| BREW TIME | WHAT YOU'LL NEED |
| 2½ - 3 minutes | Blue Bottle Coffee dripper Coffee filters Kettle Grinder Digital scale Timer |
Blue Bottle was founded by James Freeman in 2002 with a simple yet revolutionary idea: to brew coffee to order, using the pour over method.
The ritual of the pour over is like a meditation: There’s no machine in your way, no flashing green lights, no electric power cords. Just you and a few simple tools. If you’ve never tried a pour over before, the final cup is reminiscent of one from a drip coffee maker, but noticeably more delicate and complex.
If you’re familiar with the method, we invite you to try our version. It lends itself to mastery both on the first try and the one hundredth. Find a few minutes to slow down: observe the bloom — that swell of the coffee grounds after the first pour and experience the first trace of coffee-drunk steam. Notice how the flow rate and the spiral of each pour can alter the flavors in the final cup. We’ve perfected our method over twenty years of obsessive tinkering and are proud to share it here.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
COFFEE AMOUNT 30 grams |
GRIND SIZE |
WATER TEMP 600 grams (20 oz) 205° - 210° |
BREW TIME 2 min |
STEP ONE
Bring at least 600 grams (20 oz) of water to a boil.
STEP TWO
Grind coffee to a coarseness resembling sea salt. For blends, we recommend using 30 grams of coffee.
To enjoy the nuanced flavor of a single-origin coffee that is lightly roasted, we recommend less coffee: 22 grams for every 350 grams water.
STEP THREE
Place a filter in the dripper
If you are using a custom Blue Bottle filter, there is no need to pre-wet it. If you are using a #2 filter with another dripper, we recommend wetting the filter with hot water and then dumping the water before proceeding with brewing.
STEP FOUR
Add the ground coffee to the filter and gently tap it to level the surface of the grounds.
Place the brewer on a carafe or cup, place this entire set-up onto a digital scale, and set it to zero.
STEP FIVE
Bloom Pour
There will be a total of four pours.
Start a timer. Begin pouring water slowly over the coffee, starting at the center and moving in a steady spiral toward the edge and back again. Stop pouring when the scale reaches 60 grams. Make sure all the grounds are saturated. The pour should take about 15 seconds. Give the coffee an additional 30 seconds to bloom before moving on to the second pour.
STEP SIX
Second Pour
Starting in the center of the grounds, pour in a steady spiral toward the outer edge and then back toward the center. Add roughly 90 grams, bringing the total to 150 grams. The goal during this pour is to sink all of the grounds on the surface of the bed. This creates a gentle turbulence that “stirs” the coffee, allowing water to more evenly extract the grounds. Allow 45–65 seconds to elapse.
STEP SEVEN
Third Pour
As the mixture of water and coffee from the second pour drops to the bottom of the filter, coming close to the level of the grounds, pour an additional 100 grams of water using the same pattern as the second pour. This brings the total up to 250 grams and should take 15–20 seconds.
STEP EIGHT
Final Pour
When the water and coffee from the third pour drops to the bottom of the filter, complete your fourth and final pour. Add 100 grams, bringing the total up to 350 grams of water. This pour should take 20 seconds.
