Why the Clever Dripper should be your next coffee maker

There are numerous coffee kits out there, ranging from the humble cafetière to the AeroPress and the Hario V60 coffee dripper. You could fill an entire kitchen with coffee-making equipment alone (believe me, I almost have), but there’s not much reason to do so. After all, options like the Hario Technica Syphon look like they would be better placed in a chemistry lab than in your home.

But one thing I highly recommend is the Clever Dripper, a nifty immersion brewer that makes it easy to produce a tasty filter coffee. Here’s why it should be the next coffee maker you buy.

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It’s easy to use 

The Clever Dripper is a conical filter brewer that, on the face of it, resembles the Hario V60. The key difference is that when you pour water into the Clever Dripper, it won’t flow through unless you place it on top of your cup or serving jug. This is thanks to a pressure plate on the base of the Clever Dripper that, when depressed, opens up for the flow of water.

This makes it much easier to use than something like the V60 or Chemex brewer, both of which involve a lot more complicated weighing, timing and careful pouring.

So how do you use the Clever Dripper? Simply pop your filter paper in (you can choose to rinse the paper with some hot water to eliminate a papery taste from your coffee if you wish), before adding your coffee and then pouring in all of the hot water and starting the timer. When the time’s up, put the Dripper on top of your cup and then discard the paper and grounds once it’s all filtered through.

Recommended times and measurements will vary depending on the coffee used and personal preference. But I tend to use 18g of coffee for 300ml of water (relying on the 6g/100ml ratio). I allow this to brew for around 7-10 minutes, gently stirring about halfway in, before allowing the brewed coffee to drain through the filter into my serving jug. I also add the water first before adding the coffee, following a technique suggested by James Hoffman.

Simple. On the other hand, V60 brewing requires you to pay closer attention to how much you’re pouring, while measuring this against the timer. You usually need a gooseneck kettle to get a more precise pour as well. These are all factors you don’t need to worry about so much with the Clever Dripper.

It can make great coffee 

The Clever Dripper is a doddle to use, but is the coffee any good? Well, that’s going to depend mostly on what coffee you’re using. With the right beans, I’ve found that the Clever Dripper can produce a really tasty filter coffee.

You might think that a French press can do that with even less effort and wouldn’t be wrong –  they’re as popular as they are for good reason. But I’ve found that I can get a cup of coffee with more nuance and clarity with the Clever Dripper – and with no escaped coffee grounds in the cup either.

Aside from the base of the Clever Dripper, which can be a bit tricky, I’ve found it much easier to clean too: there’s no need to scoop wet coffee grounds into the bin or compost. Just throw the coffee grounds out with the paper (compostable filter papers are available too).

It’s affordable 

You can get the Clever Dripper for under £20, which is remarkably good value considering how reliable it is as a coffee maker. Of course, you’ll need to pay for the filter papers, but these are relatively inexpensive.

For comparison, the V60 will cost you around the same, while cafetières vary in price a bit more. You can get one for less than this, but for a good French press you’ll want to pay at least £20 – if not more.

Conclusion

For these reasons, the Clever Dripper is high up on my list of coffee equipment for a good pour-over style filter coffee without the faff and trial-and-error that can come with V60 and Chemex brewing.

For a wider selection of coffee makers, as well as manual espresso, capsule and bean-to-cup machines, check our best coffee machines page.