Pour-Over Coffee for Beginners: A 300 g Recipe

A simple pour-over can be consistent without a complicated pouring ritual: use a steady dose, pre-wet paper, saturate the grounds, and keep the bed evenly wet.

Good starting point

Start with 20 g medium-fine coffee, 300 g water around 93–95°C and a paper-filter cone that comfortably holds the coffee.

What to know before you begin

Cone shape, filter thickness, kettle control and particle distribution change drainage. Do not assume one famous V60 recipe is universal.

Step-by-step method

1. Place the paper in the dripper, rinse it with hot water and discard the rinse. Set the dripper and server on a scale.
2. Add 20 g grounds and level the bed gently. Start a timer and wet with about 40 g water, making sure dry pockets disappear.
3. After about 30–45 seconds, add water in small controlled pulses, moving around the bed without pouring heavily on the filter wall.
4. Reach a total of 300 g water, allowing the slurry to drain without stirring aggressively.
5. Taste after the cup cools slightly; record brew duration and whether the finish is pleasant.

Problems to recognize

• Papery taste: rinse the paper thoroughly and use drinkable water.
• Dry islands on top: make the first pour cover all grounds rather than keeping an artificially tiny bloom.
• Stalled filter: try coarser grind and check whether fines are accumulating.

Run a useful comparison

Keep the 20:300 recipe fixed for three cups and change only how finely you grind. Seek a sweet balanced result, not a particular stopwatch number.

Choose consistency over performance

For a fair repeat, measure both dose and poured water, use the same filter paper, and count the number of pours. A narrow kettle spout can help control movement, but a careful ordinary kettle and a stable dripper are often enough to begin. If the bed drains unpredictably, inspect the paper seating and grind distribution before chasing a target time.

Keep notes on first wetting, number of pulses and total drawdown. Different drippers and filters will naturally have different flow rates; flavor should decide whether a technique is worth keeping. Never pour boiling water toward yourself or hold a hot dripper without protection.

Continue your coffee routine

For another practical angle, read Pour-Over Brewing for One Mug Without Waste. You can also explore How to Fix Espresso That Runs Too Fast when your next question is about the wider brewing workflow.

Reference and editorial note

Background reading: National Coffee Association pour-over guide. Ratios and settings here are starting experiments, not claims of firsthand equipment testing. This guide was prepared with AI assistance; the site owner must check all technical details and equipment-specific safety instructions before publication.