Most of the pour-overs we make at the slow bar follow the same five rules. None of them need expensive equipment, just a kettle, a scale and a little patience.
1. Weigh everything
Start with 15 grams of coffee to 250 grams of water. That 1:16 ratio is forgiving, and a cheap kitchen scale is the single best upgrade you can make to your morning cup.
2. Grind right before you brew
Ground coffee goes stale in minutes. Aim for something like coarse sea salt, then adjust: sour and thin means grind finer, bitter and drying means grind coarser.
3. Let it bloom
Pour roughly twice the coffee's weight in water, just enough to wet every ground, and wait forty seconds. Fresh coffee releases carbon dioxide, and letting it escape first means the water can reach the flavour.
4. Pour slowly and steadily
Add the rest in two or three pulses, pouring in small circles and keeping the water level steady. The whole brew should take about three minutes.
5. Taste, then change one thing
Change a single variable at a time, whether that's grind, ratio or water temperature, so you know exactly what made the difference.
“The best cup is the one you understand.”
Want to see it done? The slow bar pours a new single origin every week, and we're always happy to talk you through the recipe.
