True coffee connoisseurs know that filling their cup with the best tasting coffee requires more than simply selecting the best bean—the way in which you make that coffee, alas, also has a significant impact on the quality of the final product. In recent years, “third wave” coffee lovers have discovered that one of the best preparation methods for transferring maximum flavor from bean to cup is pour over brewing, a preparation style that gives you the ability to control the speed with which you pour water over the coffee grounds, thereby allowing more time for the water to pull out every last drop of flavor to provide a richer, bolder, and altogether more satisfying taste. While this is true no matter which coffee you use, some types lend themselves better to pour over preparation than drip-style preparation. In this article, well introduce you to 5 coffees that fall into that category with our selection of the top 5 pour over coffees currently on the market.
We reviewed dozens of pour over coffees to identify the best of the best. We examined a range of factors, including origin, bean type, profile, acidity, bitterness, flavor notes, cost, and average customer reviews. All of these top-rated pour over coffees can be purchased online at Amazon.com.
Having considered a large number of pour over coffees, we chose the Volcanica Coffee Sidamo Ethiopian Coffee as out top pick. This medium roast coffee is certified Fair Trade Organic, made with 100% arabica, single-origin beans, and boasts a medium body and bright, playful flavor profile with delicate notes of fruit and chocolate.
The 5 Top-Rated Pour Over Coffees
| Editor's Picks | Brand | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Best Pour Over Coffee Overall | Volcanica Coffee Sidamo Ethiopian Coffee | 4.4 |
| Best Whole BeanPour Over Coffee | Real Good Coffee Co Whole Bean Donut Shop Medium Roast | 4.6 |
| Best Budget Pour Over Coffee | AmazonFresh Dark Roast Whole Bean Coffee | 4.3 |
| Best Medium Roast Pour Over Coffee | Fresh Roasted Coffee Costa Rica Tarrazu Coffee | 4.4 |
| Best Dark Roast Pour Over Coffee | Koffee Kult Dark Roasted Gourmet Coffee Beans | 4.3 |
*Ratings are from Amazon at the time of publication and can change
Best Pour Over Coffee Overall: Volcanica Coffee Sidamo Ethiopian Coffee
Having considered an utterly vast array of coffees that are ideally suited to the pour over method of preparation, the one that wins out vote as the best out there in 2020 is the Volcanica Coffee Sidamo Ethiopian Coffee.
Volcanica is a Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and Shade Tree-certified brand that goes the extra mile to deliver the freshest, tastiest coffee available. All of its beans are ethically sourced from plantations that grow their beans on andisol (volcanic soil), which is extremely rich in nutrients and produces livelier, more flavorful beans, and also roasts all of its beans to order in small batches at their roasting facility in Atlanta, Georgia. This family-run business values ethical production and employment practices more than almost any other coffee-producer we know of, donating 1% of sales to the organization charity: water, working only with coffee plantation farmers who pay their staff above-average salaries, and only with plantations that whose production practices have minimal impact on local environments and strive to preserve the rainforest and habitats surrounding their plantations.
Volcanica’s Sidamo Ethiopian Coffee is a lighter medium-bodied medium roast made with wild coffee beans that deliver a remarkably smooth texture and unique, complex flavor that includes notes of lavender, dark chocolate, and strawberry.
Because these beans are roasted on demand, you’re sure to receive them at the peak of their post-roast freshness and their most flavorful, making them ideally suited to pour-over preparation and discerning aficionados who are keen to enjoy every tiny hint of their beans’ flavor profile.
Volcanica Coffee Sidamo Ethiopian Coffee Key Features:
- 16-ounce bag
- Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and Shade Tree-certified
- Roasted on demand for optimal freshness
- Medium roast
- Smooth texture
- Complex flavors include notes of lavender, dark chocolate, and strawberry
Best Whole Bean Pour Over Coffee: Real Good Coffee Co Whole Bean Donut Shop Medium Roast
Seattle-based Real Good Coffee’s Whole Bean Donut Shop Medium Roast is a great choice for coffee enthusiasts who love a rich, flavorful dark roast that might lack some of the fresh and fruity punch of some of the other coffees in our review but more than makes up for it with its perfect balance of flavors and texture.
This coffee is made with premium quality Arabica coffee beans from Central and South America that are responsibly grown and sourced and, to maximize freshness, are packaged immediately after roasting at the company roasting facility in Seattle.
This coffee wins our vote as the best whole bean option for many reasons but most notably because the natural oiliness of the beans allows you bring out the best of their robust flavoring with the pour-over brewing method and also for the coffee’s rich, sweet profile, which includes delicious, warm notes of brown sugar, hazelnut, and even a little hint of plum.
Real Good Coffee Whole Bean Donut Shop Medium Roast Key Features:
- 2-pound bag
- Roasted in Seattle, USA
- Ethically grown and sourced beans
- Sweet flavor profile
- Notes of plum, brown sugar, and hazelnut
Best Budget Pour Over Coffee: AmazonFresh Dark Roast Whole Bean Coffee
This wildcard entry on our list may raise a few eyebrows at first, but after you’ve tried your first pour-over brew with these dark roasted beans we’re sure you’ll happily agree that the AmazonFresh Dark Roast Whole Bean Coffee is absolutely ideal for everyday pour-over brewing.
Priced at just $0.41 per ounce, these beans cost a mere fraction of most of the other coffees in our review. But they’ve got a lot more going for them than a palatable price alone. This full-bodied dark roast is made with 100% Arabica beans and has a very subtle degree of bitterness that serves as the perfect complement to the coffee’s smoky, chocolatey flavor profile and smooth texture.
While these beans don’t offer quite the same complex flavoring as some of the other coffees in our review, they’re ideal for everyday brewing and occasions when you want to save your pricey premium beans for when you’ll have more time to enjoy them.
AmazonFresh Dark Roast Whole Bean Coffee Key Features:
- 32-ounce bag
- 100% Arabica beans
- Grown in Central and South America
- Roasted and packed in the U.S.A.
- Smoky, chocolatey flavor
Best Medium Roast Pour Over Coffee: Fresh Roasted Coffee Costa Rica Tarrazu Coffee
The Fresh Roasted Coffee Costa Rica Tarrazu Coffee is a great choice for coffee-lovers looking for a medium roast that’s a little less oily but delivers an absolute riot of flavor with every sip.
While brighter and slightly more acidic than many other medium roasts, this coffee’s major selling points are the robust and warm notes of honey and chocolate that dance on the palate and provide a delightfully sweet, lingering aftertaste and the kind of aroma that will have your neighbors knocking at the door to join in the pour-over party! As with most medium roasts, this one isn’t terribly oily and is considered medium-bodied, but its wonderfully eloquent and complex profile still allows you to extract plenty of satisfying, interesting flavors with careful brewing.
All FRC coffees are sustainably sourced and roasted, blended, and packaged in the USA.
Fresh Roasted Coffee Costa Rica Tarrazu Coffee Key Features:
- 5-pound bag
- Made with 100% Arabica beans
- Roasted, blended, and packaged in the USA
- Sustainably sourced
- Notes of honey and chocolate
- No acid kickback and a superbly smooth finish.
- Medium-bodied
Best Dark Roast Pour Over Coffee: Koffee Kult Dark Roasted Gourmet Coffee Beans
The Koffee Kult Dark Roasted Gourmet Coffee Beans are the ideal choice for buyers who love smooth, clean-tasting coffees with bold, earthy flavors and oodles of oil that will ooze effortlessly from bean to cup during the pour-over preparation method.
Koffee Kult’s beans are packaged immediately after roasting in order to ensure they reach your grinder at peak freshness. The flavor profile of these beans is intense, deep, bold, and punchy, while the smoothness is nothing short of silken. What we love most about this coffee is the complexity that derives from the beans’ varied countries of origin (Brazil, Sumatra, and Colombia) and the alternating notes of cinnamon, chocolate, and nuts encountered with each sip. While intense, this coffee’s flavor is never harsh, has minimal bitterness, and boasts a crisp, bright, slightly sweet aftertaste that leaves you ready for the next swig before you’ve even had time to put your cup down after the last one!
At $0.84 per ounce, these artisan-style beans are a little on the pricey side, but if you’re a lover of rich, full-bodied coffees with nicely balanced acidity, big, bold, gourmet flavors, and ideal for pour-over brewing, they’re worth every penny!
Koffee Kult Dark Roasted Gourmet Coffee Beans Key Features:
- 32-ounce bag
- Whole bean
- Roasted in Florida
- Beans ethically sourced from Brazil, Sumatra, and Colombia
- Organic
- Notes of cinnamon, chocolate, and nuts
If you’re in search of a coffee with the flavor profile, texture, and subtle undertones that are ideally suited to pour-over brewing, these top-rated pour over coffees are a great choice. For more coffee-related products, check out our reviews of the Best Coffee Grinders and the Best Pour Over Coffee Makers.
