Pour Over Coffee Beans With Unique Flavour Notes
My go-to brew method.
It's all about top draw coffee for pour over.
I brew pour over coffee pretty much everyday and more often than not twice a day.
I find the ritual of the brew almost a meditation and for me it’s the way that I would brew up the high quality samples of coffee beans we receive.
So, rather than me blab about how to brew your pour over coffee and the history of pour over, here’s a brief few notes on what I prefer in pour over coffee followed by 10 of the best pour over coffee beans.
Quick Look
| Brand | Pack Sizes | Coffee per Bag | Price Range | Varieties | Packaging | Special Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batch Coffee Club | 2 bags per box | 200g | ££ | Rotating selection | Home Compostable | 2 different roasters per dispatch |
| Foundation | Single bags | 330g, 1kg | ££ | 3 Blends, 8 Origins, 1 Decaf | Home Compostable | Surf culture inspired, ethical sourcing |
| Assembly | Single bags | 200g, 1kg | £££ | 2 Blends, 6 Origins, 1 Decaf | Rice paper, recyclable | 19th century fire station roastery |
| Volcano | Single bags | 200g, 1kg | ££ | 6 Blends, 4 Origins, 1 Decaf | Plastic, recyclable | New Zealand inspired coffee |
| Rounton | Single bags | 250g, 1kg | ££ | 3 Blends, 11 Origins, 1 Decaf | Plastic, recyclable | Award-winning Yorkshire roastery |
| Origin | Single bags | 250g, 1kg | £££ | 3 Blends, 4 Origins, 1 Decaf | Home Compostable | Direct trade relationships |
| Balance | Single bags | 250g, 1kg | ££ | 3 Blends, 2 Origins, 1 Decaf | Plastic, recyclable | Focus on home baristas |
| Pact | Single bags | 250g | ££ | 4 Blends, 10 Origins, 2 Decaf | Paper & Aluminium | Letterbox friendly packaging |
| Cafe Direct | Single bags | 200g, 1kg | ££ | 3 Blends, 7 Origins, 1 Decaf | Plastic or Paper | Three Q-grader roasters |
| Carnival | Single bags | 230g, 500g, 1kg | ££ | 15 Origins, 1 Decaf | Plastic, recyclable | Family-owned Colombian farm |
What makes good pour over coffee?
Whilst as with any other preparation method, choosing the right beans comes down to a personal preference and it can be challenging to know which ones to try next.
The pour over method can work with nearly any coffee, but can present a tastebud-challenging discovery process examining the subtleties and complexities of the next batch of beans.
You may be accustomed to the big and sometimes brutish, almost burnt flavours that big name high-street uk coffee shops tend to provide with dark roasted beans.
But with the pour-over method, providing a purer taste than even a drip coffee maker, it can be nice to play around with medium or light roasts with their higher sweetness levels.
Unlike espresso beans which often work better as a blend, many coffee enthusiasts prefer to go for single origin beans. This is to pinpoint region-specific flavour differences with their tastebuds.
Much like wine grapes, coffee beans take flavour from the soil they grow meaning that those fruity and floral notes can be picked up more easily.
Why Trust Me?
I’m Tom and I have been working in the coffee industry for over 10 years, starting my journey as a barista in Australia, working on coffee farms in South America and roasting coffee in The UK. Today I review and write about speciality coffee. I am the founder of Batch Coffee Club, which showcases the very best coffee from around the world.
Top 10 Coffee Beans For Pour-Over
Here are our favourite options for pour over coffee. If you have a favourite please leave a note in the comments below.
Batch Coffee Club
Coffee Menu - 2 Different Roasters in Each Disapatch, Decaf
Volume - 2 x 200g.
Packaging - Home Compostable
Shipping - UK
Rating - ★★★★★★★★★☆
We can’t talk about the best pour over coffee beans and not mention Batch Coffee Club.
Batch Coffee is all about showcasing some of the best coffee in the world. From the talented coffee roasters here in the UK through to pioneering coffee growers.
We champion independents and celebrate speciality coffee in a non wanky or intimidating way.
We want to not only introduce speciality coffee to people that have never tried it before but also appeal to all those self confessed coffee snobs out there.
All at the same time as being real and fun. We don't take life too serious but you can trust us to send you two banging coffees in each box.
To learn more Check Out Our Coffee Subscriptions Here.
Psssst. Use code ‘POUROVER50’ for 50% off your first box.
2. Foundation Coffee Roasters
Coffee Menu - 3 Blends, 8 Single Origins, 1 Decaf
Volume - 330g or 1kg.
Packaging - Home Compostable
Shipping - Worldwide
Rating - ★★★★★★★★★☆
World class coffee roasting crossed with laid back surf vibes. Waka waka.
Foundation coffee roasters are an independent roastery and equipment supplier based in St Ives, Cornwall.
They began their coffee journey with a mission to create quality and high-grade speciality coffee while at the same time using the best possible ethical practices that have a minimal impact on the environment.
This transcends from the sustainable relationships they build at source all the way through to the compostable coffee bags that they showcase their coffee.
Read our Foundation Coffee Review in full.
Or head over to Foundations Online Shop.
3. Assembly Coffee Roasters
Coffee Menu - 2 Blends, 6 Single Origins, 1 Decaf
Volume - 200g or 1kg.
Packaging - Rice paper, recyclable.
Shipping - Worldwide
Rating - ★★★★★★★★★☆
Assembly are the quality and customer focused coffee roaster based in Brixton, London.
They are one of the few coffee roasters in the UK that are pushing the boundaries of each aspect of their business.
We have showcased Assembly in a couple of our subscription boxes so far, one of our favourite pour over coffees was in Box 30 and an East Timor banger.
The Assembly roastery is housed in a 19th century fire station in the heart of London.
The Loring roaster alongside a state of the art coffee sensory lab and a couple of event spaces to hold cuppings is a testament to how serious these guys take specialty coffee.
Launched in 2015 during the annual London coffee festival, Assembly are now showcasing their coffee on a global scale.
The biggest difference in how Assembly operates for me is their collaborations.
When talking to their business manager, Ed, he explained how the team is in constant conversation with their customers, whether it’s a retail customer purchasing a 250g bag every other week or a wholesale cafe that orders dozens of kilos per week.
This conversation enables Assembly not only to build strong long lasting relationships and understand their customers wants and needs but also keeps their finger on the pulse of the specialty coffee industry.
These guys ship whole beans as standard but will grind the coffee for you if you specify in the comments box at checkout.
If you fancy a bag of ground coffee from these guys; Visit Assembly’s Online Shop.
Also check out the full Batch coffee review of Assembly Roasters.
4. Volcano Coffee Works
Coffee Menu - 6 Blends, 4 Single Origins, 1 Decaf
Volume - 200g or 1kg.
Packaging - Plastic, recyclable.
Shipping - Worldwide
Rating - ★★★★★★★★☆☆
Volcano showcase some of the best coffee for pour overs in the UK.
Their seasonal menu will entice newbie coffee drinkers through to seasoned coffee slurpers.
We featured Volcano in Box 52 and 36, the most notable for pour over coffee was the magnificent Kadamai from Ethiopia.
Kurt grew up in coffee-mad New Zealand and created Volcano to bring the great tasting coffee he had grown up with to the UK.
He did this while supporting the livelihoods of the communities who grow and produce it.
Volcano started life as a coffee cart that graced the streets of West Norwood but has now grown to a team of 30 passionate coffee people that operate out of their state of the art coffee roastery in Brixton.
The first batch of the day is always roasted by Kurt who is still the beating heart of the coffee business.
Volcano consistently produce some of the best coffee available in the UK at such a high volume.
Volcano Coffee Works believes in complete Supply Transparency, which means they insist on knowing where their coffee is from and visiting many of their farmers annually.
Read the full review here - Volcano Coffee Works Review
Does Volcano Coffee Works tick your cafetiere coffee box? Visit Volcano’s Online Shop.
5. Rounton
Coffee Menu - 3 Blends, 11 Single Origins, 1 Decaf
Volume - 250g or 1kg.
Packaging - Plastic, recyclable.
Shipping - Worldwide
Rating - ★★★★★★★★☆☆
A small team who just really, really love coffee.
Rounton are the coffee loving team based in North Yorkshire.
We showcased their fantastic Peruvian single origin decaf coffee in our decaf coffee club which went down a storm amongst our pour over decaf drinkers.
The converted old granary in East Rounton is home to their Roaster.
Their first few years of farmers markets and scribbling down roast profiles by hand taught them so much about coffee, business and relationships (and about hard work)...
Most importantly, those first years taught the team that there was a community surrounding all of us that cared about sustainability, transparency – and delicious coffee!
Today, as a multi-award-winning roastery, Rounton find themselves able to work with some of the most forward-thinking minds in the coffee industry, and some of the world's most celebrated producers.
The dynamic little team is fiercely passionate about coffee, people, and making positive change in the world around them.
6. Origin
Coffee Menu - 3 Blends, 4 Single Origins, 1 Decaf
Volume - 250g or 1kg.
Packaging - Home Compostable
Shipping - Worldwide
Rating - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Origin coffee was founded over 15 years ago by Tom Sobey and roast their coffee in Cornwall.
Having worked closely with his fathers coffee business growing up, he has always been involved in the industry.
After a trip to Australia in the early 2000’s where coffee culture reigns, Origin was born.
Since then Origin coffee has evolved into a full team of industry professionals, a world class coffee program, 6 coffee shops and an ever evolving product range.
They are one of the founding fathers of third wave speciality coffee in the UK and are amongst the front runners in the industry.
Origin coffee source direct from the farms. A practice that is true to speciality coffee and one that rewards the people who grow the coffee rather than the many middlemen.
Check out our Origin Coffee Review for more info.
Otherwise if you think this best ground coffee for your pour over - Visit Origins Online Shop
7. Balance
Coffee Menu - 3 Blends, 2 Single Origins, 1 Decaf
Volume - 250g or 1kg.
Packaging - Plastic, recyclable.
Shipping - UK and Ireland
Rating - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
The name Balance lends itself perfectly to the fantastic cafetière coffee that these guys produce.
Balance Coffee is a vibrant roastery based in London.
Our favourite pour over coffee that we have featured from Balance was in Box 32 and was the Guatemalan Finca El Tambor
Founder James has worked in the coffee industry for 8 years and wanted to create a coffee brand with a mission to inspire people to drink better quality coffee at home.
The coffee that they roast is focused on selling to people who are looking at becoming more of a home barista and create that coffee shop experience in their own home.
With really clean and slick branding their eye-catching watercolour design is a clue about the style of coffee that they offer. They are not afraid to showcase an unusual origin and may provide that unique bag of speciality coffee you are looking for.
As is now demanded as the norm in the speciality coffee world, Balance wants to ensure they create a positive impact by supporting the livelihoods of coffee farmers at origin which in turn, helps create a sustainable supply of coffee for the future.
All of their green beans are ethically sourced from some of the highest quality coffee farmers from around the world.
Check out our Balance Coffee Review for more info.
Otherwise if you think this best ground coffee for your pour over - Visit Balance’s online store.
8. Pact
Coffee Menu - 4 Blends, 10 Single Origins, 2Decaf
Volume - 250g
Packaging - Paper and Aluminium, recyclable.
Letterbox - ✅
Shipping - Worldwide
Rating - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Pact have been changing peoples minds about coffee for a while...
Ever since and rather be classed in the same bracket as wine than cupboard staples such as flour as it is so often seen in the UK.
All of Pact cafetiere coffee beans are sourced through the direct trade model.
This means they actually go out to the farms at origin to meet the producers and cut out the array of middle men that effectively take money away from coffee producers.
Pact offer a few blends and also a number of single origin coffees that are roasted towards the darker side of medium, so you have a free options to choose from.
Check out our Pact Coffee Review for more info.
Otherwise if these guys float your subscription box boat Visit Pacts’ Website Here.
9. Cafe Direct
Coffee Menu - 3 Blends, 7 Single Origins, 1 Decaf
Volume - 200g or 1kg.
Packaging - Plastic or Paper, recyclable.
Shipping - Worldwide
Rating - ★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Cafédirect are the well seasoned sustainable coffee roasters based in London.
Their London Fields roastery sits among a vibrant scene of local artisan breweries, bakeries and cafes, a stone’s throw away from the famous Broadway Market.
The team of three Q graders work at the Cafedirect Roastery and tirelessly cup all of the small batch roasted coffee. It’s pretty unique to have one Q grader working at a roastery let alone three.
To become one of the most elite coffee tasters in the world (there are only 5000 worldwide) you must complete a grueling course followed by 19 exams with an extremely low pass rate.
Q graders are then certified to grade and score coffees on a variety of characteristics.
Check out our Cafe Direct Review for more info.
Otherwise if this is the coffee subscription for you Buy Some Cafe Direct Coffee Here
10. Carnival Coffee Roasters
Coffee Menu - 15 Single Origins, 1 Decaf
Volume - 230g, 500g or 1kg.
Packaging - Plastic, recyclable.
Shipping - UK wide
Rating - ★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
Carnival Coffee Roasters, are an eco-friendly, speciality coffee roaster based in the heart of Penge, South East London.
Their love for life resonates through their bright and bold branding that always brings a smile on our faces each time they pop up on our Instagram feed.
Carnival are an inspirational team. Their focus on providing an eco-friendly product is a great example for future roasters to follow.
Their ethics transcend all the way from Colombia where they support sustainable coffee projects all the way to South East London where they offer local delivery on a bicycle.
Their story started in Medellin, Colombia where they grow and produce coffee on their family farm. The farm has been in the family for generations ever since Juan’s Grandfather won a mountainside on the outskirts of the city in a very lucky game of cards.
Even more luckily the conditions were ideal for growing coffee.
Read our latest Carnival coffee Review here.
Shop their delicious coffee via the Carnival Online Shop
Do You Need A Special Type Of Coffee Beans For Pour-Over?
You can use any kind of bean for pour over, but some beans work better than others for giving you a great pour-over experience.
As the flavours and subtleties of beans come through in the taste more than virtually any other method, light roast single origin beans can be a great option.
If you were to use Kenyan single origin beans to make the espresso base for cappuccinos or flat whites, your morning beverage may taste sour, as if the milk has gone off. But the acidity of these beans will make for a unique pour-over experience.
Alternatively, whilst you can use a blend of dark roasted beans, this may sometimes be like using a sledgehammer to crack open a walnut and it may be better to save blends for espresso related drinks.
What Is The Best Roast For Pour-Over?
Light roasted coffee has the brightest flavours with strongly acidic notes and can showcase the authentic quality of the beans.
Medium and dark roasts can also work, but having such a “clean” flavour come through can be overwhelming to the palate.
Some, more adventurous coffee enthusiasts may even go for naturally processed coffee beans which are essentially left in the cherry to ferment in.
How To Grind Coffee Beans For Pour-Over?
Grinding your beans for 10-15 seconds to get a medium course grind is usually the best option for pour-over. This should be a similar size to a cafetiere but a little bit less on the chunky side, so that it feels smooth.
With cone-shaped pour overs, a medium-fine grind may work better, but as a general rule the faster the water passes over the coffee grind, the finer you should have the grind.
Is It Best To Buy Ground Coffee Or Beans For a Pour-Over?
Beans are almost always a better option than ground coffee for pour-over. Bagged ground coffee can often be stale by the time its purchased and opened.
Electric coffee grinders aren’t super-expensive these days, are durable and can last a long time before their blades are blunted, so they are an essential investment for the home coffee enthusiast.
Can You Freeze Pour-Over Beans?
Whether you should freeze coffee beans for storage or not has been a major point of contention amongst coffee experts for years.
Some baristas will go as far as to argue that since coffee starts to age and lose its great flavours from the moment it is roasted, freezing will lock in its flavours.
Perhaps the coffee won’t taste as flavoursome as when it is freshly roasted, but if vacuum packed and placed in a deep freezer, the beans will maintain a great deal of their tastebud-tingling notes.
However, without the plastic bags and tubes to vacuum seal it, then freezing may not be a great idea.
As coffee defrosts, the moisture and complex flavour compounds disappear, leaving you with a flat tasting beverage.
How Do You Store Pour Over Beans?
As with almost any other type of beans, a resealable air-tight container is the best option to lock in the flavour.
Sometimes the bags they come in can seal them up nice and tight inside, preventing both air and light from affecting their taste.
If the bags aren’t resealable, go for an opaque container that you can keep in a cool, dry area of your home.
The four enemies of roasted coffee are light, heat, moisture and air. Factoring this in if you’re building a coffee collection will do wonders for your tastebuds.
What Is The Best Ground Coffee For Pour Over?
Whilst fresh beans are almost always better than ground coffee for the flavour factor, ground coffee can be purchased from the majority of independent coffee roasters.
Look for a medium coarseness, single origin, lightly roasted grind.
What Equipment Do I Need For a Pour Over Coffee?
The coffee dripper or brewing device, is the key piece of equipment needed to make pour-over coffees.
Kalita Waves, V60s, Chemex and Melittas are fairly common pieces of gear which hold the filter and the coffee grounds on top of a carafe or cup. Each have specific features in their design which impact the flow and the extraction.
These devices are easy to get a hold of and also easy to use. It is worth noting that each option has filter paper designed specifically for their shape and deviating too much from this can lower the quality. Whether or not to use cloth or paper filters is another point of contention.
Whilst not essential, scales can help you maintain a level of consistency with your coffee.
Utilising a digital scale with help you replicate the same levels of water and coffee when you’ve found a recipe you are particularly fond of.
Finally some baristas will even factor in the type of kettle they use to boil the coffee and the amount of water which comes out of the spout.
How Do You Make The Perfect Coffee In A Pour Over?
With about 30 g or around two scoops of freshly ground coffee powder comfortably placed in your filter paper, you may choose to “bloom” your coffee.
This means saturating the powder with a tiny amount of boiled water to pre-infuse and begin the extraction process. This process releases gases and softens the natural oils involved with the coffee.
After letting it sit for half a minute or so, slowly pour your boiling water over the grounds again, until the water is halfway up the cone. This should break up the crust formed from the blooming stage. Once foam forms on top of your grounds, you can gradually pour the rest of the water.
Add it to the centre of the brewing device, ensuring that the water level is high so that no grounds are left untouched and dry.
Lastly and most importantly, enjoy your beautiful, pour-over coffee.
