How to make drip coffee at home: gear, ratio and 4 steps

Drip or pour-over coffee means pouring hot water over ground coffee in a paper filter and letting it drain into your cup. It gives a clean, aromatic black coffee with very little equipment, and it doesn't take long to get consistent.

What you need

• A dripper and matching paper filters.
• Coffee beans and a grinder, or coffee ground for drip.
• A kettle; a gooseneck kettle makes pouring easier to control.
• A digital scale for repeatable results.
• A cup or server.

Starting recipe

• Ratio 1:15, e.g. 15 g coffee to 225 ml water, about one cup.
• Water at about 90–96°C, or boiled and rested for about 30 seconds.
• Medium-fine grind, roughly like coarse sand.
• Total time about 2.5–3 minutes.

Four steps

• 1. Prepare: put the filter in the dripper, rinse it with hot water and discard the water. This removes paper taste and warms everything.
• 2. Bloom: add the coffee, level it, pour about twice its weight in water (around 30 ml) evenly and wait 30 seconds while it swells and releases gas.
• 3. Pour in circles: pour slowly in a spiral from the centre outwards, in 2–3 pours, up to 225 ml. Avoid pouring directly onto the filter paper.
• 4. Let it drain: total time about 2.5–3 minutes. Remove the dripper and give the coffee a gentle stir.

Fixing the taste

• Sharp, sour, thin or draining too fast: grind finer or use hotter water.
• Bitter, astringent or draining too slowly: grind coarser or use slightly cooler water.
• Too strong: add water, e.g. 1:16 or 1:17.
• Too weak: use less water, e.g. 1:14.
• Change one thing at a time and compare with your last cup.

Which roast to use

Drip suits light to medium roasts. If you dislike sourness, start with medium. Dark roasts work too if you like a bold cup; grind a little coarser. See how to choose a roast level, and grind just before brewing for the best aroma (how to store coffee beans).

Doi Chang coffee for drip

PRODCHONG's Doi Chang coffee comes in medium and dark roast, in 250 g and 1 kg bags. Medium roasts are a good place to start for drip, or see them all.

FAQ

No scale? A coffee scoop works. One scoop is usually about 7–10 g depending on the scoop and grind, but a scale gives more consistent results.

Can I use pre-ground coffee? Yes, choose a drip grind. It loses aroma faster than freshly ground coffee, so seal it well and use it quickly.

Can I make iced coffee this way? Yes. Use about a third less hot water and brew straight onto the same amount of ice, so it doesn't taste watery as the ice melts.