TEST-KITCHEN PICKS: Pour-Over Coffeemakers
Hey, serious coffee drinkers: If you want to keep up your cred, you need a pour-over coffeemaker. Our pros painstakingly tested 21 models, pouring hot water over grounds slooooowly (and in a circle!). In six winning designs, the resulting brew was worth the fuss.
Starter Set
Open up your new Hario V60 Pour-Over Coffee Kit box and you'll find almost everything you need for hand-pouring: a ceramic dripper, paper filters and a small heatproof-glass serving pot. Just add ground beans and hot water. $50, williams-sonoma.com
Cult Classic
Invented by a scientist in 1941, the Chemex 8-Cup Coffeemaker is one of the prettiest and most practical we tried. With a larger capacity than most, it can serve a group or just one serious coffee junkie. Grab it by the sleek wooden collar and pour. $46, worldmarket.com
Clearly Convenient
The Bialetti Glass Pourover has a reusable stainless steel–mesh filter, a great alternative to the paper ones most manual drippers (including the rest of the picks on this page) require. Less waste? Check. And cleanup couldn't be easier, since the filter is also top-rack dishwasher-safe. $40, bialetti.com
Buzzworthy Design
Our minimalist tester appreciated the clean lines of the Yield Double-Wall Pour Over. But there's more here than meets the eye: Double-walled glass makes it easy to handle and great at retaining heat. $32, yielddesign.co
Slow and Steady
Busy home baristas will love that the Oxo Good Grips Pour-Over Coffee Maker's water tank has multiple drain holes that mimic the slow-pour process that coffee fanatics extol, without the time-consuming hovering. Place over a cup, fill 'er up, and let gravity do its thing. $16, oxo.com
Space Saver
Up your office coffee game with the ingenious portable Kikkerland Collapsible Coffee Dripper. The metal basket folds flat so you can stash it in a desk drawer, showing the boss how clever and resourceful you are. $10, kikkerland.com
DID YOU KNOW?
Rinsing a paper filter (do it in the dripper to avoid burns!) with the water you're boiling for your coffee prevents the filter from affecting the flavor of the grounds. Cool beans!
Ready to give it a shot?
Check out our Pour-Over Coffee How-To