A Comparison of Pourover Coffee Brewers

There are a few things to consider when deciding which pour over coffee maker is the right one for you. They include material, ease of use, cost and volume. Here’s how these coffee brewers stack up on those parameters.

Hario Glass Coffee Dripper V60 02

The Hario V60 02 brews up to 1 liter of coffee at a time. The heavy glass brewing cone is round, with a swirl of ridges sculpted along the inside. The round shape and ridges help guide the water down the cone in a vortex that promotes optimal extraction from the coffee grounds. The wide base sits comfortably atop your mug or atop a coffee server or carafe. The large single opening in the bottom of the cone puts control in the hands of the brewer instead of the cones.

• Material: Heavy glass holds heat well, but is breakable
• Filters: Uses special Hario paper or cloth filters
• Skill Level: Your technique makes a difference. There’s a learning curve, but you’ll control extraction with your technique and the grind of the coffee.
• Volume: Brews up to 1 liter (1-4 cups)
• Cost: About $20

Hario V60 Metal Coffee Dripper

The  Hario V60 metal dripper shares the same shape and vortex design as the glass Hario brewer. Like the glass version, the Hario metal coffee dripper makes 1 to 4 cups of coffee (up to 1 liter). The metal cone is unbreakable, which can be a major boon if you have trouble with steady hands before your first cup of Joe in the morning. The stainless steel body is a bit more conductive than the glass, so there’s a little more heat loss during brewing. And while the shape and engineering are essentially the same, the aesthetics are surprisingly different.

• Material: Food grade stainless steel
• Filters: Uses special Hario paper or cloth filters
• Skill Level: Your technique makes a difference. There’s a learning curve, but you’ll control extraction with your technique and the grind of the coffee.
• Volume: Brews up to 1 liter (1-4 cups)
• Cost: Under $50

Bee House Ceramic Coffee Dripper

Zero Japan’s Bee House coffee dripper popularized hand-pour coffee brewing across the country. The wedge design and three openings in the bottom of the cone make it a far more forgiving pourover coffee brewer than the Hario V60. Ceramic holds heat well, and comes in several different colors. In addition, the Bee House dripper uses easy to find standard #2 or #4 coffee filters, and has a cut-out in the base so you can watch the level of coffee in your cup and not overpour.

• Material: Glazed ceramic
• Filters: Standard #2or #4 filters
• Skill Level: Technique isn’t as important, thanks to the wedge shape and three openings that help distribute water.
• Volume: Brews up to 1 liter (1-4 cups)
• Cost: Under $20

Chemex Glass Handle Coffee Maker

The Chemex is one of the most widely respected manual coffee brewers on the market. The classic hourglass shape incorporates a pourover cone and carafe into one elegant, perfectly balanced form. The specially designed Chemex filter fits flat against the glass cone, minimizing the amount of water that runs down the outside and promoting full extraction with little need for any special pouring technique.

• Material: Borosilicate glass
• Filters: Uses special Chemex paper filters or Able Kone metal filter
• Skill Level: Easy to use. No special pouring technique needed.
• Volume: Available in 6-cup (30 oz.) and 8-cup (40 oz.) sizes.