The pourover method describes any brew method that works on gravity pulling water through ground coffee such as a Stagg Dripper or Chemex. One of the key differences between all the pourover methods from using a traditional cloth, a Chemex filter paper or a Stagg paper is simply the thickness of your paper or paper-like alternative. An easy guide to follow is the thicker the paper, the less ‘body’ or the thinner the paper the more delicate your coffee will be as it will let less dissolved solids through the paper to your favourite cup.
Another key feature that makes a lot of difference is a whether the brewer is conical or has a ‘flat-bed’. The conical brewer like the Chemex or most other traditional pourover brewers can easily cause ‘choking’ if the coffee is too fine as all the water tries to make its way through one small area at the bottom. This is where a ‘flat-bottom’ brewer like the Stagg Dripper shines, the water can drain almost evenly down through the coffee bed causing a more even, and tastier extraction. This brewer is also pretty indestructable and has insulated sides to keep your brew at the perfect extraction temperature throughout, even in cold temperatures.
You’ll Need
15g coffee.
A Stagg Dripper/Chemex/V60 brewer.
Filter papers.
Weighing scales or a trusty scoop.
A kettle or nearly boiling water c. 95’C.
Your favourite mug.
Brew Guide
Heat 250g water to almost boiling point (94’C-96’C).
Grind 15g coffee to a medium grind (similar to a coarse sand).
Rinse filter paper and preheat your mug.
Add the ground coffee.
Add 45g of water to your coffee or enough to saturate all the dry grounds.
Leave coffee to ‘bloom’ for 30 seconds or stir gently to make sure all the grounds are saturated.
Gently add the remaining water in an even distribution.
Aim for a total brew time of 2.5/3 minutes.
Savour every sip.
Not quite right?
Was your brew time too long or too short? If it’s taking too long to brew OR you’re finding the coffee coming out bitter then adjust your grind to be coarser. If the brew is finishing too quickly or it tastes acidic or weak then try making your coffee grind finer.
What coffee should I choose?
The pourover method often brings out the best from lighter and more complex coffees. It’s not so much that light/medium roast coffees with either floral or fruity flavours will perform best from brewing this way but more that you’ll often get the best out of these super delicate coffees by opting for a brew method that essentially only ‘washes past’ the coffee grounds retaining all the exceptional flavours.
Unsure where to start? Why not try our fruity and floral blend – NOMAD