Fourteener Coffee Club
Quick answer: the pour over coffee ratio
The pour over coffee ratio the National Coffee Association gives is 1 gram of coffee to 13 to 16 grams of water, written 1:13 to 1:16. We start at 1:15, which is 20 grams of coffee to 300 grams of water for one large mug.
| Setting | Number | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dose to water | 1:13 to 1:16 by weight | NCA pour-over guide |
| Water temperature | 93 ± 3 °C, which is 90 to 96 °C or about 194 to 205 °F | NCA, citing SCA Standard 102-2024 |
| Bloom | Twice the coffee's weight in water, 30 to 45 seconds | NCA pour-over guide |
| Total contact time | 2 to 4 minutes | NCA pour-over guide |
| Grind | Start medium, then adjust | NCA pour-over guide |
Wikipedia's article on coffee preparation gives a slightly weaker range for brewing in general: water to coffee between 15:1 and 18:1 by mass. The overlap, around 1:15 to 1:16, is a safe place to begin.
Pour over dose chart by cup size
A brew ratio only works if you weigh both sides, so use a kitchen scale in grams. The chart below applies the NCA's range to four common doses. The middle column is our 1:15 starting point.
| Coffee | 1:13 (strongest) | 1:15 | 1:16 (lightest) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 g | 195 g water | 225 g water | 240 g water |
| 20 g | 260 g water | 300 g water | 320 g water |
| 25 g | 325 g water | 375 g water | 400 g water |
| 30 g | 390 g water | 450 g water | 480 g water |
No scale? The NCA's older rule of thumb, which it calls the Golden Ratio, is 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6 ounces of water. Scoops vary with the grind and the roast, so a scale gives you the same cup twice and a spoon does not.
How to brew a pour over, step by step
- Heat the water. Aim for 90 to 96 °C (194 to 205 °F). Without a thermometer, let a boiled kettle sit for a moment before pouring, unless you live high up (see below).
- Rinse the paper filter with hot water and pour that water away. It warms the brewer and the cup.
- Weigh the coffee and grind it medium, just before brewing.
- Set the brewer on the scale and zero it. Pour twice the coffee's weight in water, 40 grams for a 20 gram dose, and let it bloom for 30 to 45 seconds while the grounds bubble and swell.
- Pour the rest in a slow, steady stream, starting in the middle and spiraling outward, until the scale reads your target, 300 grams for a 20 gram dose at 1:15.
- Let it drain. From the first pour to the last drip should take 2 to 4 minutes.
For the hourglass brewer with the thick filter, see our step by step on how to use a Chemex.
Troubleshooting a pour over
Change one thing at a time: the grind first, then the ratio.
| What you taste or see | What to change |
|---|---|
| Bitter or harsh, or the brew runs past 4 minutes | Grind coarser. The NCA links bitterness to a grind that is too fine. |
| Flat or watery, or it drains well under 2 minutes | Grind finer. The NCA links a flat, watery cup to a grind that is too coarse. |
| Good flavor, but too strong | Keep the grind and move toward 1:16: more water for the same coffee. |
| Good flavor, but too thin | Keep the grind and move toward 1:13: more coffee for the same water. |
| Grounds stay dry in the middle during the bloom | Pour the bloom water over every part of the bed, then give it the full 30 to 45 seconds. |
Fresh beans bloom harder than old ones, because roasted coffee keeps releasing carbon dioxide after roasting. Wikipedia's coffee roasting article says roasted whole beans stay fresh for up to about a month kept cool, while ground coffee is best used right away.
The ratio at Colorado altitude
The ratio does not change with elevation, but the kettle does. Wikipedia's page on high-altitude cooking says water's boiling point drops about 1 °F for every 500 feet. At 5,000 feet it boils at about 203 °F, so in Denver, a mile up, water just off the boil still lands inside the 194 to 205 °F window. At 10,000 feet it boils at about 193.6 °F, below the bottom of that window, so pour straight off the boil and do not let the kettle rest. Our guide to high altitude coffee brewing covers the rest.
Colorado roasters have thought hard about this. Boulder's Boxcar says learning to brew at altitude pushed its founder to study extraction and led to its own brewing method, the Boilermakr. And Sweet Bloom's founder in Lakewood, Andy Sprenger, has won the U.S. Brewers Cup twice.
The beans matter as much as the ratio
A perfect 1:15 cannot rescue stale coffee. A bag roasted in Colorado has a shorter trip to a Colorado kitchen, and the money stays with a roaster and crew in this state. Why local roasters matter. If you want a different Colorado roaster to dial in every few weeks, the Fourteener Coffee Club sends a 12 oz bag, whole bean or ground, for $16.99 a bag, with the first bag free and $7.99 shipping on that first box.
Pour over ratio questions
Is 1:15 or 1:16 better for pour over?
Both sit inside the National Coffee Association's 1:13 to 1:16 range, so pick by taste: 1:15 makes a slightly stronger, heavier cup and 1:16 a lighter one. Start at 1:15 and move one step at a time.
How long should a pour over take?
The NCA gives 2 to 4 minutes of contact between coffee and water, counted from the first pour of the bloom to the last drip.
What water should I use for pour over?
The NCA's drip guide says to use cold water, filtered if possible, and to avoid distilled or softened water.
How many tablespoons of coffee for a pour over?
By the NCA's Golden Ratio, 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6 ounces of water. A scale is more precise, because a tablespoon of coarse grounds weighs less than a tablespoon of fine ones.
Sources
- National Coffee Association, Pour-over coffee (1:13 to 1:16, 93 ± 3 °C per SCA Standard 102-2024, bloom, 2 to 4 minutes, grind fixes)
- National Coffee Association, Drip coffee (the Golden Ratio in tablespoons)
- Wikipedia, Coffee preparation (15:1 to 18:1 by mass)
- Wikipedia, Coffee roasting (freshness of whole beans and ground coffee)
- Wikipedia, High-altitude cooking (boiling points by elevation)
- Wikipedia, Denver (elevation of one mile)
- Boxcar and Sweet Bloom facts: the roasters' own pages as summarized on our roaster profiles, checked 2026-09-27.
Roasters named here are local favorites we list. A listing does not mean a roaster is part of the club, and no roaster pays to be listed.
By Joe McRose, Fourteener Coffee Club. Updated . Ratio, temperature, bloom and timing from the National Coffee Association's pour-over guide; boiling points from Wikipedia.