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Best Pour-Over Coffee Makers 2024
Written by Jordan
Reading time 7 minFor many people, the ritual of making a cup of coffee is just as important as the flavour itself. With pour-over coffee, you have the best of both worlds, offering more balanced and intricate flavours and aromas compared to other brewing methods (such as electric drip coffee makers) and an experience akin to meditation. Indeed, with this pour-over coffee method, you need to be prepared to do things manually, taking your time and savouring the moment. Nothing like that morning dash to the coffee shop then.
Don’t worry though, aside from a few tools you may need (such as a good grinder or gooseneck kettle), the process is easy to get to grips with and you will ultimately have greater control over your end cup. In this handy primer find out all you need to know about this popular brewing method, from how to choose your appliance and their pros and cons, to the top picks on the market today. Let’s get to it!
What is a pour-over coffee maker?
At its purest, the pour-over coffee brewing process involves pouring hot water over coffee grounds held in a type of filter. The water then drains through the coffee and into a carafe or mug. Poured correctly, the water activates the oils in the grounds, and the aromatic compounds infuse your coffee with flavour. These oils are then caught by the filter, resulting in a clean and crisp cup.
Of course, this means you need to either use pre-ground coffee, or buy some coffee beans and grind them yourself. But the added effort and longer brew time is clearly worth it, as you’ll soon discover.
Choosing your pour-over coffee maker
With all of this in mind, let’s find out how to choose the perfect pour-over coffee maker for your needs. There are a variety of criteria to consider, each no more important than the last.
Shape and filter type
There are 3 basic pour-over coffee maker shapes you should be aware of: cone, wedge, and flat-bottomed. Each varies in terms of user-friendliness, with your overall goal being to wet all the grounds evenly (something easier said than done). Flat-bottomed are considered to be the most forgiving in terms of pouring technique due to their larger surface area, something to keep in mind if you are a beginner. With that said, each type will alter the flavour profile of your cup of coffee, so choose wisely!
Material
Unless you want to consider more advanced aspects such as the heat retention of different materials during brewing, you have more free rein here. Ceramic, glass, and metal are the most common types, and you can make your choice based on the durability, cost, or even simply aesthetics. If you’re looking for resistance, stainless steel will offer the most strength, while glass is the most fragile (and arguably the most aesthetically pleasing).
Size
Another important aspect is the amount of kitchen space your new appliance will take up. Fortunately, pour-over coffee makers tend to feature compact designs. While considering its size, you’ll also want to take a look at how many cups it can brew for. You’ll find most brewers are designed to brew within a certain range, i.e. 1–3 cups, 3–6, etc. Remember, the size of the paper filter will also vary according to this number.
Ease of use
Of course, how easy your pour-over coffee maker is to use should factor largely in your decision. After all, you’re already putting in more work than you would if you simply pressed a button on a drip coffee maker. Any mistakes can also ruin the end result. Thankfully though, pour-over coffee makers in general are fairly straightforward and you may even begin to enjoy your morning brew ritual.
Before choosing your pour-over coffee maker, you’ll probably want to know where they excel compared to other coffee makers, and where they underperform.
Pros
Delicate and balanced flavour
As mentioned previously, this brewing method provides a clean and crisp cup of coffee without residue! That way you can truly enjoy the flavour of the beans. What’s more, altering the taste is as easy as changing the amount of coffee you use or changing the water temperature.
Very practical
To make pour-over coffee, you don’t need to spend hundreds on a fancy coffee machine nor need a lot of equipment. And as there are no electronic parts you don’t have to worry about it breaking. Its small size is also a huge plus, meaning you can take it pretty much anywhere you go (camping anyone?). As for cleaning, after use, they can simply be put in the dishwasher, a far cry from the messy cleaning operation that is the French press.
Easy to control
While there is a slight learning curve (as you’ll see in the ‘cons’ section), once you do have the technique down you’ll come to appreciate being able to adapt the coffee to your liking. Grounds to water ratio, quantity, water temperature, or pour speed and brew time: these are all variables you can play and experiment with. So have fun with it!
A mindful experience
As we hinted earlier, a huge part of making coffee with a pour-over coffee maker is enjoying the experience. While it may only take ten minutes, these are ten minutes where you can fully enjoy the craft involved in making that perfect cup. Instead of frantically rushing around in the morning, stressed before you’ve even taken a step outside, you can appreciate each action, whether grinding the beans, heating the water, or pouring it over your coffee grounds. And what better way to ensure you end up with a high-quality cup?
Cons
Need for patience
What some people look upon favourably may be precisely what puts off others. If you’re the type of person who wants their coffee instantly, pour-over coffee makers probably aren’t for you. If this is the case, you’ll probably want to look at an espresso machine or single-serve pod coffee makers.
Initial learning curve
While pour-over coffee makers are in general quite easy to use, there is still some finesse needed to make a truly delicious cup of joe. Grind size, water temperature, pouring technique, and brew time all need consideration, but don’t worry, after a few failed experiments, it’ll all become second nature!
Some accessories required
There is some initial investment required before you become a pour-over aficionado. This includes a grinder if you’d like to use real coffee beans, a kettle which can heat to the right temperature or with a gooseneck spout for optimal pouring, and, of course, paper filters. It might not seem like a lot but it is certainly more than a simple drip machine that does everything for you.
Our top picks
Let’s now take a look at our favourites, all selected and tested by MaxiCoffee.
Chemex 6 cup
This Chemex coffee maker kit has everything you need to embrace the ‘slow coffee’ lifestyle, with a sleek Chemex 6-cup coffee maker, a Baristator gooseneck kettle to perfect your pour and a box of 100 paper filters. Practical and easy to use, it provides very smooth tasting coffee that is sure to delight your taste buds!
Available now
Chemex Kit – Chemex + D-Kanta Kettle + 100 filters (6 cups)
– Complete kit
– Pour-over with wooden handle
– D-Kanta gooseneck kettle
Hario V60 Pour Over Pack for 1–4 cups
Another mainstay in the pour-over coffee world, the Hario V60 kit has all the tools you need to make excellent slow coffee! With its cone-shaped dripper, a borosolicate glass carafe (600ml capacity), a pack of 40 conical paper filters and a coffee dosing spoon, you’ll be well equipped to learn the art of the pour-over. Expect a gentler but no less tasty brew compared to the Chemex.
Available now
Kit V60 – Hario (1 to 4 cups)
Conical dripper
Borosolicate glass carafe
Supplied with 40 paper filters
Origami Dripper M in Porcelain Red + Loveramics Holder
This red dripper made of high-quality Japanese porcelain is perfect for preparing rich and aromatic coffee. Its vertical ribs are designed to achieve an optimal extraction speed and its cone shape keeps your coffee grounds immersed in hot water for longer. Choose this dripper if aesthetics are equally important as superb taste!
Available now
Dripper – Porcelain – Red – Origami (4 cups)
Conical dripper
Made of porcelaine
With Loveramics Stainless Steel Holder
Beem Pour over Kit – 4 cups
Both eye-catching and capable of delivering a tasty cup of coffee, this modern and designer kit provides the ideal setup for filter coffee experiments. Prepare up to 4 cups of coffee (500 ml in total) in the glass jug, and rest easy in the knowledge that its silicone base will protect your worktop from any accidents!
Available now
Manual coffee maker kit – Pour-over – BEEM (4 cups)
Pour-over with glass carafe
With diamond-shaped glass filter
Stand, base and lid for carafe
Clever Coffee Start/Stop 4-cup filter Dripper
Last but not least, we have the Clever Dripper. This simple but innovative appliance features a stop/start mechanism to make the brewing process easier. Don’t be fooled by its simplicity though, as it can produce delicious pour-over coffee, making it the perfect gift for someone just starting out.
Available now
Dripper – Clever (4 cups)
BPA-free plastic
For 50 cl / 4 cups
Use Melitta-type paper filters
So, as you’ve seen, pour-over coffee doesn’t need to be a complicated affair. After the initial learning curve, you’ll be well on your way to making the perfect coffee for your needs. Who knows, you may even begin to appreciate the morning ritual. Ready to take the plunge? Head over to our store for appliances or accessories.
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