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Pour Over Coffee to Water Ratio
How to make pour over coffee with the right ratio of coffee to water.
Published March 24, 2022
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Johan Hedlund
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
These days, it seems like everybody is on a mission to brew a better cup of coffee. And for many coffee lovers, the manual pour over brewing method is a method that ticks more boxes than others in terms of convenience levels and the ability to customize the coffee. If you want to start making the best pour over coffee at home, one of the first things to do is figure out the best coffee to water ratio for pour cover. When it comes to a pour over coffee ratio, most experts suggest starting with a 1:16 ratio of coffee to water and taking it from there. Don’t forget that you can always experiment with your coffee ratio for pour over to find the strength and flavor of brew that you like.
What is Pour Over Coffee?
Pour over coffee is a very simple way of making a brew without any special appliances or coffee makers needed. The process involves slowly pouring water in a steady stream with a spiral motion over filtered, medium coffee grounds to extract all the flavor from the coffee grounds into your pot or mug. Pour over coffee is an increasingly popular manual coffee brewing process that allows the user much more control over their final cup of coffee compared to other brewing methods.
Is Pour Over the Same as Drip Coffee?
Most people are used to two main ways of making coffee, either with an automatic drip coffee machine or a percolator. However, these days, there are more and more coffee brewing options available, and the manual pour over method is quickly becoming one of the most popular. You may be wondering, is this the same as a drip coffee machine, just without the need for the electricity?
However, while the two brewing methods do have the same basic principles and the ratio for pour over coffee is the same as for drip coffee, there are lots of smaller details that have several differences. Using an automatic drip coffee machine is an option that you can simply set and forget. It brews an average cup of coffee and is easy to use; however, the main problem is that there is no option to make changes to the brewing process to improve your results.
In comparison, pour over coffee is a manual brewing method that gives you much more control over several variables including the pour over coffee ratio games, the best water for pour over coffee, and controlling what is the best water temperature for pour over coffee. You can also control the extraction time. This additional freedom to make adjustments where needed, however, also makes it easier to make terrible coffee with the pour over method.
Why is the Ratio Important?
When making pour over coffee, a 1:16 ratio of coffee to water is the best place to start. In terms of how many grams of coffee for pour over, this is one gram of coffee per each 16ml of water. However, most people are going to drink more coffee than this, so you’ll need to do a bit of working out to determine how much coffee and water you need. It is also important to remember that the ratio uses metric units rather than volume, so you might need to convert this when measuring. For reference, a fluid ounce is equal to around 30ml of water.
Setting Up a Manual Pour Over Coffee System
It is quite easy and relatively inexpensive to set up a basic pour over coffee system. However, you can also easily spend a lot of money on equipment that might look amazing in your kitchen, but you do not actually need to make a great cup of coffee. So, before you go out and get what you need to start making pour over coffee at home, it’s a good idea to be aware of the essentials. You are going to need a dripper, a filter, a thermometer, a scale, and a container that is suitable for heating and pouring water. Let’s take a look at these components in further detail.
Dripper
This is going to be one of the most important parts of your setup, and you can’t make pour over coffee without it. Drippers come with various different designs to choose from with something for everybody. Whether you want a large or small option, with ridges or without, all of them are going to work, so pick the one that suits you the most. Look for a dripper that is constructed well and the right size to easily sit on top of the container that you are pouring the coffee into.
Filter
You can get some drippers with a built-in filter if you prefer. However, most of the time, a paper filter is used for pour over coffee. While a reusable filter might save you money in the long run, bear in mind that they will eventually need to be replaced and can be harder to clean and maintain. If you choose a paper filter, there are two types to consider. You can get unbleached, brown filters or white bleached ones. Some users find that their coffee has a papery taste when using an unbleached filter. You can always pre-wet the filter to avoid this.
Thermometer
A higher temperature will extract the coffee at a faster rate compared to a lower temperature. When it comes to making pour over coffee, the ideal temperature range is between 195- and 205-degrees Fahrenheit. If your coffee tastes sour, try raising the temperature, or lower your temperature if the coffee has a bitter taste.
Scale
If you want to brew the best pour over coffee, then measuring by volume might not be good enough. A good electric kitchen scale is a great tool to have to help you figure out exactly how much coffee you are using by weight. You can usually find a good electric kitchen scale for a small price.
Heating and Pouring Container
You can use any heat proof container for this purpose. However, if you want to make the best pour over coffee, it is certainly worth investing in getting a gooseneck kettle or pitcher that is designed for making the best pour over coffee. These kettles are designed with a thin spout that allows you to pour the hot water over the coffee grounds in a slower and more precise manner compared to a normal kettle. You can get stovetop gooseneck kettles or electric options.
Finding the Best Ratio for Pour Over Coffee
There’s no single perfect coffee to water ratio for pour over coffee, and what you use will ultimately come down to your personal preferences regarding how you like your coffee to taste. While pour over coffee is a brewing method that does take some more practice and time in comparison with other coffee brewing methods, you will have much more control over the taste of your brew once you master it. It is a good idea to get started by using the standard 1:16 coffee to water ratio for pour over coffee. Once you have built up some experience using this coffee brewing method, experiment with different ratios to figure out what you enjoy the most.
Best Coffee Ground Size for Pour Over Coffee
The best ground size to use for your pour over coffee can vary depending on the dripper that you use, so keep this in mind. In general, a medium or medium-fine grind is usually the best option for pour over coffee. Anything coarser is likely going to result in weak and watery coffee, as the water does not come into contact with the coffee grounds for a long period of time using this brewing method.
How to Pour the Water Over the Coffee
Getting the act of pouring right is an art, so don’t be surprised if you don’t get it right the first time - it can take some practice to get to a point where you can confidently get great results from pouring the water over the coffee. A gooseneck kettle or pitcher will help you out here as it is more precise compared to using a normal kettle with a shorter and wider spout. Start in the middle of the filter and pour slowly in a circular motion, moving towards the outer edge of your coffee. Use around double the amount of water as there is coffee, and then wait for forty seconds. This is called blooming the coffee grounds, and the purpose of this step is to make sure that all the coffee grounds are wet. After the forty seconds have passed, continue using the same circular motion to pour over the rest of the water. Once you reach the edge of the coffee, move back inwards towards the center with the same motion, until you have poured all the water over.
If you want to make perfect pour over coffee at home, start with a standard ratio of 1:16 coffee to water and then experiment from there.
About the author
Johan Hedlund
I´m living in Karlstad, Sweden with my family. Been working the last 25 years with several start ups in the tech industry. Coffee has been an integral part, both professionally and privately. Eager to learn new things and happy to be a member of the era of we community.
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