Pour-over dripper

Three shapes and what each asks of you

Tendency, not a guarantee

Open cone with a large hole

Water leaves as fast as the coffee bed allows, so the brew time is set by your grind and your pouring. It gives the most control and shows up inconsistent pouring most clearly.

Flat-bottomed with small holes

A level bed and a more restricted exit even out the flow. Results vary less from one brew to the next, which many people find easier to learn on.

Wedge or restricted-flow designs

One or a few small holes hold the water in contact with the coffee whatever you do. These are the most forgiving and work acceptably with an ordinary kettle.

Plastic, ceramic, glass or metal

CoffeeHQ explanation

The material matters mainly for heat. A heavy ceramic or glass dripper starts cold and takes heat out of the first water poured through it, so it should be warmed with hot water first. A thin plastic dripper takes very little heat and is the easiest to keep consistent, which is why many experienced brewers use plastic by choice.

Metal drippers heat quickly and survive travel. Beyond heat, choose on durability and looks. A ceramic dripper that is always preheated and a plastic one will make indistinguishable coffee with the same recipe.

Filters are specific to the dripper

Widely documented

Each shape takes its own filter: a pointed cone, a flat-bottomed wave, or a wedge with a seam along the base. They are not interchangeable, and each comes in sizes matched to the dripper size. Before settling on a dripper, check that its filters are easy to buy where you live, since they are the ongoing cost.

Filters are sold bleached white or unbleached brown. Either should be rinsed with hot water before brewing, which removes loose paper taste and warms the dripper at the same time.

What a dripper needs around it, in order of importance

CoffeeHQ explanation

1. A grinder. Pour-over depends on an even, adjustable grind more than any other filter method. This is where money is best spent.
2. A scale. Water is added by weight as you pour, so a scale that sits under the server is what makes a recipe repeatable.
3. A pouring kettle. A narrow spout gives a slow, steady stream. It is close to essential for an open cone and merely helpful for a restricted-flow dripper.
4. A server, if brewing for more than one. A dripper sits directly on a mug for one cup. For two or more, brew into a server and pour from that.

If hand-pouring is not for you

CoffeeHQ explanation

• Filter drip coffee maker — The same paper-filtered style with a machine doing the pouring. Less control, far less attention, and better suited to several cups.
• Chemex — A dripper and server in one piece of glass, with thicker paper that gives an even cleaner cup and suits larger batches.
• AeroPress — Paper-filtered and clean-tasting without the pouring technique or the special kettle, but one mug at a time.

What to do next

• How to brew with a V60 — The technique for an open cone, including what to change when a brew runs fast or slow.
• Pour-over planner — Turns a dose and a ratio into a bloom and a set of pours to follow.
• Gooseneck vs ordinary kettle — Whether the pouring kettle is worth it for the dripper you choose.
• Rinsing a paper filter — The small step that removes paper taste and warms the dripper.
• Become a barista — A structured programme from dose and grind through milk, drinks and maintenance.