Let's be honest: making a pour-over can sometimes look more like a high school science experiment than a relaxing morning routine. Between the gooseneck kettles, the digital scales, and the intense focus, it's easy to feel intimidated. But here at Seafarer Coffee Roasters, we believe great coffee should be approachable.
At its heart, a pour-over is just a simple, beautiful way to gently coax the sweetest, most vibrant flavours out of your beans. It highlights clarity, meaning you get to taste all those delicious, subtle tasting notes we work so hard to roast into the coffee.
Ready to brew? Grab your favourite setup, like a Hario V60 or an Origami dripper, and let's get brewing!
The Essential Recipe
Keep this cheat sheet handy. It's our foolproof baseline for a beautifully balanced cup:
- Dose (Coffee): 15g
- Water: 250g total
- Temperature: 93–95°C (just off the boil)
- Ratio: 1:16
- The Bloom: 30g of water for 30 seconds
- Target Brew Time: 2 mins 30 secs
Step-by-Step Guide
Step 1: Prep and Prime
First things first, heat your water to about 93–95°C. If you don't have a fancy temperature-control kettle, just bring your water to a boil and let it sit off the heat for about a minute. Place your paper filter into your dripper, put it on your mug or carafe, and give the filter a quick rinse with hot water. This washes away any papery taste and pre-heats your mug. (Don't forget to dump that rinse water before you brew!)
Step 2: Add Your Coffee
Grind 15g of your favourite Seafarer coffee to a medium-fine consistency, similar to sea salt. Add the grounds to your filter and give the dripper a gentle shake to level the bed of coffee. Place your whole setup on your scale and tare it to zero.
Step 3: The Bloom
Start your timer and pour 30g of water over the grounds, making sure they are all evenly saturated. Now, wait for 30 seconds. You'll see the coffee bubble and expand. This is called the "bloom." It's basically the coffee releasing trapped gases from the roasting process, clearing the way for better flavour extraction.
Step 4: The Main Pour
After the 30-second bloom, begin pouring the rest of your water slowly and steadily in gentle, concentric circles. Start from the centre and work your way outward, then back in. You want to bring your scale's total weight up to 250g. Try to pace your pouring so that all the water has completely drained through the coffee bed right around the 2 minute and 30-second mark.
The Outcome
Once the last few drops have fallen, remove the dripper, give your coffee a little swirl in the cup, and take a sip. What you should have in front of you is a wonderfully clean, crisp cup of coffee. By pouring the water over the grounds rather than letting them steep (like in a French Press), the paper filter catches the heavy oils and fine particles. The result? A vibrant, tea-like clarity where the coffee's natural sweetness and unique flavours take centre stage.
Take a moment to enjoy it. You earned it!