Pick Your Pourover: Comparing and Contrasting the Most Popular Models

Pick Your Pourover: Comparing and Contrasting the Most Popular Models

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Pick Your Pourover: Comparing and Contrasting the Most Popular Models

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Pick Your Pourover: Comparing and Contrasting the Most Popular Models

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Pick Your Pourover: Comparing and Contrasting the Most Popular Models

Pick Your Pourover: Comparing and Contrasting the Most Popular Models

minimum dose size?

Jan 31, 2024 |

I use the Hario switch to brew my coffee and am trying to reduce my caffeine consumption. Hence I would like to brew smaller cups of coffee. I am currently using 10g of coffee with 160g of water. (1:16 Ratio) I am wondering if there is a minimum amount of coffee...

Pick Your Pourover: Comparing and Contrasting the Most Popular Models

BY EMILY MENESES
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE

Featured photo by Julien Labelle via Unsplash

Ah, the pourover—this tried-and-true form of brewing is sacred in the specialty-coffee world. While automatic brewing devices provide speed and convenience, the pourover gives you the chance to become more involved in the process: You can experiment with techniques and recipes, and adjust your method based on your preferences. There are many pourover devices on the market, and it can be hard to sift through all of them to decipher which one is best for you. Today, we’re exploring three of the most popular devices—the Hario V60, Kalita Wave, and Chemex.

A Hario V60 is a white cone with a flat brim on the bottom that allows it to rest on a cup or vessel. It has ridges that circle into a single hole at the bottom, and a handle for grip.
The V60 allows for ample experimentation and is a great choice for home brewers who feel ready to try out different recipes. Photo by Julien Labelle via Unsplash.

Hario V60

The Hario V60 is arguably the most notorious pourover device in the specialty-coffee world. With its 60-degree conical design and ribbed spiral pattern, every aspect of the V60’s design aims to allow for optimum extraction, deliver a clean flavor profile, and create room for ample experimentation. Depending on your grind size, coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature, and speed of water flow, you can coax a multitude of subtle flavors and tastes out of your coffee.

Another great thing about the V60 is that it’s available in different materials—metal, ceramic, plastic, and glass—making it flexible based on your unique needs and budget. For example, you may want to get a plastic V60 for camping or traveling, or a copper one for better heat retention and extraction when brewing at home.

The V60 also comes in several sizes, from one cup to three cups, giving you the freedom to brew for multiple people at a time. For baristas and café owners, the V60 is also an ideal choice to have on bar at a cafe because of its relatively quick flow rate.

The Kalita Wave, seen here, has no ripples on the side, but is rounded, conical clear glass. It sits on a plastic base that will fit onto vessels.
Compared to the V60, the Kalita Wave is beginner-friendly—ideal for those still perfecting their pourover technique. Photo by Austin Park via Unsplash.

Kalita Wave

Like the V60, the Kalita Wave makes for a bright, balanced, clean cup.

However, there are some key differences to take note of. While the V60 features a conical design, the Kalita Wave has a wide, flat bottom and three small holes, rather than one large hole at the center.

The Kalita Wave’s design grants the brewer more control over the evenness of extraction and also helps prevent channeling—the uneven flow of water that may result from pouring water too quickly or irregularly. This is why (compared to the V60) the Kalita Wave is more beginner-friendly; its design makes it a bit more forgiving and ensures a consistent brew each time.

The Chemex is shaped like an hourglass with a flared conical top and rounded bottom. It doubles as a serving vessel, so a pitcher underneath is not needed. It has a wood handle around the middle of the hourglass shape.
The Chemex is notorious for its stunning design and ability to hold up to eight cups at a time. Photo by Conor Sexton via Unsplash.

Chemex

Everyone can agree that the Chemex is stunning—but beyond its aesthetic, the brewer offers a multitude of alluring benefits. This pourover device was invented in the 1940s by American chemist Peter Schlumbohm, who wanted to create an alternative to the percolators that were popular at the time.

What makes the Chemex special? It serves as both a pourover device and a carafe. Capable of holding up to eight cups at a time, the Chemex is also ideal for those brewing for larger groups.

Like the V60, the Chemex has a design that can make it a bit finicky; its large opening and deep V-shape make other elements, such as pouring method and grind size, extremely important. However, the Chemex does use a thicker paper filter, which helps contribute to a cleaner taste.

Choosing the Right Device For You

When comparing the V60, Kalita Wave, and the Chemex, the V60 is best for those who like a clean, bright cup, trust their pourover skills, and feel ready to experiment with different recipes.

Like the V60, the Kalita Wave leads to a clean cup but is more beginner-friendly—great for those who are still perfecting their pourover technique. The Chemex is a great choice for those who prioritize aesthetics and often entertain large groups. When it comes to easy cleanup, the V60 and Kalita Wave are the way to go.

Stay tuned for future installments of this series, where we’ll explore even more pourover devices.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Based in Los Angeles, Emily Meneses (she/her) is a writer and musician passionate about culture and collective care. You can regularly find her at Echo Park Lake, drinking a cortado and journaling about astrology, art, Animal Crossing, and her dreams.

The post Pick Your Pourover: Comparing and Contrasting the Most Popular Models appeared first on Barista Magazine Online.

Pick Your Pourover: Comparing and Contrasting the Most Popular Models

Perfect Little Beans

Chinmey Hill Coffee uses specialty-grade beans with zero primary defects (such as black beans or sour beans) and less than five secondary defects (such as broken beans). This is important because primary defects will greatly affect the taste of the coffee. Having zero defects allows the coffee to be the most optimal flavor.

Window for Optimal Flavor

Chimney Hill Coffee ships our coffee the same day it was roasted, so you will receive it before it enters the window of optimal flavor.  This means you’ll never miss the opportunity to enjoy the coffee’s peak flavor.

Coffee Ratings

Coffee undergoes many scoring processes by professionals who achieved their Q Grader certification. Coffee is first graded when it’s green. If there are defects the coffee is determined to be “not-specialty grade”. For those coffees that pass green grading, they are sample roasted and cupped. (Cupping is the official term for critically tasting and scoring coffees. The official cupping form is standard worldwide, and where the 100-point scoring system comes from.) A coffee’s dry fragrance, wet aroma, flavor, aftertaste, body, acidity, balance, and overall impression are taken into consideration while uniformity issues and defects, will lower the overall score.

Specialty Coffee

Specialty coffee, coined by Erna Knutsen in 1974, refers to a coffee that receives a quality grading score of 80 percent or higher. While “premium” or “gourmet” seem like they’re synonymous with “specialty,” they simply are marketing terms with no defined standards. Specialty coffees are grown in specific and ideal micro-climates, and have distinctive and unique flavor profiles, with little to no defects.

Third-Wave Coffee

We’re currently in the third wave of coffee. The first wave of American coffee put pre-ground, vacuum-sealed cans in kitchens across America. The second wave started with the late ‘60s introduction of Peet’s coffee (by Alfred Peet) through the proliferation of Starbucks. The third wave of coffee focuses on origin transparency, nuanced flavors, and artisan roasting. The term “third wave” is synonymous with specialty coffee.

Pick Your Pourover: Comparing and Contrasting the Most Popular Models

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