August 12, 2025

The Perfect Pour-over Coffee Guide

Pour-over coffee 101: How to Make the Perfect Pour-Over Coffee

If you ask us, filter coffee is one of the best ways to truly taste what a bean has to offer. No longer does filter coffee conjure up images of mass-produced diner-style pots sitting under a heater for hours on end. A well made filter coffee is clean, light and full of character - just like a sunny, crisp morning on Brighton seafront. Here’s our step-by-step guide to brewing the perfect cup at home. Here we're going to cover off how to make the perfect filter coffee - the drip coffee or pour-over method.

Why Pour-Over?

Pour-over brewing offers a slower, more mindful way to make coffee. It draws out the delicate flavours you might miss with quicker methods – ideal if you enjoy lighter roasts with fruity or floral notes. A small tweak to the grind size or water temperature can make a big difference, so it’s a great method if you like to experiment.

Choosing Your Coffee

If you’re brewing pour-over, (and reading this guide in 2025) our top recommendation is La Esperanza XO. A Trading Post Coffee Roasters first, this Colombian speciality single origin has been roasted specifically for filter brewing. Expect a bright, sweet and syrupy cup with fruity notes that really shine through in the clarity of a pour-over.

If you've already got a go-to Trading Post blend like Green Monkey or Black Pearl, don't be afraid to try them as a filter too. They’re omni-roasted, meaning they're crafted to taste great however you brew them – whether that’s a pour-over, cafetière, AeroPress or coffee-house style espresso. You’ll get a richer, rounder profile, but still with enough complexity to keep things interesting in a filter brew.

What You’ll Need

• Coffee Dripper  – the classic cone for precise brewing

• Dripper Paper Filters – for a clean, crisp cup

• Coffee Grinder – if ordering whole beans or choose a pourover/drip grind level when you order your coffee from us

• A kettle with a thin spout is helpful for control, but not essential

• A set of scales for accurate measuring

Ingredients and Ratios

• Coffee to water ratio: Start with 1 part coffee to 16 parts water by weight. For example, 12.5 grams of coffee to 200 millilitres of water.

• Water temperature: Between 92°C and 96°C is ideal. If you’ve just boiled your kettle, wait about 30 seconds before you pour.

• Grind: Medium – similar in texture to sea salt.

Step-by-Step Brewing

1. Heat your water to just off the boil (around 94°C).

2. Rinse your filter with hot water to remove any papery taste and warm the dripper. Pour away the rinse water.

3. Add your ground coffee to the filter, give it a gentle shake to level it out.

4. Bloom: Pour around 25 millilitres of water over the grounds, making sure they’re all evenly wet. Leave for 30 seconds – this allows the coffee to release carbon dioxide and makes for a more even extraction.

5. First pour: Slowly add water in a gentle spiral until you’ve poured about 100 millilitres in total. This should take you to around the one-minute mark.

6. Second pour: Continue pouring in slow circles until you’ve reached 200 millilitres. Aim for a total brew time of around 2 and a half to 3 minutes.

7. Serve straight away – pour-over is at its best fresh.

Serving Suggestions

• Straight up: Best for tasting the subtle notes in the coffee; no milk, no sugar, just pure flavour.

• Over ice: Brew at double strength (1:8 ratio) and pour over a glass full of ice for a refreshing iced coffee.

• With alternative milks: Oat and almond milk pair beautifully with lighter roasts like La Esperanza XO. Steam lightly for a softer mouthfeel.
  

Pour-over isn’t just making a cup of coffee. Filter coffee, pour-over in particular is about slowing down and enjoying the process. It’s a brew method that rewards a little patience.

All the kit you need is available to shop online with us, so you can enjoy coffee house quality coffee at home – no barista apron required.