Drip Coffee Recipe

Weigh and grind

Weigh 30 g (0.03 kg) of whole coffee beans. Grind to a medium-coarse consistency similar to sea salt (slightly coarser than table salt). Aim for even grind size using a burr grinder.

Heat water

Heat 480 ml of filtered water in a kettle to 92–96°C (195–205°F). If you don't have a thermometer, bring to a boil and let sit for 30–45 seconds.

Prepare dripper and rinse filter

Place the paper filter in the dripper and set the dripper on your server or mug. Pour ~60 ml of the hot water through the paper filter to rinse it and preheat the dripper and server. Discard the rinse water from the server.

Add grounds

Place the dripper with rinsed filter on the server or mug and add the 30 g of freshly ground coffee to the filter. Gently tap to level the bed of grounds.

Bloom

Start your timer. Pour 60 ml of hot water evenly over the grounds, saturating all grounds. This is the bloom pour. Allow coffee to bloom for 30–45 seconds to release trapped CO2.

First pulse pour

At ~0:45–0:50 on the timer, slowly pour water in a circular motion from the center outward, avoiding pouring directly on the filter, until the total water added reaches 240 ml (including bloom). Pour steadily over about 30–45 seconds.

Second pulse pour

When the water level drops slightly (around 1:15–1:30), continue pouring in the same gentle spiral until you reach the final total of 480 ml. Aim to finish pouring by 2:00–2:15.

Drawdown and serve

Allow the coffee to finish dripping. Total brew time (from first pour to final drawdown) should be 2:30–3:30 minutes. If drawdown is much faster, try a finer grind next time; if much slower, try coarser. Remove the dripper, discard the filter and grounds, swirl the server or mug to homogenize the brew, and pour into cups.

To serve black: pour brewed coffee into a warmed mug and enjoy as is.

To add milk: heat or steam 120 ml of milk (if desired) and add to the brewed coffee to taste. Stir gently.

To sweeten: add up to 2 tsp of sugar or preferred sweetener and stir until dissolved. Adjust to taste.

Use a gooseneck kettle for controlled pouring. A scale and timer are recommended for consistent results: zero the scale with the dripper and server before adding grounds, and follow the water weight and timing above.