Pour Over

A clean, nuanced cup that highlights the natural flavors of your beans. More control than a drip machine — and once you've done it a few times, it becomes second nature.

Manual Brew V60 • Chemex Medium grind 1:16–1:17 ratio

Which method is right for you?

Hario V60

Fast · Affordable · Versatile

Choose the V60 if you want

Bright, fruity, floral cups without a heavy body

High clarity cups that highlight acidity and delicate notes better than any other method

The lowest barrier to entry — a plastic V60 runs $6–10

A faster brew (2:30–3:30) without sacrificing quality

Flexibility — it's forgiving across grinders, skill levels, and roast profiles

Chemex

Clean · Rich · Iconic

Choose the Chemex if you want

The cleanest possible cup — the mouth feel is often silky

Chocolatey, rich, full-bodied notes — Chemex tends to mute acidity and bring out depth

Can brew larger quantities — it scales well for 2–4 cups at once

An all-in-one brewer that looks beautiful on the counter

V60 Pour Over

Bright & high clarity
View recipe & steps

Coffee

20 g

Medium grind

Water

320 g

194–200°F · filtered

Ratio

1:16

Coffee : Water

Brew Time

2:30–3:30

Total draw-down

Filter: Cafec T90 recommended. White filters only — rinse thoroughly before brewing to eliminate any papery taste.
1

Rinse Your Filter

Place the filter in your V60 and set it over your carafe on the scale. Rinse thoroughly with hot water — this removes any papery taste and preheats your equipment at the same time. Discard the rinse water and tare your scale to zero.

2

Add Your Coffee

Add 20g of freshly ground coffee. Give the dripper a gentle shake to level the grounds, then tare your scale back to zero.

Fine

Table salt

Medium

Granulated sugar → kosher salt

Coarse

Raw sugar / sea salt

3

Bloom, Stir, and Swirl

Start your timer and pour 45–60g of water in slow, even circles to fully saturate all the grounds. Then, before the bloom water passes through the bed:

1

Stir gently to make sure all grounds are wet with no dry pockets.

2

Swirl the dripper briefly to settle the bed flat and even.

Let the bloom sit for 45–60 seconds. You'll see the grounds bubble and rise — that's CO₂ releasing from fresh beans, which is a great sign.

If the bed looks dry or cracked after blooming, add a small second pour of 20–30g before your main pour to make sure everything is fully saturated.

Pro tip: A strong bloom means fresh coffee. If nothing bubbles, your beans may be past their peak — best flavor is in the 1–4 weeks after the roast date.

4

Main Pour

After the bloom, continue pouring in slow, controlled circular motions from the center outward. Pour in two stages — bring the total to around 150–160g, pause briefly, then continue to your final target of 320g.

Pour gently to avoid disrupting the coffee bed. The bed acts as a natural filter — aggressive pouring pushes fine particles into the paper, slows the draw-down, and makes your cup muddy and bitter.

Pro tip: No gooseneck kettle? Pour over the back of a spoon or into the lid of an Aeropress to break up the water pressure and protect the coffee bed.

5

Optional Swirl

Once all the water is in, you can give the dripper a brief, gentle swirl — just 1–2 seconds — to level the coffee bed and encourage an even draw-down. Don't overdo it; too much swirling pushes fines to the bottom and can slow things down.

6

Draw Down and Serve

Let the coffee drain completely. Remove the dripper, then give your carafe a gentle stir or swirl to even out the concentration. Enjoy.

V60 Troubleshooting

Sour or weak? Grind finer, use more coffee, and/or use hotter water.
Bitter or harsh? Grind coarser, pour more gently, use less coffee, and/or lower your water temperature.
Draining too fast (under 2:30)? Grind a touch finer.
Draining too slow (over 3:30)? Grind a touch coarser, or try a higher-quality filter.

Chemex Pour Over

Rich & silky
View recipe & steps

Coffee

30 g

Medium-fine grind

Water

500 g

203°F · filtered

Ratio

1:17

Coffee : Water

Brew Time

4:00–5:00

Normal for Chemex

Filter: Standard Chemex filters — white only. The thick triple-ply design is what gives the Chemex its exceptionally clean, sediment-free cup. Rinse thoroughly before brewing.
1

Set Up and Rinse Your Filter

Open the Chemex filter so three layers are on one side. Place it in the Chemex with the triple-layer side over the spout — this creates an air gap that prevents the brew from stalling. Rinse thoroughly with hot water and discard.

The triple-layer-over-the-spout placement is critical. Skipping this is the most common cause of a stalled brew.

2

Add Your Coffee

Add 30g of freshly ground coffee at a medium-fine grind. Give the Chemex a gentle shake to level the grounds, then tare your scale to zero.

Fine

Table salt

Medium-Fine

Closer to granulated sugar than kosher salt

Coarse

Raw sugar / sea salt

3

Bloom, Stir, and Swirl

Start your timer and pour 60–90g of water in slow circles to fully saturate the grounds. Then, before the bloom water passes through the bed:

1

Stir gently to make sure every ground is wet with no dry pockets remaining.

2

Swirl the Chemex lightly to settle the bed flat and even.

Let the bloom sit for at least 45 seconds before moving on to the main pour.

4

Main Pour

After the bloom, pour in phases — bring the total to around 300g, then continue slowly to 500g. Use slow, circular motions and take your time. A total brew time of 4–5 minutes is completely normal for a Chemex and produces a beautifully balanced cup.

Pro tip: Don't try to speed things up by grinding coarser. The Chemex's longer brew time is a feature, not a flaw — it's what produces the clean, rich character the method is known for.

5

Optional Swirl

Once all the water is in, you can give the Chemex a gentle swirl to flatten the bed and encourage an even draw-down.

6

Draw Down and Serve

Let the coffee drain completely. Remove and discard the filter, and pour into your cup. The Chemex produces a visibly rich, vibrant brew — take a moment to appreciate it before you drink it.

Chemex Troubleshooting

Brew stalled completely? Check that the triple-layer side of the filter is over the spout. Insert a chopstick or wooden skewer along the spout side to guarantee an air gap.
Papery taste? Rinse your filter more thoroughly before brewing.
Too bitter? Grind slightly coarser, use less coffee, or try cooler water. Don't compensate by rushing the brew time.
Too weak? Grind slightly finer, use more coffee, or hotter water.

General Principles for All Pour Over Devices

Use fresh beans

Best flavor is 1–4 weeks after the roast date. Too fresh and CO₂ forms harsh tasting compounds; too old and the brightness and complexity have faded.

Grind right before you brew

Pre-ground coffee loses its best flavors quickly. A burr grinder is the single best upgrade you can make to your home setup. See our grinding guide.

Water temperature matters

Use 194–200°F for most roasts. Hotter suits lighter roasts; slightly cooler (~194°F) suits medium and darker roasts to avoid pulling bitter compounds.

Treat your coffee bed gently

The bed acts as a natural filter. Aggressive pouring disturbs it, reduces clarity in the cup and can increase bitterness. If you're struggling, pour over the back of a spoon, use a flow distributer like a melodrip (if you have an Aeropress, you can even pour through Aeropress lid as a makeshift melodrip).

FAQ

What is pour over coffee?

A manual brewing method where you pour hot water slowly and deliberately over ground coffee in a filter. Unlike a drip machine, you control the water flow, temperature, and timing — and that control is what makes the cup so good. It's not complicated once you've done it a couple of times.

What's the difference between pour over and drip coffee?

Control and quality. Most drip machines don't heat water hot enough or distribute it evenly enough. Pour over lets you dial in temperature, flow rate, and technique. A well-made pour over will almost always outperform a standard drip machine — though a high-end machine like a Technivorm Moccamaster can come close with far less effort.

Do I need a gooseneck kettle?

It helps, but it's not required. A gooseneck gives you slow, precise control over where the water lands. Without one, pour over the back of a spoon to break up the stream and reduce impact on the grounds. It's a simple hack that works surprisingly well.