Pour-over · easy
Melitta Pour-Over
The Melitta cone is the original paper-filter pour-over. Melitta Bentz patented her filter system in Dresden in 1908, and the wedge-shaped cone with a flat bottom has been around since the 1930s. Most Melitta cones have one small hole, so water drains slowly and stays in contact with the coffee longer. That makes it cheap, easy and hard to mess up, with a fuller-bodied cup than a V60 and a bit less clarity.
20 gCoffee
340 gWater
1:17Ratio
90-96 °CTemp
3:30-4:30Time
medium to medium-fineGrind
Water by roast: light 95 °C · medium 93 °C · dark 90 °C
Steps
- PrepFold the filter along its crimped seams, set it in the cone, and rinse it with hot water. Tip the rinse water out of the mug
- PrepAdd 20 g ground coffee, tap the cone to level it, tare the scale
- 0:00Pour about 40 g in the centre, working outward until all the grounds are wet
- 0:30Start pouring steadily in circles, centre outward, avoiding the filter wallsIf the water gets within about 2-3 cm of the rim, pause and let it drain a bit
- 1:45Reach 340 g and stop pouring
- 4:00Last drips done. Lift off the cone and discard the filterRevelator gives 3:30-5:00 as a normal range for this cone
Variations
Project Barista Melitta RecipeProject Barista
Six even 50 g pours that work with a regular kettle. Stronger 1:14 ratio and cooler water, aimed at medium and darker roasts
21 g · 300 g water · 88 °C · medium-coarse
- 0:00Pour 50 g in circles and let it bloom for 30 seconds
- 0:30Pour 50 g (total 100 g)
- 0:45Pour 50 g (total 150 g)
- 1:00Pour 50 g (total 200 g)
- 1:15Pour 50 g (total 250 g)
- 1:30Pour the last 50 g (total 300 g), then let it drain
- 3:10Done, somewhere between 3:00 and 3:20
Fix your cup
| Taste | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sour, watery | Under-extracted, ran too fast | Grind finer |
| Bitter, heavy, harsh | Over-extracted, ran too slow | Grind coarser |
| Too strong | Ratio too short | Use less coffee next time |
| Too weak | Ratio too long | Use more coffee next time |
| Drip slows to a crawl | Fines clogging the single hole | Grind coarser, or use a bigger dose so you can grind coarser |
Tips
- You don't need a gooseneck kettle. The slow single hole does a lot of the flow control for you.
- Because it drains slowly, it's sensitive to fines. A decent burr grinder helps more than fancy pouring.
- It suits medium and darker roasts well. For light roasts, try a longer ratio (1:16-1:17) and hotter water.
- Lift the cone briefly to check how full your mug is if you're not using a scale.
- Fresh coffee blooms a lot. Revelator suggests 30-40 seconds of bloom for coffee within a week of roast and about 15 seconds for coffee 3-4 weeks old.
Common mistakes
- Skipping the seam fold. An unfolded filter doesn't sit flat in the cone and can tear or channel.
- Grinding very fine to try to get more flavour. The single hole clogs and the cup turns bitter.
- Pouring down the filter walls instead of into the bed.
- Using a #2 filter in a #4 cone (or the other way round). Check the size printed on your cone.
What you need
- Melitta pour-over cone (1x2 or 1x4)
- Melitta #2 or #4 cone filter, matching the cone
- Scale with timer
- Kettle (a gooseneck helps but isn't required)
- Burr grinder
- Mug