How to Make Pour-Over Coffee

Step 1

Measure out roughly 1g of coffee per 16ml of water. For a 500ml / 2 cup pot of coffee, you'll use 32g of coffee and 500ml water.

Step 2

Grind beans to the consistency of fine sea salt or table salt and set aside. Also bring your filtered water to a boil (add slightly more water to the pot (~600 ml) as you'll need a little extra to wet your filter — see next step).

Step 3

Unfold your paper filter by separating it with 3 folds on one side and one fold on the other (see video for visual). Then insert the filter into the top of your Chemex, placing the side with three folds toward the spout.

Step 4

Wet the paper filter with just enough hot water to saturate it. This reduces any potential for a "paper taste" in your coffee. Then pour the excess water out through the spout.

Step 5

Add coffee grounds to the filter and shake gently to settle.

Step 6

Add just enough water to cover the coffee grounds (~66ml) so the coffee can "bloom." Then wait 45 seconds. This is a step that lets gas escape from the coffee to help improve the overall flavor.

Step 7

After the bloom, start pouring the remaining hot water over the coffee in small circles. Focus your pouring mostly in the inner circle, pouring near the edges occasionally to consistently wet the grounds. For the first round, pour about 200ml water.

Step 8

If you pour slowly enough, you can maintain a constant pour and let it filter at the same rate (which is ideal for optimal flavor). Or you can pour in ~200ml batches at a time. However, try to never let the grounds go completely dry. Total pour time should take 3.5 minutes.

Step 9

Once brewed, remove filter and enjoy coffee. Bonus tip: Before pouring coffee, warm your cup using any leftover hot water. Just be sure to dump the excess water before enjoying your coffee. Enjoy fresh, or cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours.