Coffee lovers everywhere are always on the hunt for ways to make their morning brew tastier and stronger without breaking the bank. With coffee prices climbing and climate change making it tougher to grow those precious beans, a team of researchers from the University of Pennsylvania has uncovered a surprisingly easy way to get more flavor out of less coffee. Their findings, shared in a study published in April 2025 in the journal Physics of Fluids, show that the secret to a bold cup of pour-over coffee lies in how high you pour the water—and it’s a trick anyone can try at home.
Why Coffee Efficiency Matters Now More Than Ever
Coffee is one of the world’s favorite drinks, with billions of kilograms consumed every year. But growing coffee isn’t easy. The Arabica plant, which produces some of the best-tasting beans, is picky about its environment. It thrives in specific temperatures, and climate change is making those conditions harder to maintain. On top of that, coffee prices have been creeping up. In Canada, for example, Statistics Canada reported that 350 grams of roasted or ground coffee cost $6.72 in October 2024, but by February 2025, that price had jumped to $7.32. Globally, coffee hit record-high prices in January 2025, partly due to trade tariffs affecting major coffee-producing countries.
With these challenges in mind, the researchers set out to find a way to stretch coffee grounds further without sacrificing the rich taste people crave. They focused on pour-over coffee, a brewing method that’s popular for its simplicity and ability to highlight a coffee’s unique flavors. In pour-over, hot water is poured over ground coffee in a paper filter set inside a cone-shaped dripper. The water flows through the grounds, drips into a cup or carafe below, and voilà—you’ve got coffee. The team wanted to tweak this process to make it more efficient, using fewer beans to produce a strong, flavorful cup.
The Experiment: Pouring Water from New Heights
To figure out how to get the most out of coffee grounds, the researchers ran a series of tests. They started with Simply Nature Organic Honduras whole coffee beans, which they ground using a Eureka grinder. Instead of jumping straight to brewing, they first used silica gel particles—think of them as stand-ins for coffee grounds—in a see-through glass filter. This setup let them watch how water interacted with the particles. They used a laser sheet and a high-speed camera to capture every detail, giving them a clear view of the mixing process.
The team poured water from different heights, ranging from close to the filter to as high as 50 centimeters (about 20 inches) above it. They used a gooseneck kettle, which is a favorite among pour-over enthusiasts because it allows precise control over the water flow. What they found was surprising: pouring from higher up made a big difference. When water was poured from a greater height, it hit the grounds with enough force to create what the researchers called an “avalanche effect.” This meant the grounds slid and mixed more thoroughly with the water, pulling out more flavor.
But pouring from too high—like 50 centimeters—could get messy or even risky with hot water. Ernest Park, one of the researchers, explained that most people can safely pour from about 20 to 30 centimeters (roughly 8 to 12 inches) above the filter. That sweet spot is high enough to boost flavor but low enough to keep things under control.
What’s Happening Inside the Coffee Filter?
So, why does pouring from higher up work so well? It’s all about how the water and coffee grounds interact. When you pour slowly from a low height, the water doesn’t have enough energy to move the grounds around much. It just trickles through, leaving some flavor behind. But when you pour from a higher spot—say, 11 inches or so—the water hits the grounds with more force. This creates that avalanche effect, where the grounds shift and tumble, letting the water reach more of them. The result? More caffeine, oils, and tasty compounds get extracted from the grounds, making your coffee stronger.
The researchers also learned that the flow of water matters. They recommend keeping what’s called a “laminar jet,” which is a steady, unbroken stream of water. If you pour too slowly or from too high, the stream can break into droplets, and that’s no good. Droplets don’t mix the grounds as well, so you end up with a weaker brew. A gooseneck kettle is perfect for this because it lets you pour a smooth, focused stream.
To confirm their findings, the team brewed real coffee using their high-pour method and measured the dissolved solids in the finished cups. Dissolved solids are the compounds—like caffeine and flavor molecules—that give coffee its strength and taste. The results showed that their technique produced just as strong a cup as traditional methods, but with about 10 percent fewer grounds. That’s a big deal when you’re trying to save beans or cut costs.
How to Try This at Home
The beauty of this method is that you don’t need fancy equipment or a science degree to make it work. Here’s how to brew a stronger pour-over coffee using fewer beans, based on the researchers’ advice:
- Gather Your Supplies: You’ll need a pour-over dripper (like a V60 or Chemex), a paper filter, a gooseneck kettle, and your favorite coffee beans. The researchers used medium-coarse grounds, which are standard for pour-over.
- Grind Your Beans: Use a grinder to get a consistent medium-coarse texture. If you don’t have a grinder, pre-ground coffee works, but fresh-ground is best for flavor.
- Set Up Your Dripper: Place the paper filter in the dripper and set it over a cup or carafe. Rinse the filter with hot water to remove any paper taste and warm up the vessel.
- Add Coffee Grounds: Use about 10 percent less coffee than you normally would. For example, if you typically use 20 grams for a single cup, try 18 grams.
- Pour from a Height: Boil water and let it cool slightly (195–205°F is ideal). Using your gooseneck kettle, pour the water slowly and steadily from about 8 to 12 inches above the filter. Aim for a smooth stream, not droplets. Start in the center and spiral outward to wet all the grounds evenly.
- Keep It Steady: Pour in stages, letting the water drip through before adding more. The whole process should take about 2 to 3 minutes for a single cup.
- Enjoy: Once the dripping stops, remove the filter, give your coffee a quick stir, and sip away.
The researchers warn to “be reasonable” with the height—don’t go so high that you’re splashing hot water everywhere. Stick to 11 or 12 inches max, and you’ll be fine.
Why This Matters for Coffee Drinkers
This discovery isn’t just a fun science project; it’s practical for anyone who loves coffee. With prices rising—$7.32 for 350 grams in Canada and even higher in some places—saving beans without losing flavor is a win. Plus, using fewer grounds is better for the planet, especially as coffee farming faces challenges from climate change. The researchers estimate that their method could help ease the strain on global coffee supplies by making every bean count.
For Canadians, this trick might be especially appealing. Coffee is a daily ritual for many, and with costs creeping up, stretching your coffee budget feels good. Whether you’re brewing at home to save money or just want a tastier cup, this high-pour technique is worth a try.
What’s Next for Coffee Science?
The University of Pennsylvania team doesn’t plan to dive deeper into coffee studies, but they think there’s more to explore. For example, how does the size of the coffee grounds affect the brewing process? Or what about the water’s temperature or the shape of the dripper? These are questions for future researchers—or maybe for coffee nerds experimenting in their kitchens.
For now, this study gives coffee fans a simple way to level up their pour-over game. It’s not about fancy gadgets or rare beans; it’s about pouring smarter. So next time you’re brewing, grab your gooseneck kettle, lift it a little higher, and see what a difference a few extra inches can make. Your taste buds—and your wallet—might thank you.
