Best Pour over gear According to r/PourOver

"The Switch completely killed my desire to get into trying out different brewers. It’s outrageously reliable and makes a fantastic brew. I am using the Tetsu God/Devil method and it works for literally all coffees at almost whatever ratio you like. I didn’t like the ratio he used too much but with a standard 15g / 250ml it’s superb. 2 x 30 second 92-96° pours at 3 x coffee weight At 1 min 15 close Switch, pour remaining water for specific ratio but at 70°, open switch at 1.45. Delicious coffee every single time."

"My initial suspicion is that your Switch is a huge heat sink. The glass sucks away a lot of heat initially, then it also cools down more quickly than your cupping bowl."

"Pourover is not nearly as complicated as people make it out to be. I'd get a Hario switch as it can do both immersion or just act like a standard v60. The coffee chronicler recipe is literally foolproof. I've been doing pourover for 15 years. After a week you'll have it down and you can either stick with that or tweak your technique here or there. I would get a good grinder, either hand or electric.....something that doesn't create a ton of fines so that you can have predictable drawdowns. I use a ZP6 for hand and a Wilfa uniform for electric. If you don't want a Hario switch, I would look at a flat bottomed brewer like a Kalita Wave 185 as they are more forgiving than a v60 on technique."

"Plastic V60, Kingrinder K6, Cosori Gooseneck Kettle w/ Preset Temperature Control, cheap food scale. Should put you around $250 max with at least $50 to spend on beans."

"Yup that's what they do sometimes. Spike the price up so that they can put it on "sale" and you end up only saving a buck or 2. I've been watching the K6 grinders and they went up 30 bucks day before they went on sale. And with 20% off new price you only save $5. Total scam, but I guess something is better than nothing."

"No. It’s one of the worst grinders from a reputable company on the market. Go for the Kingrinder K6."

"It seems like slow feeding results in more consistent grain size in the final coffee. The difference is especially noticeable with hand grinders like the Kingrinder K4, where you can really feel the resistance and vibration inside the grinder as you use it. I notice when it's tilted horizontally and beans are fed slower that the action of the grinder feels significantly smoother, like I'm shaving the beans down rather than pulverizing them. When held vertically, the beans seem to require significantly more force to grind, and it feels more like the beans are breaking and being crushed rather than being shaved down if that makes sense. I think the idea is that beans tend to bunch up on the burrs and get stuck more with the normal fees rate, causing the final grains to vary more in size. Fwiw, I have gone from a choked 50 second shot at a grind level to under 20s using the same beans on the same day using the same grinder with the same pressure profile. It really does seem to make a massive difference."

"I just ended up here too and can’t seem to find the K4 on Amazon. All I see are 6, 2, and 0"

"I had a similar issue with an older k4 grinder I keep at work. I disassembled it cleaned it and it was much better suddenly. It wasn't perfect, but I simply set it to a finer setting and went on with life, enjoying great coffee at work ever since"

"I love my ceramic V60, my ceramic Kalita 185, and my ceramic Kalita 102. Plastic seems so cheap."

"I personally just display most of my drippers and only use my v60 for hot, and kalita 102 for an iced pour over"

"I've had a Flair Pro 2 (manual espresso press) for over a year now, and I think I'm finally past the honeymoon phase, because now my coffee itch isn't fully scratched until I have a pourover. I ended up with a Kalita 102 as my first dripper, and while getting a wedge style instead of a cone wasn't on purpose, I've come to like it. I figure I'll get a V60 eventually, just because that's as different from a Kalita 102 as you can get and still be a pourover dripper."

"I use a K series every morning. It’s not difficult at all. And I’m not exactly jacked in the muscle dept. I’ve never heard of anyone buying a hand grinder for speed. I personally like how quiet it is and the affordability for a great pour over grinder."

"I use 1zpresso K. I threw away 250g for initial seasoning, yet dozen of cups tasted unpleasant to drink. It was not sorely because of the new burr but I think it was a main reason. For me at about 700g the burr has settled down to a drinkable point. Is it perfect? I think it can still get better. Keep in mind that my cups tasted bad not only because of rough edges on burr but also because of my mistakes with new grinder."

"1zpresso K Series for all rounder or Zp6 for pour over. Commandante is just worse than the K series: slower grind time, worse adjustment system, bigger steps by default, no magnetic cup. I guess it's more compact if that's what you're after, but otherwise the build quality and grind quality are at the same level pretty much. Commandante used to be the gold standard but it now feels outdated in terms of user experience despite its price tag."

"I have to say, the brewer that always manages to squeeze itself back in my rotation is the v60, just cuz it offers a lot of options and the ceiling is so high for quality. The brewer I love the most is probably the Kono, but it isn't my favorite for every coffee. It forces you into using slightly coarser grounds and less agitation, but you can get some really great brews with just a bit higher extraction and bigger body than v60, but still a crisp acidity."

"The kono is my only dripper where it seems that it can't handle more than 90c. I have the clear one and it's now completely covert in small cracks"

"The kono meimon is faster than the v60(with the same filters). It has straight ridges similar to the ikea. Meimon produces a slightly sweeter cup. Meimon is plastic, where this is ceramic, but I wouldn't think that would affect the speed much. You are right about the price/color."

"Shout-out here for the Timemore B75, I've had very consistent and delicious results and find it very easy to get a good cup from. It's so cheap that it's hard not to give it a try, and I happen to think it looks pretty cool."

"You really did pick a winner. This is a good setup! You might be disappointed with the b75 but all your other buys were spot on. If you want that clarity the b75 advertises you might want to get a v60 or an Orea. Also you're so right about the grinder feeling good using it. The kettle is very much the same too I love them."

"Timemore b75. Just make sure you get a legit one. Cheap ones on aliexpress are made of cheap plastic that’ll melt."

"Cafec Abaca filters. They're my flavorite filters. Enjoying a lovely cup of B&W watermelon from one rn."

"Ok I thought I was going crazy. Having only recently gotten into pour over, the first time I bought the Abaca filters, their texture felt like a micro textured paper. Draw down times seemed decent and having no reason to switch I bought them again. But the second batch, and the subsequent batches I’ve bought, all feel much lumpier than the first ones. They feel more like raw pulp paper than the fine microtexture I remembered from my first purchase. Is that anything like what you experienced? I honestly thought I was imagining things."

"If possible, buy Cafec abaca coffee filter instead of the regular Hario Filters. The Hario ones clog easily unless you grinder coarser."

"Gotcha! Then I’d probably go with the AeroPress & Kingrinder and one of the coffees! I love my AeroPress and while it can’t make espresso, the coffee it does make is awesome!"

"Seems like they’re just using the automated pour over machines for pouring water into it, then pulling the Aeropress out to stir and press. This could be a successful method to create a lot of mess quite easily."

"Just got mine and never looked back. It's insanely tasty for iced pourovers. Will exclusively use my Aeropress for travelling now - or when making coffee for larger groups."

"Used one at SCA Expo, it’s pretty legit. Iirc Femobook and 1zpresso are related in some way"

"Shit yeah that doesn’t look like the axle is aligned properly. Contact femobook customer service."

"It’s an interesting hypothetical - but unfortunately it’s just that. Assuming there was a similarly sized electric Pietro that was the same $ as the current hand grinder such that it was the same as the A4Z - and the workflow, retention, build quality (Femobook has noticeably better materials and build quality than the Pietro) etc could match the Femobook - then sure, the comparison would be a lot closer - but that is a pile of “if’s.” It still would not change the fact that the cup profiles were different - with the A4Z highlighting lighter and more delicate notes - whereas the Pietro kicks the door open and starts swinging. If I was going to drink a delicate Gesha and wanted to hunt delicate tea notes, plums, florals, soft fruit notes - I would reach for the A4Z 100% of the time. If I was drinking say a super juicy and acidic pink bourbon like a Colombian from Jose Martinez with monster blood orange and grapefruit notes - I’d probably pull the Pietro off the shelf, as with that style of bean, the Pietro can literally rock your damn world. I really don’t think it’s a function of conical vs flat - the A4Z doesn’t taste like a conical in cup. It’s really a function of each grinder (and burr) offering a different flavor profile - and with the A4Z and Pietro - you’re really at the extreme top of the hill and any “this is better than that” statement is going to boil down to objective variables like workflow, build quality, retention, etc. In cup performance is going to be subjective and depend quite a bit on the specific bean being tested - but if your metric is average folks picking up the tasting notes on a bag of coffee (blind, without reading them first) - and you had 50 different coffees, I’d be willing to wager the A4Z is going take a glorious victory over the Pietro. Does that make it better? I wouldn’t necessarily say so, as even if you can’t pick up the notes, you might like the flavor of the cup more. Perhaps the main thing I’d take from my experience with the A4Z vs Pietro - is that the Pietro was the defacto $500 buy for a pour over enthusiast, and was the key point where returns for spending more $ to get better results fell off a literal cliff - but at the cost of the worst user experience on the market. The A4Z offers a similarly sized electric grinder at the same price point that is a joy to use - and is in the same realm of greatness, without any of the Pietro UX baggage. Now - if someone said they had $1k to spend on grinders and wanted the absolute best pour over experience possible - I’d die on the hill that a Femobook A4Z AND a Pietro are the combination made in heaven. With the A4Z you get mega clear and delicate cups that are considerably more complex, full bodied and satisfying than a ZP6 or 64mm grinder with SSP MP burrs and you get a first class workflow for day to day livability. When you stumble on the right coffee and feel like the A4Z is doing great - but the Pietro might melt your brain, pull the Pietro off the shelf, crank away - and you’re rewarded with a very different, and spectacular cup. At the end of this long rant - all I can say is, I have both been thrilled to have given the A4Z a shot and couldn’t be happier with it - and at the same time have come to respect and appreciate the Pietro even more. There is not one single pour over grinder at any price range I would take over an A4Z + Pietro combo. If anything they make an amazing pair, but if I had to choose the A4Z is the easy pick for its versatility and workflow."

"I have the Melodrip, the Cafemasy and a MHW-3BOMBER which is similar to the Timemore and almost certainly made by the same company. My recommendation? Bite the bullet and buy the Melodrip on a metal handle. Having the drip assist fixed on the dripper might seem convenient - but it is the opposite. Here’s why: 1. Fixed/attached assists are set to a fixed height. This gives you less control over your brew. If you find your draw downs going too quickly you can raise the stick mounted Melodrip higher to create more (but still well managed) agitation and visa versa. You can also get much lower to the bed and hover a few MM above the waterline with the stick mounted Melodrip. 2. You can move the stick mounted Melodrip in a circle as you pour to more evenly saturate the bed. The fixed drip assists only drop in the center and the outer parts of the bed aren’t as evenly saturated/agitated. 3. Drip assists hold 2-6 grams of water in them, and you can only get the final amount out by shaking it. If you have a fixed drip assist, it’s annoying and it also allows for that 2-6 grams of water to cool down between pours and affect brew temp a little. With the stick mount, pour until I’m within a few grams of my desired pour weight - then just give it a little shake. With a fixed drip assist it’s a hassle as your scale weight changes when you remove it, and it’s far more awkward to try to shake out between pours. With the stick Melodrip - whatever the scale says your weight is, is the actual water weight. 4. Speaking of weight - if you use a ratio/pour weight capable scale or want to do so in the future - the fixed devices are a pain in the ass. You have to set and zero the scale with the drip assist on it, before putting coffee in, then put your coffee in and affix the drip assist. It’s not a terribly pleasant workflow. 5. You get a full visual on your coffee bed without a fixed drip assist covering it, which allows you to better see (and enjoy) the process, monitor the amount of gas release on bloom, better see and manage your water level height and agitation, and allows you to get your nose closer to the brew throughout the process - cause if you’re not sniffing your bloom/brew - you’re doing it wrong. Adding to the above - Ray (the owner of Melodrip) is one of the nicest and most approachable guys in this entire industry. If you send him a note on IG - he’ll geek out to the max with you, and he’s making a lot less $ on these than you’d think. He is not some big corporation or a random Amazon seller from China - he’s one of us and this is a passion project. Supporting innovators like Ray is extremely important - especially when it’s a $17 difference to get the original from the man himself versus an Amazon knock off (I bought the knock off after the Original as I wanted to compare them and see if I liked the fixed assist). In summation - the Melodrip (original) on a metal handle is the drip assist I use almost exclusively - and it’s absolutely worth the premium over the competitors. Not only is it worth the premium, but it also feels good supporting the guy who created it."

"I thought this was a circle jerk sub when I saw the melodrip. It reminds me of somebody using an as seen on tv press chopper to cut vegetables instead of just learning how to use a knife."

"I can’t speak to these specific things, but most items with many small holes don’t do the job as expected. Water tends to move thru them quickly, and because the holes are so close together, the water collects into large droplets and streams on the outside, rather than remaining dispersed and separate. The design of a Melodrip is deliberate. Having cones for the droplets to form on keeps them small, and having them separated by more than their own radius keeps them from joining forces. You might take a look at the [diffuser lid for the Pure Over](https://pureover.com/products/diffuser-lid) brewer. It’s not ideal. You’d need a holder, and it probably runs a bit fast. But it’s glass, which seems useful to your requirements."

"Orea would be my choice. I know the kalita has been a mainstay for a long time but I’m just not a fan of it in my workflow"

"To be honest, I think that the Orea is overhyped. I have a Kalita wave stainless tsubame as my flat bottom and love it. "

"I don't think so. The origami and the orea are my preferred brewer. The V60 is just easier to get right, but not all beans prefer a cone."

"S for single cups, by a long shot. The M is pretty massive, much bigger than the 02 V60. I don't have the official wooden base, as it lacks the grooves to seat the dripper. I do have the prolog wooden base, as I hoped it would fix this issue, but unfortunately the fitment is pretty poor compared to the plastic/resin bases. My preferred option is either plastic/resin holder, or straight onto the hario x origami server with no holder at all."

"Sibarist filters are way too pricey to be viable as a daily driver in my case. I mostly use an Origami Air S dripper and Cafec Abaca filters. They are way cheaper and still plenty fast."

"Some Finca Deborah Enigma roasted by Ogawa Coffee I picked up in Koffee Mameya in Tokyo. I have been brewing it on my Origami S 210ml and 14g coupled with APAX. Incredible flavors of grape, tropical fruit and fermentation. A huila Montenblanco tropical Nectar Washed from Goodman Roasters from Kyoto. Breweries in B75, absolutely stunning coffee with banana and tropical fruit nose, juicy mouthful I strongly recommend this one."

"I love my Torch Mountain, but this is something that legitimately drives me crazy about using it."

"I bought the Torch Mountain dripper last year and it is my go-to brewer. I find it makes the most consistent and well rounded cups of coffee that get all the flavor notes from the roasters. I wish I bought a spare as it appears they are no longer being made. If you can find one and you already like flat bottom drippers then go for it! For my vote I would say the Kalita MI185 Mino-Yaki dripper in sand gray looks gorgeous."

"1. Torch Mountain - I haven't actually used it, but I'm a fan of flat-bottomed brewers and it's very pretty. 2. April ceramic brewer - use it every day, love the cups it produces, and it has a pleasant design 3. Origami - I sort of feel this one is more pretty than practical, but if you need a conical brewer... I'd mention some of the pretty Kalita brewers like the copper or sagan, but I have no idea if they're worth using."

"I've had three different 1Zpresso grinders. Currently a ZP6 running on its 2nd year with heavy use. No issues here."

"I wouldn’t recommend a ZP6 like some here for Costco coffee. You don’t want a high clarity grinder for mediocre coffee. And I don’t think a K-Ultra is worth it because you can get 95% there with a Kingrinder K6 for $99. So the k6 would be my choice. If it has to be electric I’d probably get a used fellow ode or new DF54"

"People way overstate this stuff about grinders being fit for certain processing methods. Most of that comes from the musings of coffee YouTubers… but those are people who NEED to come up with nonstop bold and decisive takes to keep their viewers entertained and their numbers up… and many of them earn money from affiliate sales as well. So they are always exaggerating and oversimplifying, and always coming up with justifications for why you need another product. The ZP6 is a high quality grinder and will work well with any coffee, as long as you understand all the variables at your disposal (especially ratio and temperature) and how to cater those to a specific coffee. Higher solubility coffees (like a darker roast, a decaf, or a high-intervention processed coffee) will benefit from lower temps and/or shorter ratios. Lower solubility coffees (like a light roast washed process coffee) will benefit from higher temps and longer ratios. I have gotten great results from the ZP6 with everything from true ultralight washed process coffee to Vietnamese dark roast robusta."

"I highly recommend the Brewista. Been using mine for over 2 years, three to four times a day and the thing is super solid. Great pour and it holds a liter which is one of the reasons I got it in the first place. It's a great kettle, can't recommend it enough. After owning several fellow products, I don't trust fellow with anything but drinkware."

"I agree with you completely..the brewista is absolutely NOT my style, from the handle, the fake wood accents, the lid. I wish bonavita, for the price, had a better lid and handle. They make it feel really cheap"

"I have experience with the Stagg and the Brewista and the Brewista is a far superior and premium feeling kettle"

"The base being close to the same as the hario switch is probably to do with their chinese manufactor having this process platform already. Pretty lame release honestly, expected more from the guys at April."

"april when setting the price of their gear: 🤑 april when its time to pay all their farmers: 🤏🏻"

"I'm a fan of the April brewer personally, I find the process of using it to be pretty straightforward and produces a consistent result. Should compliment your V60 well with it being flat instead of conical"

"I didn’t find the V60 to be especially consistent so I tried a lot of different brewers until I standardized on two: the **Pulsar** and the **Switch**. I see no reason to invest in another brewer after these. They are consistent and produce great coffee."

"This is a literal direct and shameless copy of a Next Level Pulsar - but without the flow moderating switch, making the Pulsar an objectively superior product. Pure hype - zero substance."

"As others have said, it’s a Pulsar. I have had one for a while and I find I prefer this type of immersion style over standard pour over with a v60, origami, etc. as it allows more control of water contact, water distribution, acceptable grind variation, and ultimately, the output. I pair it with a ZP6 and have been happy."

"Been very happy with the Greater Goods scale. Not fancy but does the job and physical buttons. https://a.co/d/2evJPjY"

"I have a Greater Goods scale that does this drift. Very annoying, but not ultimately impactful on the cup."

"I bought the [Greater Goods scale](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09B4CB7C1?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1) about a year ago and it works well."

"I have a fellow stagg X and a hario switch. Seems to cover all bases for me - flat, cone, immersion"

"You mind sharing your recipe for the stagg x? I really struggle to get a decent cup with it."

"Since style it’s important for you, you can consider the newest April with a valve. If functionality is as important, check out Sworks or Hero, both allow to adjust the flow rate, but the latter is more budget friendly. Personally I love the Stagg X, because it allows for temperature stability, key for light roasts. I get it on top of my Switch base, this way it's very versatile."

"this. my blue ceramic origami M is my favorite thing to brew with just because of how preem it feels. nothing else compares"

"I would choose based on what filters you usually have available and/or plan to use. I picked the Origami M because I use Kalita 185 filters a lot and it will fit those (and V60 02 filters) better. The smaller versions of those particular filters should sit better in the S. Additionally, I recommend the resin Origami holder over the wooden ring, though I have a ceramic version and it probably matters less for the Air."

"If you still want something that can handle larger brew sizes, I would check out the OG origami m, the porcelain one. It can easily brew 500+g, takes to a variety of filters(cone and flat), and in my experience, is extremely consistent and approachable"

"Had a Zojirushi for years and years, it’s simply fantastic, bulletproof. Easy to strip down and clean thoroughly when required, I couldn’t do without it. The best."

"I have a couple made by zojirushi. They have great heat retention and I don’t notice any impact on taste. I typically bring a cup to pour my coffee into and drink from that."

"Zojirushi has a few lines of glass-lined thermal carafes that actually keep coffee hot for 12+ hours"

"Anything other than a hario v60 😂😂 I’m (kinda) joking but you can get one for $9 and it makes an incredible cup. Some brewers are going for 4x that amount (I’m looking at you orea) and there’s not a chance in hell you can make a cup that’s 4x as good."

"For a particular coffee, I tend to attack it from every angle, starting with v60 -- I'll go way up and down extraction levels before I give up. Then I might attack it with a Kalita but more often an Aeropress and/or a Switch, to get an immersion perspective. E.g., I have a coffee right now that's unpalatable to me in the v60 no matter what I do, but drinkable in the Switch in pure immersion. I will sometimes then put that bag away for a couple of weeks and take one more crack at it --- if I still don't like it, Ideclare defeat and toss it. I typically only do that with a bag once every 2 years or so."

"Plastic V60, Kingrinder K6, Cosori Gooseneck Kettle w/ Preset Temperature Control, cheap food scale. Should put you around $250 max with at least $50 to spend on beans."