Brewing4 min read
Drip vs Pour Over: Which Makes Better Coffee?
Drip vs pour over coffee compared on taste, temperature, effort and cost, with a simple rule for which brewer fits your routine.
Read the guideFree Coffee Tool
Pour Over Ratio Calculator
Enter your coffee amount and strength to get the exact water, bloom pour, and total brew time for pour-over coffee (V60, Chemex, Kalita).
FreeNo sign-upWorks on phone
Calculate your pour-over recipe
g
1:16.0 · Balanced
Strong (1:15)Light (1:17)
The math behind the calculator
The calculator applies water (ml) = coffee (g) × ratio across the 1:15–1:17 pour-over range, the same formula the coffee-to-water ratio calculator uses for drip. The bloom pour shown (roughly 2.2× the coffee weight) is sized to saturate the grounds and let trapped CO₂ escape before the main pours, which is why it's calculated separately from the total.
The rest of the water is meant to go in over 2–3 stages rather than all at once — the calculator gives you the total, but pour technique (not more math) is what keeps extraction even across those stages.
Total water
Balanced320ml
Bloom pour
44ml
Total in oz
10.8oz
Brew time
2:30-3:30
Brew-time timeline
Bloom
44 ml · 30-45s
Pour 1
slow spiral
Pour 2
to total
Drawdown
by ~3:00
Coffee to water by weight
1
16
Strength
StrongLight
Next: If the brew runs far outside 2:30-3:30, adjust grind size rather than the ratio.
The math behind the calculator
The calculator applies water (ml) = coffee (g) × ratio across the 1:15–1:17 pour-over range, the same formula the coffee-to-water ratio calculator uses for drip. The bloom pour shown (roughly 2.2× the coffee weight) is sized to saturate the grounds and let trapped CO₂ escape before the main pours, which is why it's calculated separately from the total.
The rest of the water is meant to go in over 2–3 stages rather than all at once — the calculator gives you the total, but pour technique (not more math) is what keeps extraction even across those stages.
How to use the result
- 1Weigh in your coffee and pick a strength.
- 2Bloom with the bloom amount for 30-45 seconds.
- 3Pour the rest in 2-3 slow stages.
Common mistakes
- Pouring all the water at once.
- Pouring in one spot or too fast.
- Adjusting the ratio when the brew time is the clue: change grind instead.
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Coffee grind size chart with micron ranges for espresso, moka pot, AeroPress, pour over, French press and cold brew, plus how to adjust.
Read the guideA Consistent Medium Grind Makes the Difference
Pour-over is unforgiving of inconsistent particles — uneven grind means uneven extraction no matter how careful your pour is. These burr grinders handle the medium range well.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers before you buy.
1:15 to 1:17 is the common range for pour-over — 1:15 makes a fuller-bodied, stronger cup, while 1:17 is lighter and more tea-like.
Most specialty coffee shops land around 1:16 as a balanced default.
Fresh coffee releases carbon dioxide when it hits hot water, and that gas pushes water away from the grounds if you pour the full amount at once.
A short bloom (a small pour, then a 30-45 second pause) lets the CO2 escape first, so the rest of the water can extract more evenly.
Yes, for even extraction — pouring the total water in 2-3 stages (rather than all at once) keeps the coffee bed saturated and prevents channeling, where water finds an easy path through the grounds and bypasses the rest.
It also gives you more control over total brew time.
Medium, similar to coarse sand — finer than drip machine coffee is sometimes ground, coarser than espresso.
If your total brew time runs much outside 2:30-3:30 for a typical pour, adjust grind size before changing anything else.
At 1:16, 20 g of coffee takes 320 ml of water.
Use 300 ml (1:15) for a fuller cup or 340 ml (1:17) for a lighter one.
The bloom is roughly 2x the coffee weight, about 40 ml here, and counts toward the total.
The 1:15-1:17 range works for all of them as a starting point.
The dripper changes flow and brew time more than strength, so adjust grind size to hit your target time before you change the ratio.
By Michael Anderson · Updated October 7, 2026