Tested, measured and percolated. We share our tips for making the perfect cup of coffee.

The love of coffee is powerful. It’s a culture that reaches far and wide and depending on the country, it probably has its own unique sub-culture. In the Pacific NW, the coffee house culture helps to create much needed community and togetherness as people seek a warm, comforting refuge from the rain.

In Seattle it’s common to find a few coffee shops cohabiting within a block of each other. And many with PNW roots may consider themselves a coffee expert. So we were excited when our Seattle-based friends offered to share their ritual for making a perfect cup of coffee. Read below for a perfect cup of pour over coffee. 

Supplies

• OXO Pour Over Coffee Maker – or similar
• Paper filter
• Burr Grinder
• Mug
• Good coffee beans
• Very hot water (180-205 degrees)

1. It starts with the best beans

To achieve coffee goals worthy of “best cup of coffee” it’s very important to start with high quality coffee beans. We have a few Seattle favorites such as Fiore or Caffe Vita. But some widely distributed brands we love are Stumptown or Peet’s Coffee. Choose something darker than house blend, like Major Dickenson’s blend or even an Espresso roast is good. For this post, we’re using Caffe Vita Organic Theo Blend which is a medium dark roast and can be bought online. The Vita Caffe Luna can also be used for a very dark roast.

2. Grind finer than a drip – but not as fine as espresso

For those with a burr grinder (like us) set your coffee grind to a few notches finer that drip. On the OXO Conical Burr grinder, which we highly recommend because of its quality and quiet grind, we set our grind to #5. A finer grind is important because it forces the water to slow down allowing for a bolder flavor. It also helps create a gorgeous crema at the top and adds a rich flavor.

3. Measure 8 or 9 oz of ground coffee

It may seem like a lot but 8-9 oz of coffee will ensure your cup of coffee is full bodied. You can experiment with how much — we tested this amount and found it was perfect for our preference -a strong (but not too strong) cup of joe. Pour the grounds into the paper cone filter and seat it into the pour over cup.

4. Hot water is critical

Using very hot water, at least 180 degrees, but even better around 200 – 205, it’s is important because this is how the caffeine and flavor is released. No need to use boiling water. The first round of percolation is called the bloom- shown below.

Instructions

Set your pour over coffee cup directly on your coffee mug and slowly pour in the hot water. Once the hot water reaches the top of the pour over cone you’ll want to stir the coffee while the coffee slowly drips into your mug. Once the water has almost dripped completely through, go ahead and pour in more hot water. I repeat this until I have a full mug of coffee. It’s common to have a thick sludge at the bottom- this is the part that requires patience. 

Enjoy the slow ritual and the incredible aroma of the pour over coffee. There’s nothing quite like walking into a home or coffee shop filled with this amazing smell.

Congratulations, you did it. World’s best cup of coffee!  

disclosure -sometimes we may receive a small commission for the products we promote through our affiliate partnerships. For this article, we personally own the OXO products featured and chose these specifically for their quality and functionality.