Pour over is the method that shows a coffee most clearly. The paper filter catches oils and fine particles, so what you taste is the bean itself — bright, clean and layered. It takes about three minutes and a steady hand.
What you need
- A pour-over dripper (a V60, Kalita or similar) and paper filters to fit
- A kettle — a gooseneck kettle gives you the most control, but any kettle works if you pour slowly
- A kitchen scale and a timer (your phone is fine)
The recipe
| Coffee | 15 g |
| Water | 250 g (250 ml), just off the boil |
| Ratio | 1 : 16.5 |
| Grind | Medium, like table sand |
| Time | 2:30 to 3:30 in total |
| Best with | MEADOW or QISSA |
Step by step
- Rinse the filter. Place the paper in the dripper, set it on your cup or server, and pour hot water through it. This removes the papery taste and warms everything up. Tip the rinse water away.
- Grind and level. Grind your beans to medium, add them to the filter, and give the dripper a gentle shake so the bed is flat. Put it all on the scale and tare to zero.
- Bloom (0:00). Start your timer and pour about 40 g of water in a slow spiral, just enough to soak all the grounds. Wait 40 seconds while the coffee releases gas.
- Second pour (0:40). Pour slowly in small circles from the centre outwards, avoiding the paper edges, until the scale reads 150 g.
- Final pour (1:15). Once the level has dropped a little, pour again to 250 g. Keep the stream gentle and steady.
- Let it drain. Give the dripper one light swirl to flatten the bed, then let it finish. It should be done between 2:30 and 3:30.
- Serve. Lift off the dripper, swirl the cup, and taste it as it cools — good pour over changes and opens up as the temperature drops.
Fix your cup
- Drained in under 2:30 and tastes sour or thin: grind finer.
- Took longer than 4:00 and tastes bitter or dry: grind coarser.
- Tastes flat even though the time was right: make sure your water is hot enough, and pour more slowly so the water has time with the coffee.
Change one thing at a time — usually the grind — and you will dial it in within a few brews. Our Grind Size Guide explains why this works.
For a rare coffee like QISSA, this is the brew to use. Drink it black, the first time at least.