I would like some recommendations for a single serve brewer, preferably one that uses ground coffee and not pods. I had a hamilton beach ‘the scoop’ model at one point that I liked pretty well, but I’m open to other options if there are better one’s out there.
I’m currently using a aeropress, but I would like an additional brewer for convenience purposes.
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I don’t have a specific recommendation, but I know the main quality differentiation factor is whether they can get the water hot enough. See
https://sca.coffee/certified-home-brewer
Cheap ones (most of them) don’t get hot enough for proper extraction. A Chemex or a V60 with an electric kettle solves that problem, but those are manual brew methods.the older i get the less i think getting the right first pour over brewer matters. v60, kelita, mellita. it doesn’t actually matter which you get first. they’re all still pour over brewers. compared to an aeropress, the coffee they make will the same sort of different experience: less body, more sweetness. they have pros and cons and differences between eachother, but you won’t really care which one you have if you haven’t tried and experienced the others. the kalita wave is probably the most durable, the v60 has the most coffee nerds talking about it, and the melita is the one you’re most likely to find at such fine establishments as “the store”
your decision might come down more to where you are than which is best. if you’re in america you’ll pay the least markup on a chemex, if you’re in europe, the kalita or a bialetti cone might make more sense (bialetti’s cones are very comparable to v60s), but if you’re in Japan or Korea you should get the v60 and never look back. you might want to base your decision on which you can buy filters for without ordering online since those will be the least likely to ever leave you without filters due to supply chain failures (an increasing concern in 2025).
Can you expand on goals? Aeropress can be a bit fussy imo for daily brewing. Are you looking for something than can be set with a timer for maximum time saving in the am? If not, any reason not to do a v60 pour over? Not too time consuming and makes a beautiful single cup. Easy cleanup and will beat any drip brewer. If you really want a drip brewer I’d go for the best - get a moccamaster if you can. There is a single cup version, but the regular size one makes a decent large single cup and it’s nice to have the capacity to brew big for guests. With a smart outlet you have a good timer option too.
Umm… The moccamaster brews a wildly different cup from the V60 (unless you brew the V60 in a very particular and arguably just a wrong way).
If you really think it adds convenience but want a similar taste profile to the V60 there are other electric pour overs that match it closer.
Less fussy than the aeropress would be good. I often drink two cups of coffee, so making it in the aeropress is kind of a chore for that. Automatic would probably be preferable, but not a complete deal breaker if it’s not. Same for the timer, it would be a nice feature but I could live without it. I’m considering a v60 switch; I think it would be a little easier and looks to be one of the cheaper quality options as well.
The moccamaster looks incredible, but I don’t think I can justify it (even a used one).
I was also looking at a electric moka pots, but I don’t really have a good grinder at the moment and the only completely stainless steel model I was seeing is a german model which is a bit out of range as well.
I doubt you’d have any regrets about the switch. It’s the most versatile v60. Go for the 03 if you want to brew two cups a once.
“They’re all the same! … Actually, this one’s not good.” John Lutz: Product Tester - Pour-Over Coffee Makers (Seth Myers)
I got the lazy person’s V60 to compliment my Aeropress, the OXO pour over brewer. It’s a coffee cone with a drip chamber, so no fancy kettle, artful swirling procedures, etc. I heat water in a measuring cup while I measure and grind beans, and toss it in the top and walk away. Takes basic flat bottom cone filters. Dump the cone and run under the tap to clean.
It’s been my daily driver for about 2 years now.
Get a chemex, grinder and do a pour over. I’ll never go back.
Great brewers, but I’m not sure I would recommend Chemex for single serve. They’re a little large for small batches.
Personally I would go for a Hario V60 (01 or 02 size) or a Cafec drip brewer (the Deep 27 is perfect for single cup brewing!). They’re easily available, and the filters are also both cheap and easy to find.
Hario Switch.
I used to use a V60, but the steep-and-release coffee tastes better, in my opinion.
Same. I got a Hario Switch for Christmas and it’s replaced the AeroPress as my daily driver.
I also use the v60 but I get so many fines in my grind it ends up being an immersion brew regardless
that is a grinder problem not a V60 problem
I love my water kettle and pourover funnel.
all the quality and control of the aeropress with none of the fuss
i’m just curious, what do you find easier about the cone? i find the aeropress to basically be the most fuss free equipment i have. pourover cones i find the fussiest
Less mechanical factors: you don’t need to squeeze the plunger into the barrel. less to clean up: just one piece, and it’s not so narrow that you can’t get your hand into it. no rubber on the plunger to get gummy or old. it’s cheaper. it’s only one piece, so nothing to get separated or lost.
the one thing better about the aeropress is that it’s a bit slimmer, so it fits in the cupboard more easily.
Imo the only thing easier to use than an aeropress would be a moccamaster. Maybe a moka pot. Pour overs would be more like a side grade. Maybe even a downgrade as far as convenience goes since you usually have to worry about the way you pour and the blooming time and stuff.
my moka pot does not play nice with my stove for some reason and it makes me so sad. I only really use it camping because I have the gas stove there and ooo i love it.
What’s the issue on the stove? Induction issues?
it’s one of those shitty coil stoves and doesn’t provide consistent heat
Have you tried heating the water separately? That and preheating the bottom before putting in the water are 2 tricks that I’ve heard people use to increase consistency.
by shitty coil stove i meant it’s a coil stove and it’s shitty. it’s like either all the way on or all the way off, and it cycles between those to maintain whatever temperature it’s supposed to be going to idunno. not even good for boiling water because if you want to boil anything on it it’ll either boil too fast or take for fucking ever to boil, and it’s all in how long into the on cycle i get until the whatever bullshit timer turns it off and goddamn fucking shitty hotplate fucking stove. i got an aeropress to save my hairline
Uff… that’s rough, super frustrating. But at least, yeah, for aeropress it’s fine. Aeropress ftw anyway xD you don’t wanna all those harmful coffee oils from the moka pot anyway.
Clever Dripper and Hario Switch are easier, better, and less expensive than a Moccamaster
Yes, those go in the pour over category which I’ve mentioned. Yes, they’re nice, yew, they’re easy to use, but if they’re already used to using an aeropress it’s mostly gonna be a side grade at best. Unless I’m missing something, of course, in which case feel free to explain, I don’t claim to know everything.
I have used moka pot, generic Melitta, french press, variety of drip machines, V60, Kono, and Clever Dripper. The Clever has been my go to device for fast and easy brewing at the office now for nearly 2 years. It produces good to great cups every time with a decent grinder, scale, and a basic kettle not goose neck. Far better cups than any drip machine can make other than the expensive computerized ones like the Clover or the one from Fellow or similar. Even the Moccamaster cannot match the Clever or the Switch and it is 10x the price they are.
Alright, sold. Will get one to try :D mind sharing your recipe?
Pretty basic. Pick your ratio for the bean you are grinding. Grind your beans. Boil your water. Put the Clever on a scale. Hit zero. Put in the appropriate amount of water. Add the grounds. Don’t stir in, just let it sit for a minute or two. Then stir in the grounds very gently. Let sit for another 2 or 3 minutes. Then dispense (put the Clever on top of you cup or carafe. The end.
Thanks, will give it a shot.
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Embellish in what way? Which part isn’t clear.
If you’re looking for a really tasty brew, moka pot is definitely not as easy as an aeropress tho.
Well, if you’re comparing the most complex recipes, sure… but moka pot for a good coffee, afaik, only thing you need to do on top of the basic recipe is to put already hot water into it. And to be careful not to overheat it. But yeah, that’s why it was more of a maybe.
I got the Zojirushi Zutto coffee maker after looking up recommendations.
It works well, is easy to clean, and brews enough coffee for my wife and I to have a cup each (my cup is about 14 oz and she probably drinks about 10 oz). It brews the coffee in about 7-8 minutes and it fits the #2 cone filters.
I’ve been using it for over half a year now and I have no complaints. I’m not a coffee conneisuer, but I feel like this machine brews really good coffee. I also bought a super cheap 12 cup coffee maker for when we have guests, and I feel like the coffee brewed in that machine is inferior.
Clever Dripper if you are on a budget and V60 filters are hard to find where you live since it uses the same filters as the Melitta #4/Kalita 103 which can be found in cheap generic versions in a lot of places. Hario Switch if you have the money and V60 filters are easy to get where you live.
I’m folding cheap filters to fit in v60
The overlapping filter paper parts make me nervous about inconsistent water flow through the bed.
My thrift store cucumella https://ani.social/post/10884725
It’s tiny and doesn’t take up much space, essentially indestructible stainless steel, and will last me a lifetime.
My journey has been Aeropress to the Clever Dripper and now I’m using the Orea Z1.
For me, the Clever dripper was a large upgrade in taste. The Z1 less so, but still an upgrade.
The Clever dripper is more hands-off, but the Z1 is more precise, and is easier to experiment with, IMO.
If I knew what I know about coffee now, I’m sure I could have experimented much more with the Aeropress.
If find that the Clever Dripper is the perfect office coffee device for me. Least amount of user inputs/user time and a limited amount of gear (beans, grinder, scale, basic kettle, and Clever with filters). No loose grounds to deal with during clean up like with the french press, Aeropress, or moka pot. No goose neck needed like with V60 or other pour over.
At home I was using the V60 but a while back I switch to the Kono MDK-41 which also uses V60 filter paper. I am loving this for precise coffee fun.
I don’t know if it’s considered bad form but I prefer to get empty tea bags and put the grounds in there to steep like a cup of tea. Just need a grinder, no drip, press, etc. Just don’t let it steep too long or it goes bitter.
Good idea for budget brewing, but tea bags and microplastics though…
True, you’ll want to avoid nylon, polypropylene, etc plastics and treatments in manufacturing. Cotton and other natural fibers seem to work well. I’m using boao cotton bags or if I get tea I’ll get stash pre-bagged. There’s a bunch of manufacturers who avoid micro plastics, but you do have to look out for it.
