Pour-over coffee is an excellent brew method when you have time to sit and savor a cup of coffee. Watching the coffee grounds bloom in your Chemex as you add hot water is a relaxing ritual.
The proper technique is essential to achieve the perfect cup of pour-over coffee. But, with the right coffee beans, your best efforts may be worthwhile. So which are the best brands for pour-over coffee? And what roast and grind size should you choose?
Let's look at some of the tastiest coffee bean options for pour-over coffee.
How We Ranked The Coffees
We factored in a few measures when scoring each to determine our list. We based our rankings on the following:
Caffeine content: How much caffeine does the coffee have.
Flavor: How does the coffee taste in the pour over? Would we suggest this to our friends?
What other people think of the coffee: We look at Amazon and other reviews online to get a better sense of what other customers think.
Popularity: Are there a lot of reviews of these coffee beans online? Is it a popular product?
A Deeper Look at Our Picks
Spirit Animal Coffee - Parainema Coffee
Features
- 12oz Whole Bean Coffee
- Medium Roast Coffee
- Non-GMO
- Low Acid
- Honduras Coffee with Peach, Honey, and Raspberry Tasting Notes
Pros
- Full-bodied Coffee
- Low Acid Coffee
- 100% Pure-bred Honduran Coffee Beans
- Fresh from Crop to Cup
- Specially Cultivated
Cons
Death Wish Coffee Medium Roast
Features
Death Wish Coffee's medium roast ground coffee is smooth and full of flavor. The lighter roast of the arabica and robusta beans gives it a less acidic taste and a strong caffeine kick. Made with organic and fair trade beans, this coffee is the perfect way to start your day. Made with arabica & robusta beans and roasted to a lighter shade of bold.
Pros
- Smooth and flavorful
- Less acidic taste
- Strong caffeine kick
- Organic and fair trade beans
Cons
- Slightly more expensive than other coffees
Volcanica - Geisha Coffee Costa Rica
Features
- 100% Pure Geisha Coffee from Costa Rica
- Rich chocolate notes
- Medium roasted whole beans
- 30% less caffeine than other coffees
Geisha Coffee from Costa Rica is a highly prized varietal characterized by a soft, delicate profile and quietly complex aromatics. It has gentle acidity, a medium body and a silky mouthfeel. Flavor is particularly rich chocolate, with a long, lingering finish. These medium roasted beans have a remarkable taste with a low caffeine content. They are fresh roasted and immediately packed and sealed to assure freshness. 100% Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed.
Pros
- Highly prized varietal
- Gentle acidity
- Medium body
- Silky mouthfeel
- Long, lingering finish
- Fresh roasted
- Immediately packed and sealed to assure freshness
- 100% Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed.
Cons
- Limited supplies
- Low caffeine content
Bolivia Caranavi Coffee
Features
The Bolivia Caranavi Coffee is a unique, flavorful, and fascinating coffee. From the Andes Mountains of Bolivia at high altitudes of 1600-1700m above sea level, this particular coffee is grown on various farms in the region. These farms are part of the APCERL (Asociación de Productores de Café Ecológico Regional de Larecaja), which is a coffee collective board that works to ensure positive social responsibilities related to safe, eco-friendly, and fair trade growing practices directly related to the crops being produced. This coffee has profoundly rich aromas and flavors that any coffee lover would enjoy and is proudly 100% Arabica Typica Coffee. It received the APCERL (Asociación de Productores de Café Ecológico Regional de Larecaja) and 100% Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed.
Pros
- Sweet-toned and soft aroma
- Very pronounced sweet cocoa tones
- Outstanding flavor that is long, sweet and cocoa-laced
- Kosher Certified
- Fresh roasted then immediately packed and sealed to assure freshness
Cons
Ethiopian Heirloom (Light-Medium Roast)
Features
Altruistic Joe is a light roast coffee brand that combines great taste with a commitment to giving back. Their beans are carefully sourced from sustainable and ethically responsible farms, resulting in a smooth and well-balanced cup that supports charitable causes.
Pros
- Smooth and well-balanced taste
- Sustainable and ethical sourcing
- Support for charitable causes
Cons
- Limited variety
- Availability may vary
Cooper's Cask Coffee - Ethiopia Light Roast Coffee
Features
Roast Type: Light
Process: Dry process
Origin: Ethipia
Tasting Notes: Intensely Bright and Clean, Lemon Tart, Raw Honey, Floral Nectar
Coopers light roast coffee prides itself on its smooth and clean taste. Their beans are sourced from single-origin farms, ensuring quality and consistency. With a light body and subtle acidity, Coopers provides a refreshing and balanced cup. Smooth and clean taste, single-origin beans, refreshing and balanced flavor.
Pros
- Smooth and clean taste
- Lemon, honey and nectar flavors
Cons
- Limited availability
Rise & Shine - Out of the Grey Coffee
Features
Out of the Grey offers a range of light roast coffees carefully crafted for discerning palates. Their beans are sourced globally and roasted to perfection, resulting in a complex and nuanced flavor profile with hints of chocolate, berries, and spices.
Pros
- Crafted for discerning palates
- Complex and nuanced flavor
- Global bean sourcing
- Hints of chocolate, berries, and spices.
Cons
- Limited distribution
Lion Gold Roast Coffee
Features
Hawaiian Coffee specializes in light roast beans grown in the fertile volcanic soils of Hawaii. With a unique flavor profile characterized by floral and fruity notes, this brand provides a taste of the islands with a smooth and clean finish.
Pros
- Unique flavor profile
- Floral and fruity notes
Cons
- Limited availability
What type of coffee beans are best for pour-over brews?
When experimenting with different coffee-making styles, you should choose the right coffee beans for your method. A dark, fine roast may be perfect for espresso. However, when you brew with a Chemex, it can quickly become over-extracted, bitter sludge.
Most coffee lovers choose light to medium roasts with a medium grind size for pour-over coffee.
The best roast
Both medium and light roasts can taste delicious when brewed through the pour-over slow brewing method. However, most coffee connoisseurs' first choice is a light roast.
The flavor profile of a light roast coffee is bright and acidic, with multifaceted flavor notes and aromas. In contrast with the heavier caramel and chocolate notes in dark roasts, light roasts can contain sweet, fruity, tangy, or even floral notes.
Light roasts are roasted just past the first crack allowing them to retain many flavors that burn away with darker roasts. The beans have been taken off the heat source before the natural oils rise to the surface or carmelize. The result is more complex flavors with a lighter body and mouthfeel than other roasts.
The best grind size
Since pour-over coffee is a slow brew, many use a medium-coarse grind. This grind size is about the size of sugar in the raw. It allows the coffee flavors to release slowly without becoming bitter.
Other coffee lovers choose a medium-fine grind and a shorter brew time. This grind size allows you to speed up the brewing process. However, rushing the brew may result in less flavor.
As with any brew style, freshly ground coffee will taste best.
We've gone through a brief run-down of roasts and grind sizes. Now, it's time to check out a few of the best pour-over coffee beans in today's market.
For Chemex pour-over coffee, we chose light and medium roasts in a medium-range grind size. Here are a few of our favorite pour-over coffee beans for your tasting pleasure.
Which pour-over coffee beans are right for you?
Do you enjoy smooth, sweet, and fruity coffee, or prefer darker flavors such as cocoa and tobacco? Whether you choose a light or medium roast, single-origin, or blend, you have plenty of options in today's market.
We've listed five of our favorite coffee beans for pour-over coffee. Now it's time to choose which beans are best for you!
Meet the expert
Alex Praytor is a Texas native and former barista, who fell in love with espresso (and her husband) in Europe. She enjoys visiting ancient castles and the newest coffee shops with her family. When she is not teaching ESL or writing, she is honing her coffee-making craft.