Pour Over Maker help

[froze]

I have a V60 maker currently, but the flavor is not as strong as I would like, so instead of buying something and not liking it I thought I might ask some pour-over pros opinions on this forum. By strong tasting, I'm more into the Bialetti Brikka Moka pot style, I have one of those and love it, but I have several different ways I make coffee including Turkish, Cold Brew, French Press, AeroPress, and that V60, of those the AeroPress is so as is the V60, though the V60 does have a smooth taste, it simply isn't strong enough for my taste buds, and I tried different grinds, different methods of brewing it etc, and nothing really came of all the experimentation. The French Press is stronger in flavor than the AeroPress. Turkish is a whole different flavor than the typical coffee we get in America which is why I like it. Cold Brew is nice when it's hot outside, and I drink it straight, I don't dilute it like the instructions say!

The ones that intrigue me, but open to suggestions outside of these, are the: 1) Kalita Wave 185, 2) OXO Good Grips, 3) Swiss Gold Frieling Coffee for one KF300, or the 4) Fellow Stag X. I can't find anyone doing a comparison between those that I listed, which is why I came here.

It seems like the Fellow and the Frieling are very similar, so I'm not sure if paying twice as much for the Fellow would gain anything over the Frieling, is that correct?

So let the fun begin, I would be intrigued as to what you all have to say, thanks!

 

[Musicphan]

All pour-overs produce similar flavor profiles so I would skip the Kalita & Stag.. I'm not familiar with the other two. And the fact you like FP & Aeropress - both submersion brewing methods there are not a lot of other options to explore. One I would suggest is the Clever Brewer.. its essentially a submersion brewer with a filter.

 

[froze]

Hmm, that recommendation did intrigue me quite a bit! I did read about them after you mentioned it and it does seem like the better option.

Now I notice there are at least two of these immersion brewers, one is the Clever Brewer as you mentioned, and the other is the Hario V60 Immersion Dripper. Do you, or anyone else here, think that one makes a stronger-tasting coffee over the other? or will the coffee taste the same?

If the coffee tastes the same I would just buy the cheaper one, but if the Hario brews it stronger then that's the one I would want.

Thanks for your advice concerning the immersion brewer, that one did not even come onto my radar!

 

[Musicphan]

I forgot Hario brought out a knockoff... Bonavita has one as well. I can't imagine either of these units has a significant difference in taste between them.

 

[froze]

Some websites say that the Clever dripper is a knockoff of the Hario V60, Clever just added a bit to it, which made Hario respond back with a V60 converted to an immersion dripper.

Odd thing, I searched all over the internet for a comparison of the two yesterday, and found one but it was too vague, then today for some odd reason this one popped up:

I think, based on this YouTube review I'm leaning towards the Hario Switch V60, plus with that one I can if I want to use it as a V60 which I already have one of those so I know how to use it, but it's plastic and getting a bit etched after years of use, the glass won't do that.

And for some reason, right now on Amazon the Hario is cheaper?!

Thanks for your help

 

[JeffD]

Try increasing the ratio of coffee grounds to water. I use about 1 to 17. In that neighborhood. (Specifically I do 50 grams of coffee to 30 oz of water.)

 

[froze]

UPDATE: Thanks to all of you who responded to my question, I really appreciate your thoughts.

I ordered the Hario Switch because it seemed better built than the Clever, and reviews thought it made a better stronger-tasting coffee than the Clever, I will never know if that is a fact since I'm not going to buy both to compare, so take that for what it is.

Here's my early impression after using it for 2 days, compared to just my old V60 pour-over...it's much better!

I'm not one of those who can explain about all the tastes it brings out, I don't how to explain that sort of stuff like you see experts doing on YouTube, all I can tell you is that it makes a stronger, more favorable, cup of coffee than my old pour over which was a V60! The Switch uses a glass version of the V60 that I have.

I have various methods of making coffee, and I think this Switch immersion way of making coffee is superior to the French Press, even though the concept is similar in that they both use an immersion process but the French Press lacks the pour-over ability; and it is also superior to the AeroPress that I also have. It is not superior to my Bialetti Brikka Moka pot, the moka pot makes the coffee much stronger in taste, however, the Switch makes a smoother cup of coffee. Two different taste profiles of which I like both.

The only thing odd about the Switch is that there is a small ball bearing inside the dripper that when you open and close the lever the ball will either seal by gravity and weight of the ball and keep the coffee from going into the cup or when open the coffee flows through, well that ball is loose no matter what position it's in, and it, and did, come right out of the top of the V60 which caught me by surprise. Now that I'm aware of that ball being able to come out I'm now careful with it, but it is nonetheless odd. The other odd thing is that the instructions that came with the Switch say to use 20 grams of coffee...20 grams is like 8 beans! When I read that, I had to read it twice, needless to say, I didn't follow that part of the instructions, I used a scoop that I have that came with the French Press and put in 1 1/2 scoops instead of what the French Press said to use, but I always used 1 1/2 in it instead of 1.

I'll be playing around with it some more, but I am pleasantly surprised by the quality and taste of the coffee that it is making. I so far just followed the directions in the little paper that came with it, there are other methods used on the internet. I took a chance buying it hoping that I would like it, and that gamble paid off.

So the AeroPress and the French Press are going to be put away, they simply can't compete against this Switch immersion coffee maker.

This is obviously an opinion by a non-expert, someone else might like the French Press and or the AeroPress better maybe because they don't like a stronger brew which is why most Americans don't like moka pot coffee, so take what I said for a grain of salt.

 

[Musicphan]

UPDATE: Thanks to all of you who responded to my question, I really appreciate your thoughts.

I ordered the Hario Switch because it seemed better built than the Clever, and reviews thought it made a better stronger-tasting coffee than the Clever, I will never know if that is a fact since I'm not going to buy both to compare, so take that for what it is.

Here's my early impression after using it for 2 days, compared to just my old V60 pour-over...it's much better!

I'm not one of those who can explain about all the tastes it brings out, I don't how to explain that sort of stuff like you see experts doing on YouTube, all I can tell you is that it makes a stronger, more favorable, cup of coffee than my old pour over which was a V60! The Switch uses a glass version of the V60 that I have.

I have various methods of making coffee, and I think this Switch immersion way of making coffee is superior to the French Press, even though the concept is similar in that they both use an immersion process but the French Press lacks the pour-over ability; and it is also superior to the AeroPress that I also have. It is not superior to my Bialetti Brikka Moka pot, the moka pot makes the coffee much stronger in taste, however, the Switch makes a smoother cup of coffee. Two different taste profiles of which I like both.

The only thing odd about the Switch is that there is a small ball bearing inside the dripper that when you open and close the lever the ball will either seal by gravity and weight of the ball and keep the coffee from going into the cup or when open the coffee flows through, well that ball is loose no matter what position it's in, and it, and did, come right out of the top of the V60 which caught me by surprise. Now that I'm aware of that ball being able to come out I'm now careful with it, but it is nonetheless odd. The other odd thing is that the instructions that came with the Switch say to use 20 grams of coffee...20 grams is like 8 beans! When I read that, I had to read it twice, needless to say, I didn't follow that part of the instructions, I used a scoop that I have that came with the French Press and put in 1 1/2 scoops instead of what the French Press said to use, but I always used 1 1/2 in it instead of 1.

I'll be playing around with it some more, but I am pleasantly surprised by the quality and taste of the coffee that it is making. I so far just followed the directions in the little paper that came with it, there are other methods used on the internet. I took a chance buying it hoping that I would like it, and that gamble paid off.

So the AeroPress and the French Press are going to be put away, they simply can't compete against this Switch immersion coffee maker.

This is obviously an opinion by a non-expert, someone else might like the French Press and or the AeroPress better maybe because they don't like a stronger brew which is why most Americans don't like moka pot coffee, so take what I said for a grain of salt.

If you're not using a scale - I highly recommend buying an inexpensive one to weigh your coffee. You will see a significant increase in brew quality when you start using consistent amounts of coffee.

 

[froze]

If you're not using a scale - I highly recommend buying an inexpensive one to weigh your coffee. You will see a significant increase in brew quality when you start using consistent amounts of coffee.

I have a scale, but quite frankly I don't use it much for coffee, I don't mind getting different degrees of brew character, it helps take the boredom out of drinking the same thing every day. As I said before, I am not a coffee expert thus I don't need exactness, nor does it bother me if it isn't exact. Having said that, sometimes I do scale stuff out, which gives me at least a guideline, but I'll do that initially after getting a new maker then after that I just throw whatever into it, I tend to lean on the stronger side so I'll put in more coffee than recommended.

Once I made coffee from all my makers for my grandson and measured the exact same weight in coffee and water, then he taste-tested them all without knowing which method was used, he takes after me, he preferred the Moka pot, but we haven't repeated that test with the Switch since I just got it and he hasn't been over yet. But it will be interesting to hear what he thinks of the different ones now.

 

[Musicphan]

I get what your saying but understand that's a huge variable you are not account for. If your just measing off volume understand your could be 10-15% off the ideal weight for brewing.

 

[froze]

I get what your saying but understand that's a huge variable you are not account for. If your just measing off volume understand your could be 10-15% off the ideal weight for brewing.

yup, but it doesn't bother me, I always make the coffee stronger than the recommended dosage when I was using the old Pour Over, or the French Press, or this Hario Switch. So who came up with the ideal weight for brewing? Some Coffee snobs? Probably, because the ideal weight for me makes the coffee not strong enough! Of course, if I overdo it the coffee can come out bitter, that's happened to me before, but for the most part, my coffee comes out strong, more favorable, with no bitterness.

I do think that there is an ideal heat range that has a 10-degree window with dark roast being on the upper end of that range, but the ideal weight is not that important unless you go way overboard and get that bitterness. The Hario Switch 3 cup says to use 15 grams of coffee for 30 ml of water, except I've upped that to around 20 per 30 ml, what I get is a very strong-tasting coffee without any bitterness.

Now that you brought that up, tomorrow I'm going to try using 25 grams and see what happens using the Hario Switch.

 

[Musicphan]

So who came up with the ideal weight for brewing? Some Coffee snobs? Probably, because the ideal weight for me makes the coffee not strong enough!

People like myself that deal with coffee every day of their lives and talk with hundred of customers every year. The root of most bad coffees is lack of knowing how much coffee is being used compared to water.

Best of luck!

 

[froze]

I tried what the instructions said, and it wasn't good, they said to use 20 grams of coffee for 300 grams of water, it was too watered down, I had to throw it and and start over, so I upped it to 60 grams of coffee, it was much better. No luck involved, just better-tasting coffee when I don't use the prescribed amount, I found this to be true with the French Press and the AeroPress.

With the Bialetti Brikka Moka pot, the coffee is premeasured in a basket so I can't add more coffee into it, but if I put in a little less water it instead and comes out better, almost exactly like espresso, and with more crema than filling the moka pot with water to the line.

When I go to Starbucks, all I get is watered-down coffee, and they're supposed to be the experts at making coffee? Whatever.

I'll do it my way because that's the way I like my coffee.

 

[froze]

I come very sheepishly and feeling stupid!

Evidently, my gram scale wasn't working correctly, because after what you said about the grams and you being an expert, I began to question what was going on. Upon further investigation, I figured out the scale wasn't weighing correctly, so I recalibrated it, and it still didn't seem right, did it again and got the same result; next, I replaced the battery, but it still didn't seem right. So, I went and bought another so I could check my original scale, and sure enough my scale was weighing on the heavy side. So now I have a scale that is supposedly measuring true.

Sorry about all of that mess. I struggled coming here to say all of this because I felt like such an idiot, but here I am to admit it.

 

[Musicphan]

I come very sheepishly and feeling stupid!

Evidently, my gram scale wasn't working correctly, because after what you said about the grams and you being an expert, I began to question what was going on. Upon further investigation, I figured out the scale wasn't weighing correctly, so I recalibrated it, and it still didn't seem right, did it again and got the same result; next, I replaced the battery, but it still didn't seem right. So, I went and bought another so I could check my original scale, and sure enough my scale was weighing on the heavy side. So now I have a scale that is supposedly measuring true.

Sorry about all of that mess. I struggled coming here to say all of this because I felt like such an idiot, but here I am to admit it.

no worries... we are all here to learn and we all start somewhere.