Pour over is the most revealing way to brew coffee. The paper filter removes oils and fine particles, leaving a clean, clear cup that shows you exactly what a coffee is made of - nothing hidden, nothing softened. It is also the method that most rewards a well-sourced, freshly roasted single origin. This guide explains what to look for in pour over coffee and how to get the best from it. For the complete buying guide, read How to Choose Coffee Beans: The Complete Buying Guide.
What type of coffee beans work best for pour over brewing?
Light-to-medium roast single-origin coffees work best for pour over. The method uses a paper filter that removes oils and fine particles, producing a clean, bright cup with clarity of flavour. This transparency makes pour over the best way to explore what a specific coffee actually tastes like.
Light roasts from naturally processed origins - including Yemeni coffees - produce the most rewarding pour over results: clear fruit notes, a clean finish and layered complexity that unfolds as the cup cools. Heavily dark-roasted coffees can taste thin in a pour over, because the filter removes the body-producing oils that make darker roasts satisfying in a cafetière or espresso.
Should I use light, medium or dark roast for pour over?
Light-to-medium roast is the strongest match for pour over. A light roast preserves the most of the coffee's original character - fruit notes, floral complexity and origin-specific acidity - which pour over highlights rather than mutes.
A medium roast produces a more balanced cup with softer fruit and developing sweetness. This is a sensible starting point for those newer to filter coffee.
Very dark roasts are not well suited to pour over: they tend to produce a thin, bitter cup because the paper filter removes the oils that dark-roasted beans rely on for body. If your pour over tastes thin or sour, adjust the grind before switching roast levels.
What grind size is right for V60 or Chemex?
Use a medium-fine grind - finer than cafetière but coarser than espresso. The grounds should feel slightly coarser than table salt. Total brew time should be between three and four minutes from the first pour to the final drip.
"Yemen has a very rich history when it comes to coffee. First producers of coffee, first drinkers of coffee. It was the first trade, the first cultivation as a commercial enterprise. Yemen held basically the coffee market for almost three centuries through the Port of al-Maka - which is the drink you know today as Mocha. It's actually named after that port in Yemen."
- Ameen, Founder, Hamdan Coffee
If the brew takes longer than four minutes, your grind is too fine and you may be over-extracting - expect bitterness and a heavy, muddy quality. If the brew runs through in under two minutes, the grind is too coarse and the cup will taste weak and watery. Adjust one step at a time until you hit the target brew time.
What water temperature should I use for pour over coffee?
Use water between 90 and 96 degrees Celsius. This range applies whether you are using a V60, Chemex or any other filter dripper. If you do not have a temperature-controlled kettle, bring the water to the boil and allow it to rest for 30 to 45 seconds.
Begin with a bloom: pour roughly twice the weight of water to coffee over the grounds - for 15 grams of coffee, add 30 grams of water - and wait 30 seconds for the coffee to degas. Then continue with the remaining water in slow, steady circular pours. This bloom step makes a noticeable difference to the final flavour.
Is single-origin or blend better for pour over?
Single-origin coffees are better suited to pour over. The method's transparency - the clean, oil-free cup produced by paper filtration - is ideal for showcasing the distinctive character of one origin. Blends are designed to produce a consistent, balanced result; their components are averaged out in the cup.
Pour over rewards coffees with a specific, identifiable character. A Yemeni single origin from the Haraaz highlands produces a cup with deep berry notes, a long finish and a quality that is unmistakably tied to where it was grown. That kind of character is what pour over shows most clearly.
Which Hamdan Coffee is best for pour over?
Royal Haraaz is Hamdan Coffee's strongest recommendation for pour over. It is a naturally processed Yemeni single origin from the Haraaz highlands - grown at altitudes of up to 2,500 metres on ancient terraced hillsides - with deep berry sweetness, a long lingering finish and wine-like complexity that pour over highlights beautifully.
Brewed on a V60 or Chemex at medium-fine grind with water just off the boil, Royal Haraaz produces one of the clearest expressions of what naturally processed Yemeni coffee can taste like. The Yemen Mocha is another filter-forward option for drinkers who want a slightly rounder profile. Both are roasted to order.
