Pour-over is a lovely way to start a slow morning. Making it for two people is just as easy as making it for one. You only need a little more coffee, a slightly longer pour and something to catch the brew. This guide gives you the numbers first, then the steps.
The quick answer: how much coffee for two cups?
Most pour-over recipes use a ratio of about 1 part coffee to 16 parts water. For two mugs of around 8 oz (240 ml) each, that works out to:
| Cups | Coffee | Water | Total brew time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 cup (8 oz / 240 ml) | 15 g (about 2½–3 level tbsp) | 240–250 g | 2½–3½ min |
| 2 cups (16 oz / 480 ml) | 30 g (about 5–6 level tbsp) | 480–500 g | 3½–4½ min |
| 3 cups (24 oz / 720 ml) | 45 g | 720–750 g | 4–5 min |
Tablespoon amounts are a rough guide because beans and grinds weigh differently. If you can, weigh your coffee once and note how many scoops it takes. After that you can brew by feel. For 1 to 4 cups and stronger or lighter options, see our pour-over coffee ratio chart.
What you need
- A cone dripper. We brew with our rustic ceramic pour-over dripper. Ceramic holds heat well once you preheat it with hot water.
- A paper cone filter that fits your dripper. Filters are sized by number (#1, #2, #4), so check your dripper before you buy.
- Something to brew into. For two cups, a server is easiest. Our amber glass coffee server holds about 500 ml and has markings, so you can see when you have reached two cups.
- A stand (optional). A walnut-tone dripper stand keeps the dripper steady over a mug.
- Hot water around 195–205°F (90–96°C). No thermometer? Bring the kettle to a boil and wait about 30 seconds.
- Coffee ground medium, about the texture of coarse sand.
Method 1: one dripper over a glass server (5 minutes)
- Heat everything. Put the filter in the dripper, set it on the server and pour hot water through. This rinses the paper taste and warms the ceramic and glass. Pour that water out.
- Add 30 g of coffee and shake the dripper gently so the bed is flat.
- Bloom. Pour about 60 g of water, just enough to wet all the grounds. Wait 30–45 seconds. You will see the coffee puff up and bubble. That is gas escaping, and it helps the rest of the water extract evenly.
- First main pour. Pour slowly in small circles from the center out, avoiding the very edge of the filter, until you reach about 250 g.
- Second pour. When the level drops by about a third, pour again up to 480–500 g.
- Let it drain. The whole brew should finish around 3½–4½ minutes. Swirl the server and pour two cups.
Method 2: two drippers side by side
If each person likes their own cup, set two drippers straight on two mugs. Use 15 g of coffee and 240–250 g of water in each, bloom both, then pour into one and then the other in turns. This takes a little more attention, but each cup is ready at the same time and you can brew two different coffees for a side-by-side tasting.
Taste and adjust
Your first cup is a starting point. Change one thing at a time:
- Sour, thin or weak, and it drained fast (under 3 minutes for two cups): grind a little finer, or add 2–3 g more coffee.
- Bitter, harsh or dry, and it drained slowly (over 5 minutes): grind a little coarser, or pour a bit faster.
- Too strong but tastes good: keep the recipe and add a splash of hot water to each cup.
Write down what you changed. Two or three mornings is usually enough to find your recipe.
Common questions
Can I make two cups in one small dripper?
Yes, as long as 30 g of coffee and the water fit without overflowing. Pour in smaller amounts more often if the dripper fills up quickly.
Does pour-over for two take longer?
Only a little. A bigger coffee bed drains more slowly, so expect about one extra minute compared with a single cup. Brewing for four or more most mornings? See pour-over vs a drip coffee maker.
What if I don't have a scale?
Use 5–6 level tablespoons of ground coffee and fill to the 500 ml mark on your server. It will not be exact, but it is close enough to start. Our guide on brewing with a scale and timer explains why weighing helps.
Brew it tonight
Set out the dripper, filter and server before bed, so the morning is just water and coffee. If you are putting a setup together, the Slow Pour for Two option on our ceramic dripper page brings the dripper, glass server, walnut-tone stand and two double-wall glass cups together in one order. Filters and coffee are not included, so bring the beans you already love.
Let it drip.
— Tran Vu Doan, Phin & Clay