Pour Over
Chemex / Hario V60 / Kalita Wave
Precise. Ritual. Transparent.
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Pour over is one of the most rewarding ways to brew at home — a patient, hands-on method that rewards attention and produces an exceptionally clean, complex cup. The technique works with three drippers that have become fixtures in specialty coffee bars: the Chemex, Hario V60, and Kalita Wave. Pour-over enthusiasts value the ritual: grinding fresh, blooming the grounds, and pouring in slow spirals. Done right, it produces a cup that tastes closer to the origin — brighter, cleaner, and more nuanced than almost any other method.
What You Need
- Chemex, Hario V60, or Kalita Wave dripper
- Gooseneck pour kettle
- Burr grinder
- Digital scale
- Paper filters
- Timer
Step by Step
Boil Your Water
Bring fresh filtered water to 200°F — just off boil, about 30 seconds after the kettle stops. Filtered water makes a meaningful difference to cup clarity.
Rinse the Filter
Open the paper filter and seat it in the dripper. Rinse thoroughly with hot water to remove any papery taste and to preheat the brewer. Discard the rinse water. For Chemex, position the three-fold side against the spout.
Weigh and Grind
Weigh your coffee at a 1:16 ratio (e.g. 23g coffee for 370g water). Grind to medium-fine — similar to coarse sea salt. Grind fresh, immediately before brewing.
Tare and Set Up
Place the brewer on your scale, add the ground coffee, and tare to zero.
Bloom
Pour three times the weight of your coffee in water (e.g. 23g × 3 = 69g water) over the grounds in a slow, even spiral. This allows trapped CO₂ to escape. Let sit for 45 seconds.
Continue Pouring
Add water in stages of 100–200g, pouring in slow spirals from center outward and back. Keep the pour rate slow — 8 to 10g per second. Avoid pouring directly onto the paper above the coffee bed.
Finish and Serve
The brew is done when the liquid disappears from above the grounds. Total time: 3:00–3:30. If too fast, grind finer. Too slow, grind coarser. Remove the dripper and serve immediately.
Pro Tips
- Use a gooseneck kettle for precise, controlled pours.
- The bloom is non-negotiable — never skip it.
- Grind within 15 minutes of brewing for best results.
- Filtered water matters almost as much as coffee quality.
The right coffee makes every method taste better.