"Pour-over" Coffee makers

[nakji]

I'm not sure I'll ever go back to a coffee maker. It's so easy to clean up my little one.

And it doesn't burn the coffee.

[andiesenji]

I'm not sure I'll ever go back to a coffee maker. It's so easy to clean up my little one.

And it doesn't burn the coffee.

Exactly the reason I don't like most coffee brewers. I absolutely can't stand "stale" coffee and for me that staling occurs in as little as 20 minutes after brewing and I have become more sensitive to this over the years.

Needless to say, I don't drink coffee in restaurants.

I've used the various types of pour-over brewers and they work fine if the coffee is served immediately - it's when it has to be kept heated for a time that engenders my complaint.

Pour-over, single cup brewing is just fine, as long as the coffee itself is of very good to excellent quality.

At home I use a single serve Senseo and I grind my own coffee (sometimes roast it too) and make my own pods with a little appliance that does the job beautifully. This is just a bit less messy than using a single serve pour-over filter.

[natasha1270]

Does anyone have experience with these permanent coffee filters with pour-over brewer?

http://www.amazon.com/COAVA-Kone-K-ONE-Pour-Filter/dp/B004G7PTKE/ref=sr_1_64?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1299252495&sr=1-64

Edited March 4, 2011 by natasha1270 (log)

[Hassouni]

So I had my first ever pourover coffee today, from Filter Coffeehouse in DC. It was all made using Hario gear, from the v60 cone to the Buono kettle to the little glass beaker thing that the coffee dripped into. I really liked it (I usually drink either French Press, Turkish, or Vietnamese coffee), and I'd like to maybe get a setup for myself. I'm curious as to how the open-style cones like the Hario differ in end result from the restricted cones such as the classic Melitta design. If I can avoid spending $50+ on a fancy kettle (as needed by the open design), that'd be great, if the end product is comparable.

[MikeHartnett]

I'm not sure what you're referring to when you ask about the difference between open-style and restricted cones. The V60 cone has spiral-ribbed walls to aid in proper extraction (no idea whether this actually does anything). I will say that to achieve optimal results, you will need a kettle in the style of the Buono - standard kettles don't provide you with the level of control that the Buono does, and proper pour over depends on a consistent pour. If the idea of standing over the cone pouring for several minutes is a turn-off, I'd suggest the Clever dripper. It's basically a combination of a pour over and a french press. It has a valve at the bottom to keep the water in; you pour in all the water, wait for the desired amount of time, and then place on top of the cup, where it will release the water. It uses paper filters, so it results in a cleaner cup than french press, but does have a heavier body as a result of the complete immersion style of brewing.

[Hassouni]

What I meant was, in a Melitta-style, pinhole cone, can one add water and walk away, or is it also an issue of hovering as with the v60?

By the way, I did some practice pours out of a teapot and I seemed to get a pretty precise stream, so I might use that before deciding whether a dedicated kettle is worth it.

[MikeHartnett]

The problem with pouring all the water at once is that it leads to uneven extraction. As the water makes its way downward, the grounds on the bottom are exposed to water longer than those on top. This means that the bottom grounds get overextracted, producing bitter coffee, and the top grounds are underextracted. Melitta seems to suggest that you can do this, but if you're going through the trouble to make pour over, I wouldn't advise it.

If you're precise enough with your kettle, by all means, save the money. All the fancy ones do is produce a thinner, slower stream.

[MikeHartnett]

Did you decide on your pour over future?

[Hassouni]

So bumping this thread up, I've been using a Hario Skerton, a V60 with the Hario filters, and believe it or not, a cezve (Turkish coffeepot) to pour the water. It works fairly well, except that other than Turkish coffee this is my only means of making coffee in my new digs.

 

It's fine when I'm alert and I have the time, but shortly after waking, manually grinding and precise pouring is a real drag. I will soon be in the market for, most likely, a Baratza Encore grinder, and possibly also a Clever Dripper. Maybe a French press instead of the Clever Dripper - either way I want something that when I'm groggy, is relatively easy and foolproof.

[Hassouni]

Encore acquired!