The ritual of the pour over is like a meditation. There’s no machine in your way, no flashing green lights, no electric power cords. If, for instance, you typically rely on a machine to make your morning cup, switching to a Blue Bottle pour over can be like trading up from a butter knife to a Japanese cleaver: The coffee comes out sharper, clearer, more fundamentally itself.

This guide teaches you the same brew theory and proprietary technique we teach our baristas, so you can achieve cafe-quality pour overs at home. It offers a brief history of our method, which has evolved over the years as we continue to master the technique. It also includes a more basic method for beginners and an introduction to the art of tasting and evaluating good coffee.