How to Pour Over Coffee: Step-by-Step Notes from Guangzhou's First Workshop

Wondering how specialty baristas get those clean, layered pour-over cups with zero paper taste or uneven extraction? If you’ve tried pour-over coffee at home and ended up with sour, weak, or murky results, the issue might be in your technique—not your beans. In Guangzhou, the first session of a hands-on pour-over workshop held at Fang Suo Commune revealed the exact steps a seasoned barista uses to brew two cups with precision.

The complete workshop covered everything from folding the filter to the final stir, using 24 grams of coffee and 240 milliliters of water. Here’s how it actually works, broken down into clear steps—with exact numbers and methods used by Hailan Coffee’s trainer, Mr. Jinfeng.

What Actually Happens in a Pour-Over Workshop?

Hosted at Fang Suo Commune inside Guangzhou’s Taikoo Hui mall—a high-end retail and cultural space—the first pour-over workshop was led by Mr. Jinfeng from Hailan Coffee. This wasn’t a theoretical session: it laid out, step by step, how to fold the filter, dose the coffee, bloom it properly, and control water flow through six defined brewing stages to produce balanced, clean-tasting cups.

Step-by-Step: How to Brew Two Cups via Pour Over

1. Fold the Filter

Start by folding the paper filter along its pre-scored dotted line. Once folded, open it up and tuck the small triangular tip at the bottom inward so it lies flat against the base. Place the filter into your pour-over dripper—most commonly a V60 or similar cone.

2. Add Coffee Grounds

For a two-cup brew (240 ml total), measure out 24 grams of freshly ground coffee—about two full scoops. The coffee bed should reach roughly halfway up the dripper. Gently tap the edges of the dripper to level the grounds.

3. The Bloom Phase (Water Dripping Start)

Begin pouring just a few drops of water—slowly and in small, countable amounts—directly onto the coffee grounds in the center. For fresh coffee, you’ll notice the grounds begin to swell or “bloom” slightly. This releases CO₂ and prepares the coffee for even extraction.

4. Transition Phase

When about 80% of the bottom of your server is covered in coffee liquid (a visual cue), start making very small, controlled circles with your kettle, gradually increasing water flow. As the coffee bed builds up about 1–2 mm of liquid, the stream should evolve from drips into a steady, thin stream of water. This transitions you into the next phase.

5. Thin Stream Phase

Now, pour in a thin, steady stream of water—about the same thickness as the coffee dripping from the bottom of the dripper. Keep your pouring circle within a one-yuan coin sized area (roughly 2–3 cm wide), avoiding the edges. Focus on keeping the foam—or crust—at the surface pushed upward so that any coffee particles or debris stay trapped there. Maintain a stable water level; avoid letting it bounce up and down erratically.

6. Larger Flow Phase

Once the server has collected about 120 ml of coffee (up to the “KONO” marking on the server), increase the pour rate to bring the water level in the dripper nearly to the top. Keep the water level steady and continue to hold the foam at the surface. Avoid pouring near the edge of the coffee bed during this stage as well.

7. Final Drawdown & Stir

When you’ve reached a total of 240 ml of brewed coffee (when the coffee cup illustration appears on the server), stop pouring. Lift the dripper promptly—the foam should still be sitting on top. Give the brewed coffee in the server a final stir to ensure even mixing, then serve.

Why These Steps Matter

The structured approach—starting with a minimal bloom pour, transitioning through controlled streams, and finishing with a full extraction—ensures even saturation, minimizes channeling, and avoids over- or under-extracting different parts of the coffee bed. Each phase targets a specific goal: bloom for degassing, transitions for even wetting, thin stream for clarity, and larger flow for completion.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much coffee and water are used in the workshop example?

The recipe uses 24 grams of coffee and 240 milliliters of water to brew two cups. That’s a 1:10 brew ratio, typical for balanced pour-over coffee.

What grind size is suitable for this method?

While the article doesn’t specify grind size, standard pour-over brewing with a V60 uses a medium-fine grind, around the consistency of table salt or slightly finer. This ensures proper extraction time and flow rate.

What is the purpose of the bloom phase?

The bloom phase, where you add just a few drops of water to the coffee grounds, allows trapped CO₂ to escape. This improves extraction uniformity and helps prevent astringency or uneven flavors.

Why avoid pouring at the edges during the thin stream phase?

Pouring near the edge can lead to channeling, where water finds the path of least resistance and over-extracts certain areas while under-extracting others. Keeping the stream centered ensures even saturation.

Do I really need to stir at the end?

Yes. Stirring the brewed coffee in the server before serving ensures that any slight differences in extraction across the brew are mixed evenly, resulting in a more balanced cup.

Recommended FrontStreet Beans for Pour Over

For your next pour-over session, try FrontStreet Coffee’s BrazilBourbon for a smooth, nutty profile with gentle acidity and a creamy body—perfect for practicing bloom and clean extraction. Or explore the Ethiopia YirgacheffeGedeb for bright citrus, floral notes, and sweet tea-like finish with a medium-light roast. Both beans are ideal for highlighting the clarity and balance that good pour-over technique brings out. Freshly roasted within 5 days · Orders placed before 17:00 ship the same day · Next-day delivery across most of Guangdong Province.