I'm a Bonafide Coffee Nerd and This Is My Favorite Pour-Over Coffee Maker
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Great coffee is easier than it looks.
Allrecipes/Irvin Lin
As a coffee nerd, the most nerdiest coffee-making method is the pour-over. It’s one of the simplest devices—it’s essentially manual drip coffee—and yet coffee fanatics swear allegiance to it, often proclaiming it the best way to get a quality cup. Despite the mystique behind pour-over coffee, it’s not as difficult to make as the hipster barista at the coffee shop makes it seem. And though I own way too many pour-over devices, the one I gravitate toward most of the time is the classic Hario V60. Hario V60 Glass Coffee Dripper
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The Hario V60 is one of the most commonly used pour-over coffee makers in upscale trendy coffee shops for a reason. The classic “V” shaped device, with an interior 60° angle (where the name V60 comes from), allows water to run down through the coffee grounds, concentrating and funneling into your cup underneath it. The conical device also features ridges on the side to help airflow and allow the coffee to filter at the proper rate into the cup below. It produces a clean and flavorful cup with a medium body, all with minimal fuss and effort. Pour over is not as brainless as a French press coffee, where you just pour the coarse coffee ground and hot water into a vessel, let it steep, and then strain it by pressing down the plunger. Nor is it as easy as an automatic drip coffee machine or Keurig coffee maker, where all you need to do is press a button. But it’s also not as difficult as folks make it out to be! The ritual of making pour-over coffee, which only takes an active three to four minutes of brewing time, is something that I look forward to in the morning. It’s a bit meditative for me, boiling the water, grinding the beans to a medium consistency in a burr grinder, and then making the pour-over by preparing the paper filter and mug or carafe I’m using. I pour hot water over the paper filter, which does two things: remove the papery cardboard flavor that some paper filters can impart and warm up my coffee mug or carafe underneath. I empty my mug of the papery-tasting water to add 24 grams of freshly ground coffee (about five level tablespoons). The first pour of water is around 50 grams (about 1/4 cup) or just enough to wet the coffee and create bubbles. This is called “blooming” the coffee, which allows carbon dioxide to escape. Once the coffee has drained, I add about another 50 grams of water, in a spiral motion, from center to edge, making sure to wet the entire top of the ground. I continue to do this until I’ve added all the water I need for my coffee (the typical ratio is 1:15 coffee to water but I like my coffee fairly strong, so I drop down to 1:13).Once done, I’m rewarded with a cup of coffee that is an ideal balance of medium-body richness and clear bright flavor while showcasing the coffee's nuance. Those pretentious flavor notes you often see on high-end single-origin coffee bags, the ones that say “Milk chocolate, Mandarin orange, and honeysuckle” on the front of the package? You’re way more likely to taste those notes brewed in a pour-over like the V60 than in an automatic drip machine that runs the water through at the fastest rate possible. With the V60, you control the water flow, pouring small amounts through the grounds and letting the coffee bloom, all of which extract more flavor and create the ideal cup that all the coffee nerds talk about.Other Pour Over Devices to ConsiderAnother Favorite Pour-Over Coffee Maker: Kalita Wave 185 Dripper
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The other contender for the most popular pour-over device is the Kalita Wave. Using a flat-bottomed ruffled coffee filter that looks a bit like a miniaturized version of old-school automatic drip coffee maker filters, the Kalita Wave sits on the coffee mug or carafe, just like the V60 does.The flat bottom has three small holes that allow the coffee to drain, instead of a single one like the V60. This causes water to pool and sit in the coffee grounds a little longer, leading to a fuller-bodied coffee. Since it drains a little slower, it’s also a little easier for folks who don’t own a gooseneck kettle (which helps control the pouring of the water) or coffee lovers who are just starting with pour-over. It will still produce a beautiful cup of coffee, and the lightweight durable metal means it’s also fairly indestructible if you are prone to knocking things over in the kitchen.Most Versatile: Origami Japan Pour Over Coffee Dripper
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You might have seen this gorgeous pour-over coffee maker on Instagram or TikTok, but don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all style and no substance. The Origami Dripper, available in a wide range of colors, is picture-perfect and makes an excellent cup of coffee. Similar to the V60, there is a single hole at the bottom and coffee is funneled downward into the center. But unlike the V60, the Origami is a more versatile pour-over device since it takes multiple types of filters. You can fit a V60-style cone filter into the Origami (my preferred filter) or a flat-bottomed Kalita wave-style filter (where the ruffles of the filter fit very satisfyingly into each fold of the Origami device). But because of the design and versatility, the Origami also requires a bit of experimenting to figure out the best way to brew the cup you want.Cone filters tend to drain faster because there’s more airflow with the folds in the Origami, so a finer grind might be recommended. Flat-bottomed filters have the opposite effect, as the filters fit neatly into the folds and slow down the brewing. Experimenting is part of the fun with brewing in the Origami, but you have to be willing to do that to get the optimum cup for your palate.Best for Large Batch: Chemex Pour-Over Glass Coffeemaker
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If you have a large household that drinks coffee or you want to make more than just one or two cups at a time, the Chemex is the best pour-over coffee maker for larger batches of coffee. Invented in 1941 by Dr. Peter Schlumbohm, the device is a treasured piece of design that’s currently a part of the Museum of Modern Art collection. With an hourglass shape, the glass vessel looks equally like it should be in a chemistry lab or on your kitchen counter. To get the best cup, it’s recommended to use a Chemex paper filter. Chemex filters have thicker paper to remove some of the coffee oils, resulting in a lighter-bodied, cleaner cup with floral and sweeter notes shining through in each sip. The Chemex is excellent for larger amounts and comes in a variety of shapes. If you want the clarity of a Chemex and only want to make one cup at a time, the Funnex, a single-cup pour-over device by Chemex, is a great option as well.Best for Camping: MiiR Pourigami
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Buy at Miir.com
If you’re an outdoor or backpacking sort of person, but still desire your pour-over coffee in the wild, the MiiR Pouragami is an excellent solution. Three thin metal plates interlock together to allow you to make your coffee anywhere you want to go, from campsite to picnic. The triangle device functions similarly to a V60 or other funnel-style pour-over devices, using a conical filter that you place inside the device.The Pourigami does require the right-sized mug or cup, so you can properly place the device on top. But once you know how it works, you’ll be making excellent coffee anywhere you go. Once you’re done, discard the grounds, rinse off the Pourigami, and break it down back into the three plates. Once flattened and stored in its included fabric envelope, the Pourigami is basically the shape and size of a small iPhone, weighing only four ounces.Best Splurge: Fellow Stagg XF Pour-Over Coffee Maker Set
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Fellow makes some pretty awesome coffee-making equipment, and its pour-over device, the Stagg XF, follows in that tradition. The tall black cylinder has double vacuum-sealed walls that retain heat so coffee is brewed at the optimum temperature. Under the device is a double-walled glass carafe that holds the coffee and looks modern and sleek. It can be fitted with a flat-bottomed ruffled coffee filter, and water is poured over it. With less space to pour, there’s less need to spiral and move the water around the top of the grounds. With a more vertical brewer and a flat bottom, the water also sits and filters through the ground slower, extracting more flavor.The downside of the Stagg is that its shape requires proprietary filters made by Fellow. So once you buy a Stagg, you’re locked into always buying filters from Fellow as well. But for those folks who are interested in a pour-over machine that looks great sitting on your countertop and makes a great cup of coffee, the Stagg XF is worth the money.Best for Beginners: OXO Brew Single Serve Pour-Over Coffee Maker
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Most pour-over coffee requires a little more work than a typical automatic coffee maker, as you have to manually pour the water over the grounds. But the Oxo brewer is a great entry-level pour-over coffee maker! It gives you the option of either pouring the water over the coffee yourself or using their included water tank. Using the water tank makes pour-over coffee a super easy task. Add the filter and grounds, and then place the water tank over the device. Pour all the hot water you need for the coffee grounds into the water tank and let the water drain.The water tank has several small holes to allow the water to drain all over the coffee grounds in an even and slow manner. It’s almost like an automatic coffee maker, without all the cumbersome machinery surrounding it. And because the Oxo Brew Pour Over is made of plastic, it’s fairly indestructible and easy to bring with you on a trip. Making it an ideal coffee machine for work trips where you need your pour-over away from home and don’t want to think too hard about making it in the morning.Why Take Our Word For It?Irvin Lin is the author of the baking cookbook Marbled, Swirled, and Layered as well as the founder of the blog Eat the Love. He’s an avid coffee drinker, always searching out for the best cup of coffee where he travels. He’s a food writer, recipe developer, and product reviewer that has tested hundreds of kitchen equipment, including bakeware, cookware and countertop appliances.
Related: After Brewing in Over a Dozen French Presses, This Is My Go-to for the Perfect Cup
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