Preparation with a hand filter

How do you make coffee with a hand filter? And what equipment do you need?

Preparation with a hand filter, also known as filter coffee or pour over, has been a real trend in the speciality coffee scene in recent years and there has been a lot of discussion about the best techniques and tools. But the filter method is not only interesting for the Brewers Cup Championships and speciality coffee shops. Basically, it's a straightforward way to brew a delicious cup of coffee without spending a lot of money.

You don't need much for the filter method - you can start with a limited set and add to it as you go.

The ingredients

The coffee

Light to medium-dark roasted coffee is particularly suitable for preparation with the filter. The coffee should be as fresh as possible, i.e. the roasting date should not be more than 3 months ago, but it should have rested a little (approx. 5 days after the roasting date)

We recommend using 6g of freshly ground coffee per 100ml of water, which can be adjusted to the desired quantity. So if you want to brew a total of 300ml of coffee, you need 18g of coffee.

^CHF 13,90 _{350 g}

Coffee Annan Kenya Filter

With the Coffee Annan Kenya filter, you get a piece of Kenyan coffee passion straight into your cup. Grown by small farmers from the Kapkiyai Farmers Cooperative Society in careful agroforestry systems and roasted by the experienced team from African Coffee Roasters, this coffee stands for sustainable enjoyment and unique flavour. Look forward to a journey into the heart of Kenya - sip by sip. The Coffee Annan Kenya Filter will win you over with its balanced, fruity flavours. You can taste the subtle sweetness of ripe cherry tomatoes, accompanied by juicy blackberries and full-bodied plums. This combination turns every cup into an aromatic experience that pampers and refreshes your palate at the same time. For the best flavour experience, we recommend preparing this coffee as filter coffee - whether with a classic filter machine, a hand filter or the AeroPress. This brings out the fine flavours particularly well and allows you to enjoy the full intensity and variety of this exceptional coffee. Coffee Annan Kenya Filter comes from Nandi County in western Kenya and is grown at an altitude of 2200 metres above sea level. The carefully selected varieties SL-28, Batman and Ruiru 11 are wet-processed and gently drum-roasted to a medium roast. The coffee achieves an impressive cupping score of 86.25 points - a promise of quality that you can taste.

New

Coffee package Compadre with black label and artistic design

Brasilien alu-free Directtrade

^CHF 35,90 _{2 SIZES}

Coffee maker:inside Compadre, 1 kg beans

Imagine two companions that harmonise perfectly: The strong Conilon Robusta brings vigour and energy, while the gentle Arabica provides calm and balance. Together they are compadres - friends with Italy in their hearts and roots in the mountains of Espirito Santo, Brazil. An espresso for everyone who knows: Espresso simply tastes better after the Gotthard. Compadre is a powerful ristretto or espresso with a clear body and creamy texture. Flavours of very dark chocolate and roasted nuts unfold in the cup, accompanied by a pleasant spiciness. A coffee that reinterprets classic Italian flavours and impresses with its depth and consistency. This blend is very forgiving and can be easily extracted on all espresso machines. A brewing ratio of 1:1.8 to 1:2 in 26-28 seconds is ideal. At 1:1.8, the body and texture dominate; at 1:2, the dark chocolate and nutty flavours are more prominent. This allows you to decide for yourself how intensely you experience your Compadre. Compadre is a blend of 50% Conilon-Robusta and 50% Arabica, both from Montanhas Capixaba, Espirito Santo, Brazil. The beans are blended at the origin, which equalises their moisture content. This ensures a more homogeneous roast, less risk of under- or over-development and a particularly round character. The Compadre is roasted in Basel's Gundeldinger neighbourhood by the Swiss master roaster 2025.

Package of Las Flores decaffeinated coffee from Colombia

^CHF 24,00 _{250 g}

Drip Roasters Colombia Las Flores Decaf

Red berries, brown sugar, dried fruit

Bag of 'La Papaya' coffee from Drip Roasters, Ecuador

^CHF 19,00 _{150 g}

Drip Roasters Ecuador La Papaya

If you are looking for a coffee that will surprise you with every cup, then you will love the Ecuador La Papaya from Drip Roasters. This exceptional microlot from Ecuador is in a league of its own - intensely sweet, complexly fruity and wonderfully clear in the cup. A coffee for explorers, adventurers and anyone who wants to tickle their taste buds. La Papaya is a real flavour spectacle. It combines the sweetness of ripe strawberries with the tangy freshness of citrus fruits and tropical notes such as passion fruit and watermelon. The texture is full-bodied and slightly syrupy, with a hint of fermented wildness - but never overpowering. On the contrary: despite its "funky" character, the cup remains surprisingly clean and balanced. The Mejorado variety used is a genetically exciting hybrid of Bourbon and Ethiopian landraces - known for its floral aromas and lively acidity. This coffee is grown at 1900 to 2100 metres above sea level in the Ecuadorian Andes. The plants there benefit from constantly cool temperatures and volcanic soil - ideal conditions for slow growth and high bean density. This coffee reveals its full complexity particularly well as a filter coffee - whether as a V60, Aeropress or in a batch brewer. If you are keen to experiment, you can also try it as a fruity espresso. The important thing is to give it enough time after the roasting date and work at a slightly lower brewing temperature (approx. 90-92 °C) to bring out the subtle fruity flavours even better. The beans are selected by hand after harvesting and undergo 120 hours of anaerobic fermentation in old oak barrels that once housed Ecuadorian rum for 20 years. Fermentation takes place under strictly controlled conditions - with sensors for temperature and humidity, in dark rooms at below 18 °C. The coffee is then dried until it is ready for consumption. The coffee then dries slowly on covered drying beds for up to 30 days. This careful processing gives La Papaya its depth, structure and special flavour.

Packaging of Bukure Ababel Coffee by Drip Roasters

^CHF 19,00 _{250 g}

Drip Roasters Ethiopia Buku Abel

Bergamot, apricot, mango, filter roast

Packaging of BUKU ABEL coffee beans by Drip Roasters, Ethiopian coffee

^CHF 19,00 _{250 g}

Drip Roasters Ethiopia Buku Abel

Peach, melon, blueberry, espresso roast

A package of La Confianza coffee from Peru with clear label

^CHF 18,00 _{250 g}

Drip Roasters Peru La Confianza

Red grape, plum, redcurrant

Verpackung des Horizonte Kaffees mit der Aufschrift Genial

^CHF 21,00 _{333 g}

Horizons Ingenious, Colombia, Filter Roast

Horizonte just had to call this coffee "Genius"! Thanks to Valentina, the owner of Siruma Coffee, they found the beans of the award-winning Café Granja when they were looking for a fruity, natural coffee from Colombia.The coffee cherries are fermented for ten hours at a constant temperature. After pulping, the beans are kept in a silo for 48 hours before being moved to a solar drying environment for 24 to 48 hours. Then it's back to the silo until the beans have reached a moisture content of 11%. This takes around 120 hours.The result is a rich, intense and complex coffee that is one of Café Granja's most sought-after products.

Verpackung von Maillardos Single Estate Ethiopia Tero Kaffee mit 250g Inhalt, Bio-Qualität und Aromaprofil beschrieben auf der Vorderseite.

^CHF 13,00 _{250 g}

Maillardos, Ethiopia Tero (organic)

Discover Maillardos Ethiopia Tero (organic), a real gem from the renowned Guji region near Shakiso. Grown on the Dimtu Tero farm, this coffee brings the essence of Ethiopian coffee art directly into your cup. Immerse yourself in a complex and intense flavour experience with Maillardos Ethiopia Tero. This exquisite roast reveals a fascinating combination of floral notes, peach and berries, supported by a syrupy, velvety body. Every sip transports you to the high altitudes of Ethiopia, where this unique Arabica coffee thrives. The light roast of Maillardo Ethiopia Tero is ideal for slow brew methods such as French press, Chemex or filter coffee. But this coffee also unfolds its full character when prepared as an espresso and tastes wonderfully creamy, especially in combination with milk,

New

Bag of Gesha coffee beans from Rast Roastery

^CHF 40,00 _{250 g}

Rast Coffee Gesha Washed, Panama

Immerse yourself in the world of premium coffees: with Gesha washed from Rast Kaffee, you will experience a rarity that is one of Panama's best speciality coffees. This single origin from Santa Clara shows how balanced elegance and complex flavours come together in perfect harmony. Gesha washed impresses with its fine but clearly noticeable acidity, which gives it a lively freshness. Citrus and black tea unfold on the nose, while bergamot, jasmine, honey and apple come together in a harmonious interplay on the palate. The result is an exceptional coffee that combines complexity with clarity and will delight you sip after sip. This Gesha is best enjoyed as a filter coffee, where its floral and fruity notes can unfold their full radiance. It also impresses as a café crème with its fine structure. It is less suitable for espresso, as its bright, complex flavour comes out more clearly in filter preparation. Gesha comes from the traditional Finca Hartmann in Santa Clara, which has been one of Panama's most renowned producers for almost 100 years. Today, siblings Maria and Plinio Ruiz run the family business Casa Ruiz with passion and respect for nature. The growing area lies between 1,300 and 2,000 metres above sea level, surrounded by forest reserves at the Parque Internacional La Amistad. The Hartmann family favours sustainable shade cultivation under native rainforest trees, thus maintaining a closed cycle that preserves biodiversity. This Gesha is a SHB quality (Strictly Hard Bean) and is processed in the Chiriquí region. The washed method emphasises its clear structure and lively acidity. Directly traded (Label Direct Trade), it stands for maximum transparency and quality. The harvest period is between December and April, with only the ripest cherries being picked by hand. A coffee for special moments - exclusive, full of character and of sustainable origin.

Haufen mit frisch gemahlenem Kaffeepulver auf einer Tischoberfläche

Water

Coffee consists of 99% water and the latter is therefore a very important component of your coffee. We recommend a water hardness of approx. 8 dH (German degrees of hardness). The water temperature also has a major influence on which and how many flavourings are released from the coffee.

As a general rule, if the water is too hot, the coffee tastes more bitter overall; if the water is too cold, the coffee becomes more acidic. The perfect water temperature is around 93ºC. However, this also depends on the roast, lighter coffee roasts can be brewed at higher temperatures (e.g. up to 98ºC) and slightly darker coffee roasts at lower temperatures (e.g. up to 88ºC).

Nahaufnahme eines Wasserteststreifens auf einem Glas gefüllt mit blauer Flüssigkeit zur Wasseranalyse

The equipment

Grinder

Whether you use an electric grinder or a hand grinder is irrelevant, but the grinder should be of the highest possible quality to ensure that the coffee particles are all ground to the same size. Lower quality grinders can produce unevenly ground coffee and many particles that are too fine. These tiny coffee fragments are extracted very quickly and can unbalance your cup.

Grind size: A medium coarse grind should be selected. If you are already familiar with brewing with a portafilter machine, the coffee should be ground much coarser in comparison. When you rub the ground coffee in your fingers, it should feel like medium-coarse sea salt (e.g. kosher salt).

Nahaufnahme der Mahlgradeinstellung einer Comandante Kaffeemühle in Blau

Filter holder

The filter holder is ideally made of porcelain or glass, as these materials are neutral in flavour and heat up quickly.

Weiße Keramik Kaffeefilter von oben mit markantem Spiralmuster

Filter paper

Hario V60 filter paper is well suited to emphasising the acidity and floral notes while allowing a reasonable amount of coffee oils to pass through the thin filter, allowing a certain body to emerge.

Chemex, with its slightly thicker filter paper, retains more of the oils from the beans, resulting in a coffee with more complexity. Both filter papers are very good. It is also important that the size of the filter paper is matched to the filter holder.

Ein weißer Kaffeefilter aus Papier in der Größe 4, zusammengefaltet auf einem hellen Hintergrund

Water boiler

The kettle used for pouring water into the filter should have a thin swan neck. This shape makes it much easier for the water to flow evenly. In kettles with shorter spouts, the water tends to pour out unevenly.

Silberner Edelstahl-Wasserkessel mit ergonomischem Griff und Schwanenhals-Ausguss

Fine scales

There are various precision scales on the market. A scale of a certain size is particularly suitable here so that the jug with filter holder can be placed on it easily. Ideally, the precision scale also has a timer so that you can keep a close eye on the amount of water and the time.

Glas-Kaffeekanne auf einer digitalen Waage mit Anzeige auf einem Tisch

The standard brewing recipe

A short guide on how to make coffee with the hand filter.

Person gießt heißes Wasser in einen Handfilter mit frisch gemahlenem Kaffee

Ingredients

18g filter-roasted coffee beans
300 ml water
+ approx. 200 ml water, which is poured away before brewing

Equipment

Hario V60 filter holder
Hario V60 filter paper
Hario V60 jug
Hario V60 watering can
Grinder (electric grinder or hand grinder)
Fine scale, preferably with integrated time measurement
Temperature gauge

Further information on the recipe

Water temperature: 93ºC
Total extraction time 2min 30s to 3min 00s

Mise en place

Place the hand filter on the jug and the paper filter in the hand filter. It is best to use a precision scale with integrated time measurement for coffee preparation so that you can determine the exact ratio of coffee to water. If you have one, place the jug and filter on the precision scale.

Preparing for the brewing process

The first step is to boil water in a kettle and run it through the paper filter on your Hario V60 to remove the inherent flavour of the paper and to warm up the jug and filter holder. You then pour this filtered water away and the actual process can begin.

Blooming and brewing process

Set the weight on your precision scale to zero and pour 18g of medium-coarse freshly ground coffee into the V60 filter. Then set the weight to zero again and start your time measurement. For blooming and the brewing process, your water temperature should be around 93ºC.

Blooming phase: For blooming, pour 50g of water into the filter. Try to wet all the coffee grounds with water so that they can soak up the water. You will see how the coffee begins to swell (blooming). Blooming releases the carbon dioxide that has built up during the roasting process from the coffee. Light-coloured roasts and fresh coffee usually produce a stronger blooming, as they normally contain more gases. After this phase, take a short break until the coffee stops swelling so that you can then start a controlled brew. If you have a precision scale with time measurement, you can read off the amount of water in g and time. You should have poured a total of 50g of water in the blooming phase and the phase should last approx. 30 seconds.
Brewing phase: Then slowly pour 250g of water in a circular motion, either clockwise or anti-clockwise, starting from the centre and working outwards, for 2 minutes. At the end, wait until the water has completely run through.

There is no real brewing recipe. The dosage of coffee is and always will be a matter of taste.

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Benefit now

Coffee machines bundles

Bean tasting sets

Tasting sets pads

Tasting sets capsules

More topics

How to prepare filter coffee

Preparation with a hand filter

The ingredients

The coffee

Coffee Annan Kenya Filter

Coffee maker:inside Compadre, 1 kg beans

Drip Roasters Colombia Las Flores Decaf

Drip Roasters Ecuador La Papaya

Drip Roasters Ethiopia Buku Abel

Drip Roasters Ethiopia Buku Abel

Drip Roasters Peru La Confianza

Horizons Ingenious, Colombia, Filter Roast

Maillardos, Ethiopia Tero (organic)

Rast Coffee Gesha Washed, Panama

Water

The equipment

Grinder

Filter holder

Filter paper

Water boiler

Fine scales

The standard brewing recipe

Ingredients

Further information on the recipe

Preparing for the brewing process

Blooming and brewing process

Origin of coffee

Coffee plant