Maybe you’ve heard of the “Third Wave” specialty coffee craze. Or maybe you’re just fed up with the corner Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts – well, here’s a quick guide to brewing delicious “pour over” coffee at home!

What’s a pour over? It’s coffee made by slowly pouring hot water over freshly ground coffee beans, which drips through a filter and into your cup (carafe). There are many pour over drippers that hold a filter, like the Chemex, the Hario V60, or the Kalita Wave. This guide is generally applicable to all drippers.

Why use a pour over? A pour over is precise. It lets you control the ratio of water to coffee (the strength) and the rate of brewing extraction (the flavor), which results in the best possible cup of coffee. Plus, home brewing will save you money!

What do I need? Here are the essentials for your pour over kit:

  • Pour over dripper, such as one listed above (e.g., Hario V60)
  • Paper filters (each dripper has its own corresponding paper filter)
  • Conical burr grinder
  • Slow-pouring kettle
  • Fresh bag of SlackTide Coffee (of course!)


Step 1: Bring at least 20 oz. of water to boil.

Step 2: Grind 24 grams of coffee (roughly 3 tbsp) to a fineness resembling table salt.

Step 3: Place your filter in the dripper and pre-wet the filter using warm water. Remember to dump the water before proceeding.

Step 4: Place your aromatic and freshly ground beans into the filter and gently shimmy the grounds to level. Now, place the filter on your mug or carafe (if you’re using a Chemex your carafe is already built in!).

Step 5: There will be a total of 5 pours during the brew. Take your slow-pouring kettle and gently saturate all of the grounds in concentric circles. You should notice the coffee grounds expand (or “bloom”) as the hot water causes the coffee to release stored CO2. This process reduces the bitterness in your cup. Let the grounds bloom for about 30 seconds.

Step 6: Next, pour in a steady spiral motion covering all of the grounds. The pour will create a subtle turbulence stirring the grounds, which ensures an even brewing process. Wait 30-45 seconds between each pour until you complete all 5. Note: if you are using a scale, each of the 4 pours after the bloom should be about 80 grams of water and the total brew time should be around 3 minutes. We’re aiming for a water-to-coffee ratio of about 16:1. This can certainly be altered if you would like a stronger/weaker brew.

Step 7: Enjoy an exceptional cup of coffee brewed by you, the stellar home barista!

Want more detailed info? Check out Sprudge or for more in resources on home brewing! Of course, you can always reach out to me – questions/comments welcomed!