Five minutes are all you need to master Alton Brown's 5-step technique for perfect pour-over coffee, no cream or sugar required.

Course: Drinks

Keyword: Breakfast, Brunch, Hacks, Non-Alcoholic

The Final Pour Over

Name: The Final Pour Over
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 17 fluid ounces filtered water; 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon coffee, ground medium in a burr grinder

Perfect Pour Over Coffee in Good Eats mug

ACTIVE TIME: 5

TOTAL TIME: 5

Yield: 1 generous serving

Coffee has come a long way in 20 years, but a few simple facts remain the same: coffee beans and water are ingredients, brewing is cooking, and just as you’d respect that fact in the case of a steak or a chocolate cake, so should you when something really important is on the line.

I prefer either a Chemex carafe with a paper filter or a Hario V60 drip rig over a Hario 02 carafe. Either can be put over low heat so that I can keep my coffee hot the way I like it. As for brewing, if your coffee is too sour or not full-flavored, try a slightly finer grind next time. Conversely, if it’s too bitter, try a slightly coarser grind.

Oh, and as for filter rinsing, I really don’t bother.

This recipe first appeared in Season 2 of Good Eats: Reloaded.

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Software

17 fluid ounces filtered water
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon coffee, ground medium in a burr grinder

Specialized Hardware

Digital kitchen scale

Burr grinder

Electronic gooseneck kettle with a thermostat or traditional kettle

ACTIVE TIME: 5

TOTAL TIME: 5

Yield: 1 generous serving

Procedure

Heat the water to 207°F. If you have a digitally controlled, electric kettle, this should be simple. If your kettle is old-school, bring the water to a boil then let it sit off the heat for 30 seconds before using.
You only need 420 grams of water (same as milliliters where water is concerned) for the brew process, so when the water is hot use a small amount to warm your carafe and your mug or glass. (I like to drink out of Gibraltar-style glass often used by coffee shops for serving cortados.) Dump the carafe after a few moments but leave the water in the glass until you’re ready to serve.
Place your carafe on a digital scale and install the filter of your choice, either paper or metal. Add the coffee, then zero out or tare the scale. Slowly pour 60 grams of the water evenly over the grounds and allow grounds to bloom for 45 seconds. (Return the kettle to its base to reheat during this time.)
After the bloom, slowly add water to the coffee grounds in a circular motion, pausing as needed to not overflow the filter, until the scale reads 420 grams (including the bloom water). If you’ve got your grind right, this shouldn’t take less than 3 minutes or more than 3 1/2.
Dump the warm water from the glass or mug, refill with coffee, and consume. And no, you don’t need sugar or cream. Seriously, give it a chance.