Pour-over coffee (also known as filter or drip) is one of the most relaxed ways to make a quality brew at home. Producing a cup that’s bursting with flavour, filter coffee can be peaceful and ritualistic, combining great taste with a little mental health break.
While making a drip coffee is a simple process, there’s still plenty to learn and lots to master in order to make the perfect brew. Join us while we delve into the equipment, methods, and subtle tips to excellent pour-over. But first, check out how beautiful pour-over coffee can be!
What is pour-over coffee?
Pour-over is a manual brewing method, where the water is gently poured over ground coffee held in a filter to be dripped gradually into the cup. It brings out the brightest notes from the coffee beans, resulting in a clean taste that’s crisp and delightful.
Because filter coffee is a truly manual operation, there’s plenty of room for you to tweak the process, settling into a method through both scientific experimentation and a personal feel that results in a cup that’s both science and art - and perfectly suited to your tastes.
For many enthusiasts, drip coffee represents the purest connection between brewer and drink, with the act itself as much of the enjoyment as the final cup. As you stand there watching the coffee percolate through the filter, the stresses of the outside world can fall away, giving you a moment of peace. Perfect!
Exploring the options for your pour-over
While the basic method of making a pour-over remains the same, there are a few different products on the market that can make a significant difference to the flavour. These use a variety of shapes and different filters, which impacts flow rates and changes the way the water interacts with the coffee.
Hario V60
The most common and classic filter method, the V60 is so called because it’s a V-shaped cone at 60°. V60 brewers may look simple, but there’s a lot of technology in there -the angle of the cone helps produce a deep coffee bed, while the grooves that run along the side of the brewer help improve water flow, control the speed of the pour, and also stop the filter paper from sticking to the side.
V60 coffee has great clarity, resulting in a well-balanced cup that delights both the taste buds and the nose. To learn more, check how our blog on making v60 coffee.
Chemex
With a wooden collar on an eye-catching hourglass-shaped brewer, Chemex certainly looks the part - it also performs wonderfully. Chemex uses thicker filters that extract the oils from the coffee, leading to an exceptionally bright cup of coffee that stuns with its clarity.
Chemex filters slow down the extraction process, which creates a rich, aromatic brew with exceptional body.
Kalita Wave
The flat-bottomed Kalita Wave is a forgiving filter system that produces extremely consistent results, making it an excellent filter brewer for beginners and those looking to replicate excellent coffee without as much fuss. There’s some variance across Kalita Wave models, with the steel versions draining slightly slower than glass, but once you’re used to your brewer, it’s easy to get that consistency.
Coffee made with a Kalita Wave has a balanced sweetness and a good level of clarity.
Alternative manual brewing methods
Cousins to the three main pour-over coffee brewers are options such as:
- AeroPress coffee maker - a manual pressure-assisted brewing method, AeroPress coffee is rich and enjoyable, crossing a bridge between filtered coffee and a full-pressure espresso.
- French press - with a longer steeped brewing method, French press coffee retains more of the oils than other methods, leading to a richer, more earthy cup. Check out our blog on French press here.
Drip-based coffee machines
Pour-over coffee is often compared to a traditional drip coffee machine — after all, both rely on a filter and the natural pull of gravity to extract the brew. However, the coffee produced by a standard coffee machine will have none of the nuance of a lovingly made filter coffee. Without the care of a manual pour, the coffee oil and fines extraction of a paper filter, or the water flow technology of the brewer, the results are very different.
However, when the grinds are fresh and precisely ground, it is possible to get a passable cup from a basic coffee machine. While a drip-based coffee machine may not be the best choice for an optimal drink, with a little care, you can get a reasonable morning brew.
The difference between pour-over brewing methods
While all manual brewers have the same basic idea (it’s hot water mixing with freshly ground coffee!), the difference in shape, design, and flow rate will have an important impact on the final flavour in your cup.
Consider, for example, the distinctive shape and spiral grooves of the V60 when compared to the flat bottom of the Kalita Wave. The V60’s shape results in a deep coffee bed that has flavours lifted by a steady flow of water, for that bright, crisp flavour. Water in the Kalita Wave settles more evenly over the coffee grounds, helping balance the sweetness thanks to a more uniform extraction.
Filter types have an effect, too. The Chemex uses a thicker filter that absorbs more of the oils and slows down the water flow. When combined with clean, filtered water and a precision grind, this leads to an extremely clean and delicate cup of coffee that’s totally free of fines. Thinner filters, including metal reusable options, will let through more oils and fine particles, leading to a heavier body and more powerful flavour.
What all methods have in common is their use of gravity. Unlike immersion brews, like French press or inverted AeroPress, a pour-over coffee draws out the flavour as the water runs past the grinds, ensuring the end result is refreshing rather than muddy.
Coffee, though, is a matter of taste - what works well for one person doesn’t mean a perfect cup for all. Personal experimentation with your brewing method and equipment will lead you to a selection of fantastic coffee drinks, each with its own enduring characteristics. At Niche Coffee, we encourage experimenting - try out the precision and clarity of a V60 brewer one day, and maybe a French press the next. Select a coffee to match your mood, and enjoy your time in both the making and the drinking.
Getting ready - what you’ll need for a delicious pour-over
Making filter coffee can be done with a relatively small amount of equipment, but when you’re striving for perfection, quality will make a difference. Look into the best kit you can obtain for your home coffee bar - small touches can make significant differences.
Kit checklist
- Fresh beans - Always grind fresh for the best results.
- Premium coffee grinder - A Niche Zero or Niche Duo (with the filter burr set) will produce the ideal grinds, with effortless consistency.
- Scales - Precision measurements lead to repeatable results.
- Gooseneck kettle - The delicate gooseneck (often with a built-in thermometer) will give you precision with your pour.
- Brewer - Whether V60, Chemex, or Kalita Wave (or other).
- Filter paper - Make sure you have the right filter to match the shape and size of your brewer. Note that different filters may affect the flavour of the coffee, with some resulting in a very papery taste.
Perfecting the grind
A good grind makes for great coffee. Pour-over coffee needs a coarser grind than espresso, so look to a medium-fine setting of between 35 and 50 on your Niche Zero and 40-55 on your Niche Duo.
The coarser you make your grind, the lighter the end result will be and the faster the water will flow through your chosen brewing method. A finer grind will lead to a stronger coffee, but too fine and you’ll introduce fines into the drink or potentially clog up your pour and end up with bitter coffee.
At Niche, we’re obviously enthusiastic about getting the grind right, but not without good reason - it really does make a significant difference. Well-ground coffee is the foundation for your drink - no matter how good your brewing equipment and technique, if what goes in is poor, you’re going to struggle to achieve top-quality results.
Getting the water right
Water is the other main ingredient, alongside the coffee, so don’t ignore the quality of your water! Use a water filter jug or other filtration system to make sure you’re putting in pure, clean water. You can always use tap water, but for best results, use bottled or filtered water.
Water should be between 92° and 96°, which occurs around 30 seconds after boiling. Many gooseneck kettles come with a built-in thermometer, enabling you to get this just right.
Too hot, and you risk burning the coffee and ending up with a bitter cup. Too cool, and the extraction won’t work well at all, leading to a sour (and cold) drink.
Adjusting the coffee-to-water ratio
As a general rule, filter coffee works well at a ratio of 1:16 to 1:18. That’s 1g of coffee for 15-17ml of water. For a standard 250ml of drink, grind 15g of beans.
Of course, your coffee-to-water ratio is one of the key variables to alter when experimenting. Adjust it to suit your taste until you find the perfect strength and taste for you - and remember that different beans may enjoy a different ratio.
Scaling up isn’t just about multiplying, however. When you’re making more than one cup at a time, don’t just double up the numbers - larger batches (for example 600ml to 1L) will extract more aggressively because they remain hotter for longer. Try using a slightly coarser grind and lower ratio when making greater volumes of coffee. 55g often works better for a litre of drink (1:18) rather than 63g (1:16).
Step-by-step - how to brew perfect pour-over coffee
- Place your cup and filter on your scales - this helps you measure throughout the process.
- Wet your filter paper - this is optional but helps remove that papery taste.
- Add your freshly ground coffee - 15g for a single cup.
- Bloom with the first 50g of water for 30 to 45 seconds - the bloom stage degasses and preps the grounds.
- Slowly pour the remaining water until you reach 250g - gently pour in circles from your gooseneck kettle, making sure all the grounds are wet.
- Wait (approx. 2.5 minutes) - enjoy the fragrant aroma as gravity does the work, slowly dripping the coffee into the cup.
- Check the coffee bed - it should be flat and even, reflecting a smooth pour throughout.
- Finally, decant into a glass and enjoy your delicious drink!
Tips for tuning your pour-over brew
As with all things coffee, pour-over is a mixture of science and art. Things to try include:
- Grind size - If your brew is going too fast and the coffee seems thin, dial to a finer grind. Equally, for a lighter drink that is brewing too slowly, adjust for more coarseness. With the precision of a Niche grinder, this is simplicity itself.
- Stirring after bloom - The bloom phase is an important one, releasing the CO₂ that’s trapped in the beans in a glorious swell of magic potion-like chemistry. Some coffee experts like to stir gently after the bloom for an even saturation, but take care not to disturb the bed too much or tear the filter paper.
- Adjust one thing at a time - Remember, scientific experimentation means matching results to changes. Don’t make more than one adjustment at a time so you understand the effect.
- Consider a Niche Duo - With specialist filter burrs, the Niche Duo is the finest choice for a perfect coarse grinds for pour-over.
The joy of pour-over coffee
The ritual-like simplicity of a drip coffee cannot be beaten. Taking that time away from the chaos of the day to relax in the making of a delightfully clear and flavourful coffee is one of the pleasures enjoyed by home coffee enthusiasts around the globe. From the initial grind, a burst of aromatic joy coming from your Niche grinder, through to the sumptuous hit on the taste buds, pour-over is pure perfection.
At Niche, we’re fans of both V60 and AeroPress for easy-to-use options that give a clean cup of delicious coffee, but with all the filter coffee and manual brew options easily available, why stick to one?
