What is the best coffee for pour over? I am sure you must have wondered at some point, right?
But before I get to that, Did you know that pour-over coffee has developed from a small set of niche coffee drinkers to one of the most preferred coffee-making methods in the last decade creating a huge wave of pour-over fanatics?
This brewing method highlights the intricate aromas and flavours while providing the most control and enticing experience than other coffee brewing methods.
It provides a relaxing ritual watching the freshly ground coffee beans bloom out of your pour-over coffee machine as you add hot water in concentric circles.
Well, this is a coffee-making technique which involves manually pouring water over the grounds using just the beauty of gravity to extract gorgeous flavours
While using a proper pour-over brewing guide to follow the correct brewing technique is critical to achieving a perfect pour over coffee drink, using the correct type of coffee beans ensures you have the richest and sweetest pour over coffee flavour.
With my decade-long experience in the coffee industry, I have done all the groundwork needed to compile a list of the best coffee for pour over UK to help you shop the best coffee online.
Let’s dive right in!
Our Top Three Picks
As you may have already known, several coffee roasters across the country provide some of the best coffee for pour over UK - but knowing which are most suited to this intricate brew method is where the real magic happens.
Should you not have all the time to read the entire post, here is the best top 3 picked from this list:
| Product | Benefits | where to buy |
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Espresso Taster Pack |
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Shop Now & Save £5 |
Assembly Coffee Roasters |
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Shop Now |
Batch Coffee Club |
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Shop Now |
Balance Coffee
There are several reasons why Balance Coffee is the poster child within this list of the best ground coffee for pour over UK brands. For starters, we are all about encouraging coffee lovers to feel the coffee shop experience in their homes.
With over a decade of experience working in the business-to-business arena, I decided to start Balance Coffee on a mission to change how much unhealthy coffee is consumed worldwide.
After all, the ingredients we choose to consume can have serious impacts on our bodies if we assume fundamental factors that make the ingredient fit for human consumption.
This is why we take such pride in sourcing only naturally clean, speciality coffee to produce the best pour over coffee whole beans free from moulds, pesticides, and mycotoxins.
What's more? Our customers tell us they love our commitment to responsible sourcing as a sustainable coffee business.
Balance Coffee have a dedicated coffee subscription page where you can Subscribe & Save 15% plus access even more member-only benefits.
Even better is the fact there is a return policy on our coffee.
Meaning you can enjoy it and if you don’t like it, return it and we will refund your money.
Visit Balance Coffee shop to try our Espresso Taster Pack.
Assembly Coffee Roasters
Assembly Roasters is one of the UK's top customer-focused and quality roasters. Based in the 19th Century fire station in Brixton, London. It is among the brands that provide the best coffee for pour over UK.
These guys take specialty coffee seriously, as seen in the state-of-the-art coffee equipment they invest in.
Starting during the annual London coffee festival in 2015. Assembly has grown to the level of showcasing its products on a global scale.
They specifically ship whole beans but offer grinding services to you once you state that during the checkout stage.
Visit Assembly Coffee Roasters to try out their coffee.
Batch Coffee
We can't list the top three best coffee for pour over UK brands without featuring Batch Coffee.
This brand aims to introduce specialty coffee to those who have not tried it.
Batch Coffee showcases only the best premium pour over coffee beans in the world. From seasoned coffee growers to renowned coffee roasters in the UK.
They’re different because they curate all of the UK’s best coffee roasters into one single coffee subscription bringing all the flavours to your door.
Check out their coffee subscription plans here to learn more.
What Coffee Is Best for Pour Over?
Light roast coffee is usually the best choice for pour-over (GET IT HERE). It has a bright, fresh taste with light, fruity, or floral notes and a clean finish.
Pour-over brewing is great because it helps bring out all the different smells and flavors in coffee. It’s perfect if you like your coffee to taste special and interesting.
Light roast beans let you taste all the unique flavors from where the coffee comes from, which makes it perfect for pour-over.
But if you like your coffee a bit smoother and richer, medium roast coffee is also a good option. It still works well with pour-over, giving you a more balanced and fuller taste without losing the clean flavors.
If you want to learn more about the best coffee beans, I’ve written a guide about the Best Light Roast Coffee Beans in the UK.
Check out the below ten brands to find great options and improve your pour-over coffee!
10 Best Pour Over Coffee Beans Brands In The UK
At Balance Coffee, we are keen on showcasing and appreciating some of the best independent UK coffee roasters.
Our team are a group of coffee professionals with varying experiences from different coffee markets around the world.
Check out our pick of the top ten best coffee for pour over UK brands in the following section.
But also find time to read my best filter coffee beans article which is packed full of carefully vetted brands.
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Balance Coffee
Balance Coffee is a leading coffee brand in the UK that is focused on supplying healthy, speciality-grade coffee.
I lead a team of professional coffee roasters with 10+ years of experience. So you can be sure I am the real deal. But for closure, read about my story briefly here.
At Balance Coffee, your health is the priority. I understand that if you decide to consume quality ingredients it can have a great impact on your body.
For this, Balance Coffee only sources naturally clean, quality coffee for pour over, without nasties like pesticides, moulds, and Mycotoxins.
Check out our science-backed research study If you want to go deep and read all about the difference between healthy vs unhealthy coffee.
Balance source coffee from only the top 5% of coffee growers across the world.
And are always committed to paying an extra £25 for the best quality coffee in the market.
In addition, I work hand in hand with nutrition experts. So I can understand how we can give you the healthiest possible pour over coffee in the UK.
Balance also focuses on sustainable operations with the aim of providing a positive impact on the coffee-growing communities. This way, these communities have their livelihoods.
Through our unique coffee subscription, you’ll get the best coffee for pour over UK delivered to your doorstep. Plus other subscriber benefits perfect for coffee snobs.
Visit Balance Coffee shop to stock up on this amazing coffee for pour over.
Address; Kemp House 152-160 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX.
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Assembly Coffee
I’ve placed Assembly Coffee on the top three best coffee for pour over UK list.
Because of the high quality and customer-centric nature of their business.
Based in Brixton, Assembly is among the few coffee brands in the UK expanding every aspect of the coffee business.
It was founded in 2015 during the annual London coffee celebrations.
And has grown into a world-class coffee brand over the years.
They are housed in the 19th Century fire station deep inside London, where they have a state-of-the-art coffee sensory laboratory, smart Loring roaster machine, and various digital processes used to brew coffee.
Assembly Roaster got your back if you want the best pre ground coffee for pour over. If the whole bean is your preferred choice, Assembly cares about quality and excellent customer service.
One of their notable differences from others is how they package their retail coffee. They have a unique bag made of organic rice paper materials.
And features a lovely artwork that shows their love for speciality coffee.
When you see the concept of colour and imagery, it gives you a fine idea of what flavour to expect.
Assembly Coffee only ships whole coffee but can offer grinding services for customers who specifically request this on checkout.
Visit Assembly Coffee Roasters to try out their coffee.
- Batch Coffee Roasters
We cannot talk about the best coffee for pour over UK coffee brands without discussing the Batch Coffee Club.
These guys are a team of professionals in the coffee industry seeking to celebrate top coffee roasters in the UK.
In addition, Batchcoffee aims at introducing the best coffee beans for pour over to those who have not tried them.
Their founders, Tom and Laurah, have more than a decade of experience working in the specialty coffee industry.
More importantly, they have use this knowledge to give birth to Batch Coffee club.
It has its headquarters in Brighton, UK and other smaller coffee shops around the nation.
Furthermore. these small shops are where they receive coffee from the best farmers around the world.
Batch Coffee is known for sampling established roasters in the UK.
Also it showcases other smaller micro-roasters that are hard to come by to ensure you only get the best.
This is why they send you two different coffees for pour over in their subscription box.
They run unique and personalised coffee subscription services and are always finding new ways to understand their individual customer attributes.
Visit Batch Coffee Roasters to try out their coffee.
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Rounton Roasters
Why is Rounton one of the best coffee for pour over UK brands? Read on to find out.
Located inside an old granary building in East Rounton, the brand consists of a small team of dynamic people.
They are seriously passionate about coffee, people, and positively changing the community around them.
I have sampled some of their coffee products during our sampling process, and their Peruvian single-origin decaf coffee stood out. Therefore, it is appearing in this list as the best decaf coffee for pour over brands.
If you are looking for a quality coffee for pour over around Northern Yorkshire, then you should try Rounton. But you should not just trust my words.
This brand has developed from a small roaster to a multi-award-winning roaster. Rounton partners with some of the leading coffee players in the world.
Visit Rounton Coffee Roasters to try out their coffee.
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Volcano Coffee Works
Established in 2010 by Kurt Stewarts, a passionate coffee lover who grew up in the coffee-crazy country of New Zealand.
The volcano also showcases and samples some of the best coffee blends for pour over the UK. And their seasoned menu appeals to both newbie coffee drinkers and longtime coffee lovers.
Located in Brixton, UK, this roaster started as a coffee cart plying the streets of West Norwood.
But has grown over the years and currently employs 30 people in their state-of-the-art factory.
This team believes in utmost supply chain transparency. Meaning they know where their coffee comes from and even visit their seasoned farmers annually.
Visit Volcano Coffee Roasters to try out their coffee.
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Café Direct
Probably one of the longest-established coffee brands in the UK.
Cafe Direct is a purpose-led brand with true partnerships between coffee farmers and drinkers. It features in this list of the best coffee for pour over UK.
Because it is also one of the top single-origin coffee experts. You can get in touch with them if you are looking for the best single origin coffee for pour over.
Their London Field roaster is situated among the local artisan breweries, cafes, and bakeries. It's just a little distance from the Broadway Market.
Café Direct Roasters works with three Q graders that ensure quality. Furthermore, it pack all the small batches of roasted coffee.
It is pretty rare to find even one Q grader working in a roaster, leave alone three. Besides, it takes a gruelling journey to become a fully certified Q grader.
Visit Café Direct Coffee Roasters to try out their coffee.
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Old Spike Coffee
Old Spike Coffee Started in 2015 at a small café in Peckham. It had a straightforward mission of using coffee as the catalyst for transformation.
In addition to providing their consumers with the best possible coffee, they are seriously too good to ignore.
Whether you want the best coffee for pour over UK or the best dark roast coffee beans in the UK, Old Spike got you covered.
What's more, regardless of the level of your partnership, employees, customers, or distributors, every pack of coffee you get from them helps reduce homelessness in the UK.
It is also worth noting that they only source coffee beans from growers who promote ethical practices and sustainability. Also, they have some of the best prices in the UK.
Visit Old Spike Coffee Roasters to try out their coffee.
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Union Coffee
If you have been to this roaster, you know they extract some of the unique flavours from their coffee.
After sampling the types of coffee they have for pour over... I found no reason not to include it in this list of the best coffee for pour over UK makers.
They got their name Union from their collaboration efforts with partners to consistently improve the quality of their brews.
They currently collaborate with more than 42 producers across 14 countries.
To offer the ever-changing coffee for pour-over varieties in the UK. You can get these beans ranging from single origins, house blends, etc.
Visit Union Coffee Roasters to try out their coffee.
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Foundation Coffee Roasters
Foundation Coffee is an independent roaster and coffee equipment supplier in St. Ives, Cornwall, UK.
This brand was started with a single mission of creating high-quality speciality coffee using the best ethical practices and with less environmental impact.
Currently, they are now realising this dream and are among the best coffee brands in the UK.
Foundation Coffee Roasters value honesty and transparency in business.
Equally important note is they source coffee directly from farms to their companies. Meaning they are in control from the start to finish of the coffee-making process.
They do all these while building a sustainable working relationships with partners and consumers. Get in touch with them if you want coffee machines, from best burr coffee grinders to espresso coffee makers, among others.
Visit Foundation Coffee Roasters to try out their coffee.
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Origin Coffee
Founded by Tom Sobey in 2004, Origin Coffee is an independent speciality coffee roaster that operates on a single principle to source the best coffee beans through a sustainable, triple-bottom-line method.
With world-class coffee programs, a team of professionals, and an ever-changing product range, Origin Coffee closes this list of the best coffee beans for pour over in the UK.
Having over 18 years in the industry, you can trust this roaster to provide authentic, naturally healthy, and quality coffee beans.
Their team of coffee professionals and Q graders follow strict sensory measures in every roasting stage.
So as to ensure you have the best cup of pour over coffee brew.
Origin is located in Cornwall and London, where you can visit them to order your drink.
Or use their online subscription service to order a cup of pour-over coffee for your office or home.
Visit Origin Coffee Roasters to try out their coffee.
Guide For The Best Coffee For Pour Over
Have you been in a coffee shop line and heard people ordering a pour-over coffee? Then, probably from curiosity, you ordered one for yourself, and you loved it so much that you wondered if you could make it at home.
The good news is you can make a pour over coffee at home!! Let’s get started on the things you need to know below;
The right roast profile selection
The coffee beans roast profiles greatly influence the aroma, mouthfeel, and taste of the final pour over coffee brew. Below is how the various roast levels affect your coffee flavours.
Light roast coffee beans
Lighter roasts usually have fruity and fragrant floral flavours, brighter acidity, and a mild body.
Light roasts are best for exploring the delicacies of single origin coffee beans.
For instance, tasting coffee beans from Ethiopia or Colombia brewed using the pour-over technique is an excellent way to appreciate light roast coffee beans.
I created this blog post that dives into the best light roast coffee beans in the UK. you will find it a worthwhile read.
Medium roast coffee beans
Medium roast coffee beans provide less acidity and a little more sweetness than light roasts because of sugar caramelisation during the roasting process.
This roast profile has a slightly toasted flavour and a more substantial body.
You can read more about the best medium roast coffee for pour over here.
Dark roasts.
Dark roast coffee beans have a bold, rich body with a slightly bitter taste. Their flavours which are more earthy, nutty, and dark chocolaty, are a result of a longer roasting process compared to light or medium roasts.
Because the pour-over technique aims to highlight the subtle aromas and flavour notes and showcase the authentic qualities of the coffee, light and medium coffee roasts are the most preferred roast profiles for pour-over.
However, you are not restricted to using light and medium roasts only; you can also use the dark roast profile if you like the flavour and aroma it brings.
Pick The Right Coffee Type
Picking the right coffee type for pour over is a vital factor since the kind of roast, grind size, and the type of filter used can result in different brew tastes.
Interestingly, no matter the method you use, with a quick machine, Hario V60 pour-over, Chemex, or slow drip, you can use any coffee type to get different tastes.
Since the pour-over technique involves pouring hot water on coffee grounds, it takes less time for flavours to be extracted fully from the grounds.
Therefore, it is best to have the right coffee ground size to ensure that adequate flavour is extracted during the process.
The ideal grind size for pour over coffee is medium grind since it has enough surface area to extract enough flavours.
However, I would recommend you try your coffee immediately after you make it and appropriately adjust.
If you get a watery coffee, I would advise making your grinder finer. But if it is too acidic or bitter, you may want to try a coarser grind to increase the surface area to extract more flavour when adding the hot water.
Remember, not all pour-overs produce perfect coffee drinks immediately, so you must reevaluate various things to ensure they suit you.
Abandon Ground Coffee To Buy Coffee Beans.
Ask any other coffee professional about the best advice for anyone trying to make a better pour over coffee at home, and they will tell you to buy whole-bean coffee instead of ground coffee.
I’ve been witnessing the debate about pre-ground coffee vs whole beans going on for years. Ground coffee lovers say they like its convenience, while whole bean enthusiasts say their coffee has richer and much better tastes.
Well, I will have to be honest with you, I am fully behind buying whole beans to pre-ground coffee.
There are several benefits of buying whole-bean coffee, including;
- Whole bean coffee is fresh when you buy them, unlike preground, which is already stale by the time you are buying them.
- Whole beans can be grounded for any brewer meaning it's more versatile.
- Ideal for richer, fuller coffee aromas.
- You get complete power over your coffee flavours with whole beans.
We get it if you are used to pre-ground coffee; convenience is a significant factor to consider. However, once you know what you are missing, you'll want to cross over.
Furthermore, grinding coffee beans at home is not as difficult as it may seem. Once you have a burr coffee grinder, you are good to go. You can read more about the best burr coffee grinders in this post.
Ingredients And Tools Needed To Brew Pour Over Coffee
The ingredients for brewing a pour over coffee include;
- Filtered water
- Freshly roasted medium-ground coffee. You can decide on the roast level based on your tastes, but we prefer lighter roasts and medium roasts for richer flavours.
You can read more about various coffee recipes available in our article about the best coffee recipe online UK.
Similarly, pour over coffee requires little equipment. The following is the equipment for pour over brews.
Brewing device.
An obvious tool for the pour-over method is the pour-over brewing device. There are several of these pieces of equipment in the market you can choose from, and they are relatively cheap.
Consider the level of operational difficulty and the extent you want to experiment with the coffee flavours. Pour-over brewing devices such as the cone-shaped Hario V60 or Chemex are readily available and are a perfect way to start your pour-over brewing quest.
Filters.
Different pour-over coffee makers have various types of filters, so you are advised to choose one that works well with your device.
Most popular pour-over coffee makers have the highest filter availability in the market and may influence your decision on the filter to use.
Filters are available in different types, such as clothed, bleached, and natural. At Balance Coffee, we often use a bleached filter for our filter coffee because it does not interfere with the taste.
Digital Scale.
A digital measuring scale is a must-have coffee equipment as the brewing device. While you can measure your water and coffee beforehand, the scale makes it much easier to adjust your pour-over ingredients in real time.
A digital kitchen scale with a timer is best for this purpose. However, you can use your phone or stove as a timer if it doesn't have a built-in timer.
Kettle.
The gooseneck kettle is a key pour-over brewing tool. This is relatively smaller than the average tea kettle pot with a long curved neck and a thin spout for precise water control during pour-over.
Popular gooseneck kettles have built thermometers to help get the perfect water temperature for brewing pour over coffee.
However, you can also purchase a standalone kettle that does not heat water, but it is always good to upgrade.
Grinder.
Usually, most people would prefer whole fresh coffee to preground coffee and grind it at home for a richer and better taste. This calls for another essential tool-the grinder.
And at Balance Coffee, we recommend burr grinders. These grinders have the most consistent grind sizes that are best for maximum extraction for pour over coffees.
A perfect grind size gives a perfect pour-over coffee, so you will have to tweak it to perfection as you grind.
How To Brew With Pour Over.
To brew with pour over, the recommended ratio of coffee to water is 1:15; that is, for every gram of coffee, you add fifteen grams of water. With this information, you can start following the steps below;
Heat The Water And Prepare The Coffee Ground
Start by heating your kettle of filtered water to boiling point. While the water is heating, weigh out the correct grams of coffee beans.
With a good grinding machine like the burr grinder, grind your coffee beans to medium consistency of fine table salt and set aside.
Pre-wet the paper filter.
Place the filter in a pour over dripper. Hold the dripper over a kitchen sink and gently trickle water from the gooseneck kettle over the filter from bottom to up in a circular motion until the whole filter is wet.
Allow all the excess water to drip for 30 seconds before proceeding with other steps. Pre-wetting the filter paper ensures that it stays in place when you are pouring and that you eliminate the taste of paper tissues in your coffee.
Get your scale and supplies ready.
Set the dripper on the scale and place a mug of your choice on it. Add coffee grounds to the filter the same way you would when brewing a whole pot of coffee.
Set the scale to measure the grams and optimise it in a manner that reads zero with all the equipment on top of it.
Pour the water.
With the kettle in your hand, start the timer and begin pouring immediately after the timer is on. Pour the water in a circular motion at the centre of the coffee ground.
While pouring, slowly work your way towards the rim of the coffee grounds without touching it. Stop at the 60 seconds mark to allow the coffee to drip down.
In this first pour over, the grounds will bubble up a bit to bring out the first aroma. This bubbling is known as the blooming: the fresher your coffee beans, the more they bloom.
After dripping for 30 seconds, start the second pour. Again start from the centre of the coffee ground in a spiral motion and gradually move in and out of the filter. Allow this second pour to drip for 30 seconds.
You can proceed with this process for as long as you may want, depending on the quantity you wish to make.
Enjoy your perfect cup of pour over coffee.
Once you finish the above steps, carefully remove the dripper and throw the filter into a dustbin. Gently remove the mug from the scale, and you are good to go! You have just made a perfect cup of coffee.
Frequently Asked Questions.
Have some questions in mind? Well, I’ll be honoured to answer every concern you might have through our very contact platforms,
Let's answer some common questions we usually get from our customers below.
How Many Spoons Of Coffee For Pour Over?
You will need two tablespoons of whole coffee beans for one cup of pour over coffee. This also translates to between 15-18 grams of coffee beans for 1 cup of pour over coffee. This, however, is not cast in stone; you can still experiment with more or less to get the perfect amount for you.
How much coffee per person pour over?
As stated above, it takes 15-18 grams of coffee beans to make a single cup of pour over coffee. Therefore, there is no definite answer for the amount of coffee per person since you'll need to increase the coffee and water quantity if you would like more coffee.
What’s a good coffee for pour over?
A good coffee for pour over is a light or medium roast, naturally sourced, healthy coffee beans. These roast profiles retain more flavours and beneficial healthy compounds which are further roasted in the process for a richer taste.
Conclusion.
Pour-over is a delicate coffee brewing method that provides a rich and more complex flavour than other methods. Brewing pour over coffee at home can be quite challenging for most coffee lovers, especially those without good brewing skills and time.
People, therefore, opt to get their pour over coffee from established roasters on the go. If you are looking for the best coffee for pour over UK brands, then we hope this post has helped you.
Though we have listed the top ten best coffee for pour over UK, at Balance Coffee, we pride ourselves in providing a healthier range of coffee products.
We only source naturally clean speciality-grade coffee free from Mycotoxins, Moulds, and pesticides.
Visit the Balance Coffee subscription page and get the best coffee for pour over UK brew delivered to your doorstep.
