For pour-over coffee, start with a medium grind and adjust gradually. The best grind is not one universal click setting: it depends on your grinder, coffee, filter, recipe and taste. This guide gives you a simple way to find a repeatable starting point.
How fine should coffee be for pour-over?
Begin at the pour-over range suggested by your grinder maker. The grounds should feel noticeably finer than a typical French press grind, without becoming powdery. Treat this as a starting reference rather than a fixed rule.
How to adjust your pour-over grind
- If the cup tastes sharp, thin or underdeveloped: try a slightly finer grind on the next brew.
- If the cup tastes bitter, heavy, or the brew slows to a trickle: try a slightly coarser grind on the next brew.
- Change only one small step at a time. Keep your coffee dose, water and pour routine steady so you can understand what changed.
A simple grind routine for beginners
- Measure the same dose of whole beans for each test.
- Use the same dripper, filter and pouring routine.
- Grind immediately before brewing.
- Taste the cup and record whether you will go a little finer or coarser next time.
A consistent routine makes your grinder easier to understand than chasing a setting copied from another coffee or another model.
Choose a grinder setting safely
Use the adjustment guidance in your exact grinder manual as the final reference. If you are learning hand grinding, the Slow Mill Manual Coffee Grinder Pro is a compact option for building a repeatable home, work or travel routine. Keep it performing predictably with this guide to using and cleaning a manual coffee grinder.
Quick answers
How do I grind coffee for pour-over?
Start from your grinder maker pour-over recommendation, grind a small measured dose just before brewing, and adjust only one small step after tasting each cup.
Why does one grind setting not work for every pour-over?
Grinders, coffees, filters, doses and recipes vary. A repeatable method and gradual adjustment is more useful than a universal number.