For anyone ready to upgrade from a basic drip coffee maker, a pour over is one of the easiest ways to make better coffee at home.
Unlike automatic brewers, a manual drip coffee maker gives you more control over the brewing process, so you can start to notice differences among beans, roast levels, and brewing styles.
We use a pour-over coffee brewer almost every morning in our house (even our toddler has gotten decent at grinding and pouring the beans into our Hario V60). Spoiler – the V60 is our favorite, and the one we’re quick to recommend to friends.
But there are plenty of other great pour over coffee makers in the market. Read on for a low-key deep dive into the different kinds of pour overs and which ones earn a spot in your morning line up.
Best overall: Hario V60
$30.50
Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper, Size 02, Red
- Beginner-friendly and affordable
- Easy replacement filters
- Trusted by coffee professionals
Low-Key Coffee Snobs is funded by affiliate commissions which we (often) make when you buy products we link.
We reach for the Hario V60 every morning, and are quite proud of how brown (once white) it is. It’s nearly 8 years old, so it is certainly showing its age. And after hundreds (literally) of brews, it’s still a workhorse.
We love it for its affordability, accessibility (once you start looking for them, you’ll see them everywhere), and that the learning curve is pretty low. You can nerd out while brewing OR keep it simple and still enjoy a tasty cup of coffee to boot.
Top rated pour over coffee makers
The best conical pour over
The best flat-bottom pour over
The best hybrid immersion
The best no-bypass
The best camping pour over
The best automated pour over
Conical pour overs
For beginners, a conical pour-over style offers a fun way to experiment with brewing while still producing a noticeably better cup than a standard drip machine. Many coffee enthusiasts prefer pour over because it gives them more control over variables like grind size, water flow, and brew time, making it easier to highlight different flavor characteristics.
Hario V60
If you’ve never used a pour over dripper before, the V60 is one of the easiest places to start.
You really can’t go wrong with the Hario V60 pour over coffee maker. It’s one of the best pour over coffee brewers in the world and a favorite among beginners and experienced brewers alike. The Hario V60 is our top pick because it strikes the best balance of price, brew quality, filter availability, and room to grow. Beginners can make excellent coffee after a few brews, while experienced users can keep refining technique for years without outgrowing it.
While we’ve personally used the plastic version for years and had great results, the ceramic version is a nice upgrade if you prefer a more premium feel. (Some coffee drinkers also prefer avoiding plastic when brewing hot liquids, but we never worry about that since there’s a filter between the water and the plastic.)
Consider its lil sis the NEO for faster drawdowns.
Origami
Buy the Origami if you like experimenting—you can swap between V60 and Wave filters for two completely different brewing experiences.
Handcrafted in Toki City, Japan, this ceramic brewer features 20 folds that create airflow channels between the filter and dripper wall, helping water move evenly through the coffee grounds.
The Origami dripper is proof that coffee equipment can be both functional and beautiful (much like the Chemex, imo!).
Use it with V60-style conical filters for a brighter, cleaner cup, or switch to Kalita Wave-style filters for a fuller-bodied brew. Its flexibility makes it one of the best pour-over coffee drippers.
Chemex
Choose the Chemex if you love exceptionally clean, tea-like coffee and don’t mind sacrificing a little body (I never do).
With its iconic hourglass shape and polished wood collar, this glass pour over brewer can double as a piece of kitchen decor. It is one of the most recognizable pour-over coffee pots in the world and a top-rated pour over coffee maker. David also prefers the no-collar version, which I think is decidedly less attractive (though I do like its dishwasher friendliness).
That said, this one is a little more polarizing among coffee enthusiasts. The beautiful design is a major selling point, but some coffee nerds aren’t fans of the amount of bypass (water that flows around the coffee grounds instead of through them), which can affect extraction.
» Learn more: Things to know before buying a Chemex
Flat-bottom pour overs
Compared to cone-shaped brewers, a flat-bottom pour over creates a wider, more even coffee bed, which can make it easier to get consistent results, especially if you’re still learning your pouring technique.
Kalita Wave
The Kalita Wave is one of the best pour-over coffee systems for good reason. This drip coffee dripper has a wave-shaped filter, and three small holes at the bottom help regulate water flow, creating a balanced extraction with a full-bodied cup.
I’ve used one for years and enjoyed it, though I eventually switched to the V60 mostly because flat-bottom filters are a little harder to store.
» How to make pour over coffee with the Kalita Wave
Orea (V2/V3/V4)
The Orea feels like the natural next step after a V60 or Kalita. If you’ve already learned the basics and want an exceptionally consistent flat-bottom brewer, it’s hard to beat. It rewards careful technique without feeling nearly as finicky as some competition brewers.
Made from double-walled stainless steel, the Orea retains heat during brewing while remaining comfortable to handle. Compared to single-wall metal brewers, plastic, or ceramic options, that extra heat retention can make a noticeable difference.
Another big advantage is that it uses Kalita Wave 155 filters, which are easy to find and replace.
Hybrid immersion
Instead of water immediately flowing through the coffee grounds, a hybrid immersion brewer allows the coffee to steep before draining, creating a fuller and often more forgiving cup.
Clever Dripper
We keep reaching for the Clever Dripper on mornings when we’re darting to different places. This is 1) because it’s incredibly forgiving and 2) because it brews a single cup, which is ideal when I’m drinking at 6a but David doesn’t have to roll out of bed til later.
Made from BPA-free Tritan plastic, the Clever Dripper is lightweight, durable, and easy to clean. Unlike a traditional pour-over brewer, the Clever Dripper has a built-in valve that keeps water and coffee grounds together while brewing. Once the coffee has steeped, simply place it on your mug or server, and the valve releases the coffee.
The biggest downside? It’s really designed for one person at a time. If you’re regularly making coffee for two or more people, you’ll probably want something with a larger capacity.
» Read our full Clever Dripper review
OXO Pour Over
If your goal isn’t experimenting with extraction but simply making great coffee with less hands-on work, the OXO Single Serve Pour Over Brewer is worth considering.
The built-in water tank handles the pouring for you, so it’s one of the easiest ways to enjoy pour over coffee on busy mornings. It doesn’t offer the flexibility of some of the other brewers, but it’s significantly simpler to use and produces a consistently good cup.
» Read our full OXO pour over review
Hario Switch
The Hario Switch is our favorite recommendation for people who can’t decide between a V60 and a Clever Dripper.
The Hario Switch is essentially a V60 with a clever upgrade: a switch-controlled valve that lets you choose between traditional pour-over brewing and immersion brewing.
Want a bright, clean cup? Use it like a regular V60. Want something richer and more forgiving? Close the switch and let the coffee steep before releasing it.
That said, when you use the immersion function, the brewing process is much closer to the Clever Dripper than a traditional V60. The real advantage here is versatility – you can choose the coffee style you want depending on your mood.
Read our full Hario Switch Review »
No-Bypass
No-bypass brewers are designed to prevent water from flowing around the coffee grounds, forcing all of the water through the coffee bed instead. The result is often a more even extraction and a cup with more pronounced flavors.
NextLevel Pulsar
Two words: maximum extraction.
The NextLevel Pulsar takes the idea of a pour-over brewer and adds a little more control with a built-in valve. You can close it during the bloom, allow the coffee to steep like an immersion brewer, or adjust the flow rate during brewing to experiment with different flavors.
Ceado Hoop
The Ceado Hoop removes much of the technique from pour over brewing, so it’s a good option if you love the flavor of pour over but don’t love the learning curve.
Instead of relying on your pouring technique to distribute water evenly, the Ceado Hoop uses a center flow tower that directs water outward through side holes at the bottom of the brewer.
Translation? You don’t need a fancy gooseneck kettle or perfect pouring skills to get a consistent cup.
Camping pour overs
Great coffee shouldn’t have to stop when you leave your kitchen. These camping pour-over brewers are designed for coffee lovers who want a quality cup while traveling, hiking, or camping.
Hario Zebrang
The Hario Zebrang is made with flexible silicone, and the cone can be rolled, folded, or flattened when you’re packing it away. Once you’re ready to brew, attach the removable plastic base, add a standard V60 filter, and you’re ready to make coffee almost anywhere.
Its biggest advantage is convenience: it takes up a fraction of the space of a traditional dripper while still producing the kind of coffee you’d expect from Hario.
Yeti Pour Over Rambler
If you already love your YETI Rambler, this small pour over coffee maker attachment makes it easy to bring your coffee routine on the road. The brewer is compatible with standard V60 filters and fits directly onto many YETI Rambler cups.
The double-wall stainless steel construction makes it extremely durable compared to ceramic or glass brewers, and it’s incredibly easy to clean.
Snow Peak Field Barista Collapsible Coffee Dripper
If you’re rough on your gear, the Snow Peak is an easy recommendation. The stainless steel construction stands up to years of camping trips without the flexibility or wear that comes with silicone drippers.
It’s a collapsible brewer that breaks down into six pieces for compact storage and weighs just 150 grams, making it lightweight enough for backpacking or bikepacking trips.
It’s compatible with both Chemex and Hario-style filters, so you don’t need to pack specialty papers just for travel.
Automated pour over coffee maker
We haven’t tested these products, but coffee nerds around the internet give us confidence giving these our stamp of approval
The TL;DR on Best Pour Over Coffee Makers
The best pour over coffee machine ultimately depends on what kind of coffee experience you’re looking for.
If we could recommend only one brewer, we’d buy the Hario V60. It delivers outstanding coffee, replacement filters are inexpensive and widely available, and it leaves plenty of room to improve your technique over time.
If you’re building your first pour-over set, starting with a classic like the Hario V60 is a safe bet. If you just want an easy morning cup, the Clever Dripper will probably make you happier.
$30.50
Hario V60 Ceramic Coffee Dripper, Size 02, Red
- Beginner-friendly and affordable
- Easy replacement filters
- Trusted by coffee professionals
Low-Key Coffee Snobs is funded by affiliate commissions which we (often) make when you buy products we link.
While we have opinions on the “best” pour-over coffee maker, what matters most is the one that fits your morning routine. The fun part is figuring out which one makes your coffee ritual a little more enjoyable!
