The best pour-over coffee makers, tested and reviewed

Pros: Flat bottom allows for steady coffee drip and consistent brewing, comes in multiple colors and materials

Cons: Smaller capacity than other brewers

Our best performer across all tests was the Kalita Wave. This pour-over brewer has a unique design compared to the other best pour-over coffee makers we tested. Instead of a cone that tapers into one or two small openings, the Kalita Wave has a flat bottom and three small holes that allow the coffee to drip through at a steady, controlled rate. This design innovation makes the Kalita one of the easiest pour-over drippers for brewing consistently solid cups of coffee. 

This dripper is available in multiple colors and materials to fit your kitchen's decor. Keep in mind that metal is very conductive, so the versions made of glass, plastic, and ceramics will provide a steadier brewing temperature.

One downside to note is the overall capacity when compared to similar brewers. The filter is ruffled to allow for better water flow, but this cuts down on the available space for grounds in the brewer. When brewing more than one cup at a time, be careful to pour slowly so the water and grounds don't overflow over the filter.

Another top pick is the Hario V60 which made great tasting coffee with impressive filtration. The ceramic construction had excellent heat retention and was easy to clean. Our only qualm is that you need a light hand when pouring water over the grounds — there's a risk of water running through too quickly. Otherwise, the Hario is a solid alternative to the Kalita or Chemex.

Pros: Multiple size options, solid temperature retention, full-bodied brew

Cons: Filters are on the thick side, narrow neck is difficult to clean

The Chemex is a staple in the coffee world for good reason —  it's easy to use, reliable, has an iconic design, and, most of all, it can brew a lot of coffee. Most pour-over brewers work well for brewing one or two cups at a time, but the capacity of the Chemex allows for a much higher volume of brewed coffee. Across all of our tests, the Chemex performed at a high level. The temperature retention was solid, water flow was steady, and it consistently produced killer cups of coffee. 

There are a few minor downsides. Although we love the design aesthetics and performance, the narrow neck is difficult to clean. Additionally, the paper filters designed for the Chemex are on the thicker side. It consistently brews full-flavored coffee, but we recommend using hot water to rinse the filter before us. This will help you avoid any grassy or woody notes the filter could potentially impart to the finished coffee.

Pour over brewers generally all work the same way — hot water is poured over a bed of grounds and flows through the filter into a mug or carafe. They are simple devices by design, but there are a handful of nuances that affect the quality of the finished coffee. Here's what to look out for when choosing the best pour-over coffee maker.

Materials: The type of material used to manufacture a pour-over device has a big impact on the brewing temperature. Most metals conduct too much heat and can lower the water temperature when used in a pour-over. Ceramic, glass, and even plastic conduct less heat and help maintain steady water temperature for a better extraction of the coffee grounds.

Design: The size and shape of the base of each device determines how easily you can brew over different mugs or carafes, as does the handle construction that keeps your hand away from the hot surface. The best pour-overs are versatile enough to work with multiple receptacles. 

Flow rate: The shape and size of the opening at the bottom of the cone affect the flow rate of water through the bed of grounds; this causes the water to be in contact with the coffee for a longer or shorter period of time. Through our testing, we found that devices with a few small openings gave us more consistent results. 

Filtration: The ideal filter allows the perfect amount of dissolved solids and oils to pass through while holding back any grit and sediment from the grounds. Filtration has a major effect on the overall mouthfeel, viscosity, and flavor of any cup of coffee. We tested pour-over devices that used paper filters, but there are reusable metal and mesh filters on the market as well.

For testing, coffee beans from local roasters Go Get Em Tiger were ground with one of the best coffee grinders, the Fellow Opus. We timed and weighed three brewing tests with a Fellow Tally Pro Precision Scale and used a Hario Buono Gooseneck Kettle with filtered tap water. Here's what we looked at while testing the best pour overs.

Temperature: Throughout the brewing process, we monitored the temperature of the water and coffee grounds to see if it stayed close to the ideal temperature range of 190 degrees F and 205 degrees F.

Water flow: We timed the brewing process with each pour-over device to determine how long it took for eight ounces of water to pass through the grounds. For a medium to medium-coarse grind, the water and grounds should interact for two and a half to four minutes. Grounds at a medium-fine coarseness need around three to five minutes. Anything on either side of those ranges will be either under- or over-extracted.

Taste: In each set-up, we made one 8-ounce cup of coffee using the "golden ratio" of 1 part coffee to 15 parts water. For our testing purposes, that worked out to 225 grams (8 ounces) of water and 15 grams of coffee. We tasted each cup of coffee brewed in order to note if it was under or over-extracted and if there were any off flavor notes.

Design: When assessing the design, we noted anything that impacted use or ease of cleanup. Brewing was affected by depth of the cone, shape of interior base, and number and size of openings. Other factors were the size of handle, size of external base, weight, materials, and whether each device was a removable cone or a single unit with a built-in carafe.

What kind of coffee should I use with my pour-over?  

You can use whatever coffee you like with the best pour-over coffee maker. The ideal grind coarseness will vary between pour-over devices depending on how porous the filter is and how quickly the water flows through the device, so check the manufacturers' recommendations.

What are the pros of making pour-over coffee?

Using the best pour-over coffee maker gives you direct manual control over the entire brewing process, from grind coarseness to the amount of time the water is in contact with the coffee. It takes a bit more effort than using an electric coffee maker, but this degree of control allows the user to brew the best possible cup of coffee.

What is "blooming" the coffee?

Blooming is a technique where the user pours a small amount of hot water over the bed of coffee grounds before brewing. Pouring just enough water to soak the beans releases any carbon dioxide that might still be trapped in the ground coffee. By making time to ensure the carbon dioxide is released from the grounds, you ensure a more even and thorough extraction for better tasting coffee.

Do I need a gooseneck kettle?

Gooseneck kettles give the user a higher level of accuracy in both direction and rate of pour. This is especially useful for pour-over devices that require a slower rate of pouring for a perfect extraction. Using a gooseneck kettle makes the whole process easier and more accurate, but most pour-over devices work just fine with a standard water kettle.