You may have had one pour-over cup of coffee (or, you know, several hundred) at your local coffee shop, but thought the fancy-sounding method of brewing a cuppa was something best left to baristas. Not so fast: As it turns out, pour-over coffee (the technique of brewing coffee by pouring hot water over coffee grounds in a filter), aka hand-drip or hand-brewed coffee, can be easily achieved at home with the right brewing device — and some filters. Below are some of our favorite picks on the market.
When buying a pour-over coffee maker, you want something that's intuitive to use, easy to clean, and won’t take up too much counter real estate. You also want something made out of materials that retain heat well, like stainless steel, glass, and ceramic.
Preferences vary among coffee drinkers, but there are basic designs of pour-over coffee makers with helpful features like measurement markers, ergonomic handles, and heat-resistant handles, and even electric models that you can place directly on your stove. Some pour-over coffee makers can also work almost as French press-style coffee makers, so if you love that type of coffee, you may want to go for that kind of tool.
There’s also the look of a pour-over coffee maker to consider. Some love the daily ritual of making pour-over coffee and the soothing effect it has (#selfcare comes in different forms!). If you’re in that group, it may be worth spending a little extra money on something that almost serves as an objet d’art in your home. Speaking of money, you’ll also want to get a pour-over maker that makes sense for your budget — models can run from around $20 to over $200.
How We Chose
Unfortunately, there are only so many coffees one can drink in a day. So in addition to getting more than our fair share of java while conducting research for this story, we also relied on our friends for testing feedback, along with the savvy of dozens of Amazon reviewers coupled with expert takes from coffee aficionados. Last but not least, we tapped top coffee maker brands to learn about their go-tos and greatest models on the pour-over front.
This Amazon’s Choice product has upwards of 20,500 5-star reviews and counting — and after using it, you’ll totally see why. Felipe Vernaza, the blogger behind Your Coffee & Tea Essentials, loves using this pour-over coffee maker as part of his morning ritual.
“This is a beautiful yet simple coffee maker by Bodum. It is made of heat-resistant glass and comes with a cork band [and] a stainless steel mesh filter,” he says, highlighting that this is a plus because paper filters can absorb some of the oils of the coffee, in addition to having a negative environmental impact. “With its low price, beautiful minimalistic design (people ask me about it all the time!), durability, and environmentally friendly design, this pour-over coffee maker is one of the most cost-effective coffee products out there.”
Another standout feature for us? It’s dishwasher-safe for those mornings when the 15 seconds it takes to wash by hand is just too much (you know what we’re talking about). This pour-over coffee maker also comes in a 17-ounce size.
Hello, Joe Dreams! There’s a lot to love about this spiffy model. Beloved kitchen appliances company Cosori knocks it out of the park with this affordable yet well-constructed pour-over coffee maker, which features a double-layer stainless steel filter, coffee dripper brewer, and a heat-resistant, borosilicate glass coffee pot.
Of its many great specs, we appreciate its large capacity, that the decanter and filter are dishwasher-safe for easy clean-up (the wooden sleeve can be cleaned swiftly with a cloth), and that there’s no need for disposable filters. Heat up directly on the stove over a low flame and get ready to control the measurements and water temperature, as you embrace the coffee geek that you are.
As one happy Amazon reviewer put it, “[Switched] from an electric coffee maker to the pour-over coffee maker, and the flavor from this coffee is so much better and I don't have to worry about a dirty coffee maker and what's growing in it. This is easy to clean and durable. I love it.”
We have a feeling you’ll be singing its praises, too.
This kit has everything you need to supercharge your a.m. coffee routine or afternoon pick-me-up. The savvily designed glass carafe with capacity marker and stainless steel measuring scoop make brewing the perfect cup of coffee a no-brainer. Its patented 1,502-hole micro-filter and brew bed help you wring every last drop of flavor from your favorite coffee ground, too. There’s also a 2-minute brew time, so you can get your caffeine fix fast.
The kit comes with 50 chlorine-free, compostable paper filters, and you can also buy the pour-over device as a standalone.
Another feature we love? The Espro Bloom can work in two modes: either with the brand’s filters for a clean brew and easy cleanup or without the paper filters for a more robust brew.
When reviewing the best drip coffee makers, we leaned on the intel of James Hyslop of The Coffee Folk, a website devoted to unleashing your barista in your home kitchen.
He didn’t disappoint when it came to his take on the best pour-over coffee maker: “The Clever Coffee Dripper is one of the most interesting pour-overs on the market. What sets it apart from other pour-overs like the V60 or the Kalita Wave is that it is able to do immersion as well as infusion brewing,” he tells BestProducts.com, explaining that there’s a closable valve at the bottom of the Clever cone that lets you use this dripper similar to the way you would a French press.
“For this reason, it's perhaps the most flexible and versatile pour-over on the market, as well as [it] being very easy to get good results,” he continues, adding that another advantage of the Clever is that because of the valve, you don’t necessarily need to purchase a gooseneck kettle — making it a fairly forgiving brewer that will make delicious coffee even for inexperienced coffee makers.
Worth noting: This device uses #4 paper filters, and with an 18-fluid-ounce capacity, we love this one for those who live on their own or are the only coffee-hounds in their homes.
5
Best Electric
Electric Lightweight Pour-Over Kettle for Coffee and Tea
Coffee (or tea) nirvana awaits with this aesthetically pleasing electric kettle. It's designed with stainless steel insulation to keep the water hot for longer, auto shut-off for safety, and a whisper-quiet output when in use.
In addition to bringing your water to a quick boil (5 minutes, to be exact), we also love that the handle is heat-resistant to avoid any ouchies while serving. The smartly designed spout also helps you avoid any water splashing upwards while you pour that piping hot H2O. Comes in white, too.
Ceramic is a great material for holding a steady temperature as you brew. For those who prefer its performance and look to glass, this Amazon’s Choice product is for you. Available in white or red and a smaller size just shy of holding 7 fluid ounces, it's straightforward to use and built to last.
The spiral ribs on the interior are also said to help the coffee bloom to its fullest flavor, while the cone shape allows for coffees with floral or fruity notes to shine.
We’ve long adored OXO's delightfully engineered products, from their nonstick frypan to their silicone sink strainer. Now, we’re swooning for their pour-over coffee maker that features a water tank with a hole pattern for even distribution over coffee grounds, a heat-retaining lid that doubles as a drip tray, and clear measurement markings.
The auto-drip tank and ribbed interior walls also optimize your coffee’s taste, so you don’t need to hover over it while brewing. The dripper attaches securely to a range of mug sizes, so you don’t need to worry about buying specific mugs, either. Read our full Little Lifesaver review.
Dishwasher-safe: Cone dripper, coffee pot, and drip tray with cover (NOT the outer cone dripper), top rack only
Need a foolproof appliance? Then trust the Mr. Coffee Pour-Over, which “takes the guesswork out of pour-over with an on-screen step-by-step guide that walks you through the pour-over process.”
This brewer has a built-in auto-measure scale to calculate the right ratio of coffee to water and lets the user know when to pause for blooming (a part of the process when the grounds soak to draw out the fullest flavor) for a stellar pour-over mug.
This set includes the dripper, kettle, and scale, but you’ll need #2 pointed cone filters to get brewing, which aren’t included. We repeat: There are step-by-step instructions on the screen, so you don’t mess anything up.
If you’re in the pour-over-coffee-as-art camp, it’s hard to find a better model than this visually stunning choice from West Elm. Designed in Woodstock, Vermont, and made in India, this eye-grabbing piece pairs well with weekend breakfasts, when you have nothing to do but laze over the table reading the newspaper and drinking coffee on your morning horizon.
Coffee enthusiasts will appreciate that the stand’s height can be adjusted to fit a variety of mug sizes. Yes, it’s pricey, but considering it’s made with marble and gold, it’s well worth it: It’s a piece you’ll likely display (it’s practically art!) and cherish for years to come — or give as a special gift.
For coffee aficionados on the move, we love this stylish pour-over coffee maker with a double-wall vacuum, stainless steel filter, and portable carafe, available in a slew of colors and designs.
Designed with heat-resistant borosilicate glass, the insulated design keeps your coffee hot for up to 12 hours, while the micro-mesh filter removes impurities and grounds from your brews to enhance the taste of your coffee and without any waste-creating paper filters.
It’s durable and stain- and odor-resistant, too, so you can rest assured this will be making you fresh coffee for many happy carafes to come.
Perri O. BlumbergPerri is a New York City-born-and-based writer; she holds a bachelor's in psychology from Columbia University and is also a culinary school graduate of the plant-based Natural Gourmet Institute, which is now the Natural Gourmet Center at Institute Of Culinary Education.
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