Use a 1:16 ratio, about 20 g of coffee to 320 g of water just off the boil. Bloom for 30 to 45 seconds, pour the rest in slow stages and aim to finish in 3 to 4 minutes.
What do you need to make pour over?
You need a dripper, filters that fit it, a server or mug, a kettle and fresh coffee. A gooseneck kettle makes the pour easier to control, and a scale with a timer turns the recipe into numbers you can repeat. A burr grinder is the next upgrade, because coffee loses aroma quickly once it is ground. You can start without one and use coffee ground for pour over, then add a grinder when you want more control.
What ratio of coffee to water should you use?
Start at 1:16, one gram of coffee for every 16 grams of water. For one large mug, that is 20 g of coffee and 320 g of water. If the cup tastes weak, move toward 1:15. If it tastes heavy, move toward 1:17. Weighing beats scooping, because a scoop of a light roast and a scoop of a dark roast weigh different amounts.
How fine should you grind for pour over?
Grind medium fine, roughly the texture of table salt or sea salt. Too fine and the water stalls, the brew runs long and the cup turns bitter. Too coarse and the water rushes through, leaving the cup sour and thin. Every grinder is different, so treat the first setting as a starting point and adjust after tasting.
What water temperature is right?
Use water just off the boil, around 195 to 205°F. If you do not have a thermometer or a temperature kettle, bring the water to a boil and let it rest for about 30 seconds. Lighter roasts usually taste better toward the hotter end, darker roasts toward the cooler end. Rinse the paper filter with some of this hot water first, then pour the rinse water away.
What is the bloom and why wait?
Freshly roasted coffee holds carbon dioxide. When hot water first hits the grounds, that gas escapes and the bed swells and bubbles. This is the bloom. Pour about twice the weight of the coffee in water, so 40 g for a 20 g dose, make sure every ground is wet and wait 30 to 45 seconds. Letting the gas out first helps the rest of the water extract evenly.
How should you pour?
After the bloom, pour the remaining water in slow circles from the center outward and back, avoiding the paper walls. Many people pour in two or three stages, for example up to 180 g, then up to 320 g, letting the level drop a little between pours. Keep the stream thin and steady. The goal is an even, flat bed of grounds at the end.
How long should pour over take?
For a single cup of around 320 g, aim for a total time of 3 to 4 minutes from the first pour to the last drip. Time is the easiest signal for adjusting your grind. If it finishes well under 3 minutes, grind finer. If it runs well past 4 minutes, grind coarser.
How do you fix a sour or bitter cup?
Sour, sharp or thin usually means the coffee was under extracted: grind finer, use slightly hotter water or pour more slowly. Bitter, dry or harsh usually means it was over extracted: grind coarser or shorten the brew. Change one thing at a time, write down the numbers and taste again. Within a few mornings you will have a recipe that is yours.