Of all the brewing methods, pour over is the one that rewards attention most. There is no machine between you and the cup — just water, coffee, and enough care to do both justice. When you are working with a quality single-origin bean, this is where its character speaks clearly: the terroir, the processing method, the altitude at which it was grown. At Zermatt Kaffee, pour over is how we evaluate every new arrival at the roastery.
What you need
- Dripper (V60, Origami, or similar)
- Paper filter
- Digital scale
- Gooseneck kettle
- Timer
- 30g freshly ground coffee — coarseness of sea salt
- 600g water at 94–96°C
Step 1 — Boil your water
Bring at least 600g of water to a boil, then allow it to cool briefly to 94–96°C. If you are using a lightly roasted single-origin, the higher end of that range will extract more sweetness.
Step 2 — Grind fresh
Grind 30g of coffee to a coarseness resembling sea salt. For a lighter roast, 23g per 350g of water works well — less coffee, more clarity. Always grind to order. Pre-ground coffee stales faster than you think.
Step 3 — Rinse the filter
Place your paper filter in the dripper. Rinse it with hot water — this removes any papery taste and preheats your vessel. Discard the rinse water before you proceed.
Step 4 — Set up and tare
Add the ground coffee to the filter and gently tap to level the bed. Place the dripper on your carafe or cup, set the whole setup on a digital scale, and tare to zero. Precision matters here.
Step 5 — The bloom pour
Start your timer. Pour 60g of water slowly over the grounds, starting at the outer rim and moving inward in a steady spiral. This first pour triggers the bloom — CO₂ escapes from the freshly ground coffee, causing the bed to rise and pulse. This is the sign of fresh coffee. Allow 30 seconds for the bloom to settle before the next pour.
Step 6 — Second pour
Pour from the centre outward in a slow spiral, reaching the outer edge and returning back in. Add approximately 90g of water, bringing the total to 150g. The aim is to gently agitate the bed and ensure even extraction. Allow 45–65 seconds to pass.
Step 7 — Third pour
When the level drops close to the coffee bed, pour another 100g of water using the same circular pattern. Total: 250g. This should take 15–20 seconds. Keep the pour slow and consistent — avoid disturbing the grounds by pouring too hard.
Step 8 — Final pour
Add a final 100g of water to bring the total to 350g. Pour steadily over 20 seconds. Allow the brew to draw down completely — this should finish around the 3–3.5 minute mark. If it runs faster or slower, adjust your grind for the next brew.
Step 9 — Pour and enjoy
Pour immediately into warmed cups and drink while the temperature is still bright. Pour over coffee changes as it cools — often becoming sweeter and more complex. It is worth paying attention to across the full drink.
Which coffee works best?
Pour over is best suited to light and medium roasts — coffees where acidity, sweetness, and origin character shine without the need for pressure or milk. We roast our filter coffees at 1880m in the Swiss Alps, which means a gentle, unhurried development of flavour. The result is coffee that rewards a method like this: careful, clean, and transparent.
