“How should I brew my coffee?”

I get this question a lot, and honestly there’s no one right answer. And so, I’m going to give you some of my personal favorites and why each one shines. Pick the one that sounds most appealing to you and go with it—all of these are great options.

 

Our Favorites

Hario v60

This one is for the purists out there. Most coffee fanatics view this the ultimate pour-over brewer. However, it’s finicky, and requires a delicate touch. This brewer is the most “transparent” of all of them. It seems to most directly reflect the coffee you put into it. If you’re wanting to truly discover the flavors of the coffee you’re making and willing to be a bit of a fanatic about coffee, this is a must. This is what I use almost every day. I recommend the 02 size.

Chemex

This is the brewer I got started on. It looks great and makes great coffee. The filters on this are thick, and that means they make a really clean cup. Chemex coffee is characterized by being extremely crisp and clear, making them awesome cups. This clarity is unique to Chemex, making them refreshing, though some people think that Chemex makes the body of coffees weaker than normal. I recommend the 6 cup for personal use, and the 8 or 10 cup if you plan on hosting people a lot (or drink many cups throughout the day).

Aeropress

This is one of the more unique brewers out there. It’s made by a frisbee company, and is a bit quirky. Yet, the coffee is incredible. It makes more of a “concentrate” than just a normal cup. It’s something of a hybrid between and espresso machine and a French press, meaning tons of flavor and good clarity. This brewer is simple, effective, and durable. At the very least, it is a great brewer for travel, as it’s compact and nearly indestructible.

Clever Dripper

The name fits. This thing really is clever. It manages to mix a French Press with a Hario v60 and makes it extremely easy. This produces a slightly stronger coffee than normal, but still holds the clarity that you would expect of a pour over coffee. Truthfully, I don’t know how to describe this one, but it really is delicious. I’m hoping to offer this on the website before long. I recommend the 18 oz., as even the bigger brewer does excellently with small amounts.

Honorable Mentions

Kalita Wave

Durable, dependable, and simple. This brewer seems to be similar to a Hario v60, but it’s not quite it. This brewer took a classic coffee maker and made it fancy. I think this brewer does a great job at producing a good cup no matter what you throw at it. I’ve found the flavors that it produces to be a bit more “classic” even if you throw bright and fruity coffees at it, so if you love darker, more classic coffee flavors, this may be a great choice. The stainless steel body is also very durable, so no worries about breaking it if you drop it.

French Press

This coffee brewer has stood as the gateway to the specialty coffee world forever, and there’s reason for that. It seems like everyone who gets started on the journey of making great coffee picks this brewer (or the Chemex in more recent years). It’s a really simple brewer that makes strong coffee in bulk. These brewers are often considered “muddy,” since all of the flavors are hard to distinguish, putting it on the opposite end of the spectrum of the Chemex brewer.

Siphon Pot

Siphon coffee is seriously some of the most unique and flavorful coffee ever. It has the strength of a French Press with the clarity of a Chemex. However, it is rather tricky to do right, and the most expensive of all of the brewers. If you're a true coffee enthusiast, I highly recommend picking one of these up. The only reason why this isn't in the "Our Favorites" tab is that the drawbacks of these kinds of brewers make them a bit inaccessible for some people, despite their incredible results in the cup.