How to make coffee using a pour over

This is a brew guide with step-by-step instructions on how to make pour over coffee using Kahawa Safi premium coffee. The idea is essentially the same across all pour over coffee makers. The brewer holds the coffee grounds in a cone shape filter, you pour water over the coffee grounds, and the water drips through the coffee into a vessel. The most important things when it comes to making pour over coffee are the equipment, the grind size of the coffee, the temperature of the water, the amount of coffee and the timing.

You will need the following:

  • Kahawa Safi Medium ground coffee
  • Pour over coffee brewer
  • Coffee filter papers
  • Scale
  • Timer
  • Hot water, just below boiling point

To make two cups of coffee, you’ll need 3 tablespoons (about 30 g) of Kahawa Safi medium-ground coffee and 17 ounces (500 ml) of water.

Step 1:

Set up your pour over brewer and get out the coffee. Place the pour over brewer over a vessel. You can use a glass, plastic, or ceramic brewer, although plastic brewers can give a slight taste to the coffee.

Step 2:

Pour at least 500ml of fresh water into a kettle and heat it until it boils vigorously. Remove the kettle from the heat and let the water cool for about 30 seconds before you start the pour over process.

The temperature of the water should be around 205 °F (96 °C). The hotter the water, the higher the potential you will over extract the coffee (bitter coffee), and the cooler the water the higher the potential you may under extract the coffee (sour coffee). If you don’t have a kettle that tells you the exact temperature of the water, you can boil water in a kettle and let it settle for a couple minutes.

To make it easier to pour, consider using a kettle with a long, narrow pouring spout.

Step 3:

Put the filter into the brewer. Use a filter designed for your specific pour over. If you’re using one shaped like a cone, you’ll need to fold the filter along the flat bottom and the edge with the seam. Set the filter into the brewer and place it on your vessel.

Pour enough hot water into the filter to wet it. The entire paper filter should be moist. Rinsing the filter will remove any papery residue so your coffee doesn’t have a woodsy taste.

Discard the rinse water and set the brewer on the vessel. Avoid using the rinse water in the bottom of the vessel. Then set the brewer with the wet filter back on the vessel.

Step 4:

Measure out 30g of coffee grounds into the moistened filter. Shake the brewer a little so the coffee grounds are at an even level. Level grounds will make the coffee extract evenly. Then place the vessel with the brewer on a digital scale and set it to zero.

You’ll need to keep track of how much water you’re pouring over the grounds, so the scale comes in handy.

Step 5:

Start your digital timer so you can keep track of how long to brew the coffee.

Starting in the center of the grounds, pour the water in a steady spiral toward the outer edge and then back toward the center. Be sure to pour all the way out to the edge over the ripples in the filter. This helps to keep grounds from being trapped in there and removed from the rest of the extraction. The goal during this pour is to sink all of the grounds on the surface of the bed. This creates a gentle turbulence that “stirs” the coffee, allowing water to more evenly extract the grounds.When the hot water first mixes with the coffee grounds, the coffee will “bloom” and swell up. Wait for the initial swelling to settle (about 20-30 seconds)

Try to maintain the coffee and water level, so that you are steadily pouring more water into the coffee as water drips down through the filter.

Step 6:

Slowly pour hot water into the center of the grounds and move towards the edges in a spiral motion. Fill the brewer 1/2 to 3/4 full again and then let the coffee brew. After you pour all the water, it should take another 30 to 60 seconds for all the water to run though the filter.

The coffee should steadily drip into the vessel below the brewer.

Your scale should read 500 g once you’ve poured enough water into the brewer.[9]

Once the coffee has finished dripping out of the bottom, lift off the pour over brewer. Carefully pour the hot coffee into 2 cups and serve them immediately.

You can discard or compost your coffee grounds then wash out the pour over brewer.

Important to note:

Aim to have the hot water finish running through the coffee in 3 minutes. You may adjust the exact time depending on the coffee and your taste preference.

If you find that the water is running through the coffee too fast, use a finer grind size next time. If you find the water is running through the coffee too slow, use a coarser grind size next time.

The final cup is reminiscent of one from a drip coffeemaker, but noticeably more delicate and complex. Observe the bloom, experience the first trace of coffee-drunk steam, notice how the spiral of the pour alters the final cup. This simple experience gets you in tune with your coffee.

 

Enjoy your fresh brewed cup of coffee!