Pour-Over Coffee Essentials: Everything You Need (and What You Can Skip)

Pour-over has a reputation for being fussy. It doesn't have to be. A good setup is five things, and only two of them cost real money. Here's what each piece does for your coffee and where you can save.

1. The brewer

The dripper itself is the least expensive part of the setup, and the choice is mostly about taste and how many cups you make. A Hario V60 gives the most control and clarity. A Kalita Wave is the most forgiving. A Chemex makes clean, bright coffee for a crowd. All three are under $50.

We compare them in detail in Chemex vs. V60 vs. Kalita Wave. If you're not sure, start with whichever one you think looks best on your counter. You'll use it more.

2. The grinder (spend here)

If you only upgrade one thing, make it the grinder. Pour-over is a clear, transparent way to brew, which means it shows off good coffee and exposes uneven grounds. A burr grinder that produces consistent particles is what makes a pour-over taste sweet instead of muddy.

• Baratza Encore ($149.95): the dependable starting point. 40 settings, easy to live with.
• Baratza Virtuoso+ ($249.95): a clear step up in flavor clarity, quieter, and with a timer.
• Pietro Pro Brewing ($499): a hand grinder with 58mm flat burrs tuned for filter coffee. Electric-grinder cup quality, no cord.
• Fiorenzato AllGround ProBrew (from $1,125): single-dose 64mm flat burrs built for filter brewing only. For people who chase every note in a single-origin coffee.

3. The kettle (spend here too, if you can)

Pour-over is about pouring slowly and evenly. A gooseneck kettle makes that easy. A regular kettle makes it nearly impossible. Temperature control is the second reason to upgrade: light roasts usually want water near 205°F, darker roasts closer to 195°F.

The Fellow Stagg EKG Pro ($179.95 to $199.95) does both. Temperature to the degree, a hold mode for up to 60 minutes, a built-in brew timer, and a spout designed for exactly this kind of pour. It comes in matte white, white with maple, smoke green with maple, and stone blue with walnut.

Saving money? A basic stovetop gooseneck kettle and an inexpensive thermometer get you most of the way there.

4. The scale (cheap, but don't skip it)

Pour-over recipes are ratios, usually around 1 gram of coffee to 15 to 17 grams of water. Without a scale, you're guessing at both. A scale with a timer lets you follow a recipe exactly and repeat it tomorrow.

• Hario V60 Drip Scale ($59): designed for pour-over, timer front and center.
• OXO 6 lb Precision Scale ($64.99): 0.1g resolution and a timer, and it doubles as a kitchen scale.

More options in our coffee scale guide.

5. The water (almost free)

Coffee is about 98% water. If your tap water tastes like chlorine, so will your coffee. A basic pitcher filter fixes most of it. Our guide to water for coffee covers the rest.

What you can skip

• A special server or carafe. Your favorite mug works fine for one cup.
• Expensive filters. Buy the ones made for your dripper and rinse them with hot water first.
• A refractometer. Fun for hobbyists. Not necessary for great coffee.

Three starter setups

A simple recipe to start with

1. Heat water to about 200°F. Rinse your paper filter and discard the water.
2. Grind 20g of coffee, medium-fine (like coarse sand).
3. Start your timer and pour about 50g of water to wet all the grounds. Wait 30 to 45 seconds while it blooms.
4. Pour slowly in small circles until the scale reads 320g, finishing around 2:00.
5. Let it drain. Total time should land between 3:00 and 3:30. Faster than that, grind finer. Slower, grind coarser.

Shop this guide

• Fellow Stagg EKG Pro: gooseneck kettle with temperature to the degree
• Baratza Virtuoso+: quiet, filter-focused burr grinder
• Pietro Pro Brewing: flat-burr hand grinder for filter
• Fiorenzato AllGround ProBrew: single-dose filter grinder
• Hario V60 Drip Scale: scale and timer in one