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Pour-Over

Pour-Over Grind Size: Finding the Right Setting

May 25, 2026

Grind is the first setting to get right in our pour-over guide, and the one people change most often. The good news is that pour-over gives you a clear signal to work from: how long the water takes to drain.

The general range

Pour-over usually sits between medium-fine and medium. Picture something close to coarse sand or kosher salt. Finer than drip machine coffee, much coarser than espresso.

That is only a starting point. The right grind depends on your brewer, how much coffee you use and how fast you pour.

Use brew time as your guide

For a single cup of about 250 grams of water, most cone brewers finish somewhere between 2:30 and 3:30. If yours finishes outside that range:

  • Too fast, under about 2:30, usually tastes thin and sour. Grind finer.
  • Too slow, past about 4:00, usually tastes bitter and dry. Grind coarser.

Larger batches take longer, so a 500 gram brew might comfortably run to 4 or 5 minutes. Keep your pour-over ratio fixed while you adjust, or the time will not tell you much.

Why your brewer matters

Brewers with thick filters or small drain holes slow things down. A Chemex, for instance, usually needs a coarser grind than a V60 for the same recipe. A flat-bottom brewer often sits somewhere in between.

If you switch brewers, expect to switch grind settings too.

Temperature and grind interact

Hotter water extracts faster. If you lower your water temperature for a dark roast, you may want to grind a touch finer to make up for it. Our article on pour-over water temperature covers when to adjust heat rather than grind.

Fines and consistency

Every grinder produces some very small particles, called fines. Too many fines clog the filter, slow the drawdown and add bitterness. This is where grinder quality shows. A good burr grinder produces far fewer fines than a blade grinder and gives you a much more even bed.

If your drawdown keeps stalling no matter how coarse you go, your grinder may be producing too many fines.

Adjust in small steps

Move one or two clicks at a time and brew again. Write down the setting, total time and a few words on taste. After a handful of brews you will know roughly where each coffee likes to sit.

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