an art form. With the right tools and technique, pour over brings out the full complexity of your coffee beans, delivering a clean, bright cup that highlights subtle tasting notes you might miss in other brewing styles.

At Goldberry Roasting Company, we’re passionate about helping home brewers and coffee purists make the most of every bean. This guide walks you through the essentials of mastering pour over coffee—from gear and grind size to water temperature and pouring techniques.

Whether you're new to pour over or perfecting your process, this article will help you take your brewing to the next level.

Why Choose Pour Over Coffee?

Pour over coffee offers clarity, control, and craftsmanship. Unlike immersion methods like French press, pour over uses a steady flow of water through a paper filter, resulting in a clean, crisp cup free of sediment. It's ideal for highlighting the flavor profiles of single-origin beans and light to medium roasts.

You also get total control over brew time, water temperature, and saturation—making pour over the go-to method for anyone who wants to unlock the full character of their coffee.

What You’ll Need

To brew pour over coffee at home, you don’t need a high-end café setup—just a few quality tools:

• Pour over dripper (e.g., Hario V60, Chemex, Kalita Wave)

• Paper filters sized for your dripper

• Gooseneck kettle for controlled pouring

• Burr grinder for consistent grind size

• Digital scale (grams)

• Freshly roasted coffee (we recommend any of our single origin offerings)

• Filtered water (quality matters!)

The Ideal Pour Over Coffee Ratio

A general starting ratio is:

1 gram of coffee to 16–17 grams of water
(For example: 25g of coffee to 400g of water)

Adjust the ratio based on strength preference and flavor notes. A digital scale is key here—pour over is all about precision.

Step-by-Step Guide to Brewing Pour Over Coffee

Step 1: Heat Your Water

Heat filtered water to 195–205°F (90–96°C). If you don’t have a thermometer, bring the water to a boil, then let it sit for about 30 seconds.

Step 2: Measure and Grind Your Coffee

Grind your beans to a medium-fine consistency—similar to table salt. Too coarse, and your coffee may be weak or sour; too fine, and it could taste bitter or over-extracted.

Use about 25g of coffee for a 12oz (400g) cup. We recommend weighing both your beans and your water.

Step 3: Rinse Your Filter

Place the filter in your dripper and rinse it with hot water. This removes the papery taste and preheats your brewing vessel. Discard the rinse water.

Step 4: Add Grounds and Bloom

Place your dripper over your cup or carafe. Add the ground coffee and gently shake to level. Start your timer.

Pour about 50–60g of hot water evenly over the grounds to saturate them completely. Let it bloom for 30–45 seconds—this releases gases and primes the coffee for extraction.

Step 5: Pour in Slow Circles

After blooming, continue pouring the remaining water in slow, spiral motions, keeping the water level consistent. Avoid pouring directly on the filter walls.

Aim to complete your pour within 2:30–3:00 minutes, depending on your ratio and grind size.

Step 6: Let It Drain and Enjoy

Once all water has passed through, remove the dripper, swirl your brewed coffee gently, and enjoy. You should taste a clean, balanced cup that highlights the bean’s natural flavor notes.

Common Pour Over Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

• Coffee tastes sour or weak? Try grinding finer or extending brew time.

• Too bitter or over-extracted? Coarsen the grind or shorten the pour.

• Uneven taste? Make sure you’re pouring evenly and using fresh beans.

Every variable affects flavor. The beauty of pour over coffee is that you can experiment and dial in the cup exactly how you like it.

The Goldberry Approach to Pour Over Perfection

At Goldberry Roasting Company, we roast our beans to bring out their origin-specific character—making them ideal for pour over coffee. Our single origin offerings, like Ethiopian, Guatemalan, or Rwandan beans, shine when brewed with care and attention to detail.

If you're just getting started, we’re happy to recommend the perfect roast for your pour over style. And if you’re ready to go deeper, our team can walk you through everything from grind settings to water chemistry.

Pour With Purpose

For us, making pour over coffee isn’t just about precision—it’s about intention. Slowing down. Honoring the process. And appreciating the gift that coffee is—from the farmer who harvested it to the moment it fills your cup.

We invite you to brew with purpose and enjoy coffee the way it was meant to be experienced—clean, bright, and full of story.