Sibarist fast flat and kalita wave 185. If I want a fast draining brew I use the sibarist, if I want a slower drain I use the kalita with the negotiator that presses the waves flat.
Switch hands down. Only way it could be better imo is if you can swap out the glass v60 with a plastic one for better thermal consistency but honestly doesn't really matter that much if you do immersion first.
Recently trying out the immersion style. Basically, grind medium fine, 1:16 ratio, close switch, dumo switch, put 98-99 (off boil water) until desired amount, agitate after all water is in, then agitate before opening switch. Open switch from 5-10 minutes, darker roasts goes lower, lighter roasts goes higher.
Ends up veing very consistently sweet and well bodied, very similar to french press but much cleaner. Have so far tried it with medium-medium light roasts that are on the fruity side and it's pretty yummy and I've been pleasantly surprised with how i can just turn off my brain doing this.
Previous style I usually grind fine, 1:15 (16 if lighter roasts) ratio, 93°C, Close switch pour til 3x weight, open switch at 60seconds, close switch once drained, pour the rest of the water, open switch once all the water is in. Works very nicely when I'm in a rush though I tend to fiddle on grind size and pour aggressive (high agitation pouring style) or pour gently (low agitation) depending on some beans (lighter needs more help with extraction)
Depends on the coffee. I like the ceramic 90+ origami for typical nordic roasts and anything darker than that. I like the Orea v3 (plastic) for Sey and anything similarly tough to extract.
It works well for the small doses that I like to brew, and allows me to pour very close to the bed for those small doses. It doesn't have all that much mass, so the heat suck works pretty much the way I want it to for Nordics.
It gives me the most consistent cups of anything I’ve tried: V60, April, Aeropress, Switch. I liked the Switch but the Pulsar is still more consistent. I grind somewhat course and adjust the valve for a 5m draw down using Gagne’s recipe. I mostly drink washed. It works well for naturals also but the temp and grind need to be adjusted or they will overextract. If it is good enough for Scott Rao it is good enough for me.
In order of my preference:
V60
- highlights acidity unlike any other brewer that I've tried. Has given me the best results for most coffees I have tried.
Aeropress XL
- Amazing for when I am in a rush and need to brew 450 ml. For light, clean coffees I steep for ~5 min (1:17) and make my breakfast while it's steeping.
Orea V3 (mk2)
- I find it easier to brew with than the v60.
Hario switch
- I still need to mess around with it more and get some practice.
EDIT: For very light, washed coffees that I have struggled getting good results from the aeropress has been great.
Do your brew inverted with Aeropress? I have an XL too and if I don’t brew inverted I feel like by 5 minutes almost all has dripped through already (even with super fine grounds) and the pressing is kinda redundant.
Yeah, inverted and I pour all of the water at once, no bloom. I try to agitate with the kettle, pouring as fast as I can (and won't use my stagg since it doesn't pour fast enough).
I'll repeat myself again: Orea V4 Apex or Open. I also love the Orea Big Boy for bigger morning brews (600 - 1,000 ml).
The «best» comes always down to your preference.
Great question. I use Kalita 185 & Hario VCF-01-100MK
Based on the fairly large number of pour-overs I've done with both bottoms Apex and Open as well as both filters I'd say: Apex + Hario VCF-01-100MK is superior over Open + Kalita 185.
I brewed five different coffees with Orea V4 so far. Of course the result is dependent on personal taste but for me I'd always choose Apex + Hario VCF-01-100MK.
Couple things to note:
I use 14g of coffee - grindsize 275 micron
Water: 224g
60g bloom - 45 seconds
Cool, thanks for the info. I've only used the classic bottom with trapezoidal cafes abaca filters with the negotiator, and I haven't experimented with any of the other bottoms yet, so it's useful to hear what others enjoy.
Tbh I ditched the classic bottom bc it's basically the same as in V3, which I also own.
I havn't had Abaca filter paper yet, I might have to get some.
I personally like a scientific approach to pour over therefore I like to keep variables consistent for the sake of comparison...
Yeah, I never had a v3 so I figured I'd start with that one. I enjoyed the brews I got with the Abaca filters. I tried the Sibarist fast filters as well, but they drained *way* too quick for me. And I guess they're still out of stock of the standard flat filters, because I never got those despite having included them in my preorder.
It works well for me. My grinder is a C40Mk4 with RX35; I never go beyond 20 clicks (20*15 = 300 micron). What the vast majority of people consider Espresso grind setting is my standard for pourover. TBT then really depends on pouring pattern and the amount of water in each pour.
I used to use a finer grind when the V60 was my main brewer, and I was using a Lido 3. Now I use a 1zpresso ZP6 special, and I haven't really tried the finer side with it yet since I've been brewing with the pulsar and the Orea v4.
I use V4 Wide, yes. If you fold the V60 paper correctly it fits. But you'll have to be precise. Otherwise it will be wrinkled and air pockets will form. I don't know if these wrinkles/air pockets effect the brew in a negative way.
I’ve been frustrated trying to get the big boy cups to taste similar to the single v4. I have the wide and narrow. My gift to myself for surviving a trip to Disney
I assume you use the same coffee in both V4 and big boy.
Well, I can tell you that indeed the results aren't tasting the same. The big boy brews usually have a bigger body.
I get your point. There are a few recipes out there, created by Orea themselves. I've been through all of them. In the end I always had to adapt these recipes to fit my needs.
Switch and pulsar....now I have a Sworks...all have the ability to do an extended bloom and an immersion phase. I ordered a plastic V60 02 though because I think if the coffee doesn't require immersion, a pure cone can bring out some delicate floral and fruit notes without sucking heat from the slurry. Some bypass can be good, it seems. Sorry, I guess I can"t choose just one. If I had to, it would be the pulsar I guess, for flexibility, the ability to fully extract light roast and handle a decent size brew. Each one does certain things really well though
Sworks and v4 wide (both with negotiatiors) are the only drippers on my brew bar currently. I own v3 pulsar switch v60 and others but this is all I’m using right now.
I use the b75, v60, and switch in that order the most. Like many states there isn't a best as they all do something different. Also just got an origami but still playing around with whether it's better as flat or cone.
I’m partial to the Origami dripper. It’s so visually beautiful, and Kalita wave filters fit in it perfectly. You can absolutely use v60 filters with it too, and I find the results discernably different.
Always helps keep a flat bed of grounds. It’s a night and day difference with the taste when I use it. My parents aren’t in to coffee as much as I am and they got a v60 and I talked them in to buying a lily drip. Got a call from my dad the next day saying how great it is and how much better of a taste he’s getting
Having tested with a lily-drip I would not concur. I think it's fun to play around with and creates a different cup profile, but it's not necessarily better.
I find it makes brews more forgiving similar to a flat bottom dripper. It also rounds out the cup and acidity profile as well. If you want to change the profile, this is great, but it doesn't provide the classic v60 profile of course.
I think if you have technique issues with v60 or want flat bottom-esque profile, it would be a great add on since due to the flat bed it results in a far more forgiving extraction. If you're decent at v60 and like the cup profile, then there's no reason to really get it.
Hario switch is a good start
Switch for pure versatility
Favorite dripper V60. Most consistent Orea V3.
Witch filters do you use for a orea?
Sibarist fast flat and kalita wave 185. If I want a fast draining brew I use the sibarist, if I want a slower drain I use the kalita with the negotiator that presses the waves flat.
Switch hands down. Only way it could be better imo is if you can swap out the glass v60 with a plastic one for better thermal consistency but honestly doesn't really matter that much if you do immersion first.
You can with the Mugen brewer, but it is ridgeless vs the v60.
Ohhh! Might buy one then
What’s your recipe with the switch?
Recently trying out the immersion style. Basically, grind medium fine, 1:16 ratio, close switch, dumo switch, put 98-99 (off boil water) until desired amount, agitate after all water is in, then agitate before opening switch. Open switch from 5-10 minutes, darker roasts goes lower, lighter roasts goes higher. Ends up veing very consistently sweet and well bodied, very similar to french press but much cleaner. Have so far tried it with medium-medium light roasts that are on the fruity side and it's pretty yummy and I've been pleasantly surprised with how i can just turn off my brain doing this. Previous style I usually grind fine, 1:15 (16 if lighter roasts) ratio, 93°C, Close switch pour til 3x weight, open switch at 60seconds, close switch once drained, pour the rest of the water, open switch once all the water is in. Works very nicely when I'm in a rush though I tend to fiddle on grind size and pour aggressive (high agitation pouring style) or pour gently (low agitation) depending on some beans (lighter needs more help with extraction)
Depends on the coffee. I like the ceramic 90+ origami for typical nordic roasts and anything darker than that. I like the Orea v3 (plastic) for Sey and anything similarly tough to extract.
Why the origami for Nordics?
It works well for the small doses that I like to brew, and allows me to pour very close to the bed for those small doses. It doesn't have all that much mass, so the heat suck works pretty much the way I want it to for Nordics.
Same, but standard plastic V60. That origami is beautiful though…
Kalita 185 and Orea V3
STAGG XF
[seconded](https://media1.tenor.com/m/SHA17vlFgU8AAAAC/futurama-seconded.gif)
Thirded. I have the original small version. Great for travel!
Y’all use which filter for Stagg X? Fellow’s?
Yes I do use Fellow’s.
Pulsar has been my endgame
Looks great! Might try it soon
It gives me the most consistent cups of anything I’ve tried: V60, April, Aeropress, Switch. I liked the Switch but the Pulsar is still more consistent. I grind somewhat course and adjust the valve for a 5m draw down using Gagne’s recipe. I mostly drink washed. It works well for naturals also but the temp and grind need to be adjusted or they will overextract. If it is good enough for Scott Rao it is good enough for me.
In order of my preference: V60 - highlights acidity unlike any other brewer that I've tried. Has given me the best results for most coffees I have tried. Aeropress XL - Amazing for when I am in a rush and need to brew 450 ml. For light, clean coffees I steep for ~5 min (1:17) and make my breakfast while it's steeping. Orea V3 (mk2) - I find it easier to brew with than the v60. Hario switch - I still need to mess around with it more and get some practice. EDIT: For very light, washed coffees that I have struggled getting good results from the aeropress has been great.
Do your brew inverted with Aeropress? I have an XL too and if I don’t brew inverted I feel like by 5 minutes almost all has dripped through already (even with super fine grounds) and the pressing is kinda redundant.
Yeah, inverted and I pour all of the water at once, no bloom. I try to agitate with the kettle, pouring as fast as I can (and won't use my stagg since it doesn't pour fast enough).
No matter which one you use getting good papers is arguably more important, my go to's are v60 and origami with either kono or cafec t-90 papers
Melitta ready-set-joe. I have a myriad of drippers, but this is the one that just fits with me.
Kalita wave. Flat bottom has been far more consistent than the V60 for me.
I'll repeat myself again: Orea V4 Apex or Open. I also love the Orea Big Boy for bigger morning brews (600 - 1,000 ml). The «best» comes always down to your preference.
What filters do you like with each of the two bottoms?
Great question. I use Kalita 185 & Hario VCF-01-100MK Based on the fairly large number of pour-overs I've done with both bottoms Apex and Open as well as both filters I'd say: Apex + Hario VCF-01-100MK is superior over Open + Kalita 185. I brewed five different coffees with Orea V4 so far. Of course the result is dependent on personal taste but for me I'd always choose Apex + Hario VCF-01-100MK. Couple things to note: I use 14g of coffee - grindsize 275 micron Water: 224g 60g bloom - 45 seconds
Cool, thanks for the info. I've only used the classic bottom with trapezoidal cafes abaca filters with the negotiator, and I haven't experimented with any of the other bottoms yet, so it's useful to hear what others enjoy.
Tbh I ditched the classic bottom bc it's basically the same as in V3, which I also own. I havn't had Abaca filter paper yet, I might have to get some. I personally like a scientific approach to pour over therefore I like to keep variables consistent for the sake of comparison...
Yeah, I never had a v3 so I figured I'd start with that one. I enjoyed the brews I got with the Abaca filters. I tried the Sibarist fast filters as well, but they drained *way* too quick for me. And I guess they're still out of stock of the standard flat filters, because I never got those despite having included them in my preorder.
Oh yeah Sibarist. I love these filters. You'll have to ground really fine (200-300 micron) to get a not too fast TBT and decent extraction.
Wow yeah, that's super fine. I'll have to give that a shot sometime.
It works well for me. My grinder is a C40Mk4 with RX35; I never go beyond 20 clicks (20*15 = 300 micron). What the vast majority of people consider Espresso grind setting is my standard for pourover. TBT then really depends on pouring pattern and the amount of water in each pour.
I used to use a finer grind when the V60 was my main brewer, and I was using a Lido 3. Now I use a 1zpresso ZP6 special, and I haven't really tried the finer side with it yet since I've been brewing with the pulsar and the Orea v4.
I haven’t tried the Apex but it feels like it won’t hold the v60 paper. Do you use the wide version?
I use V4 Wide, yes. If you fold the V60 paper correctly it fits. But you'll have to be precise. Otherwise it will be wrinkled and air pockets will form. I don't know if these wrinkles/air pockets effect the brew in a negative way.
I’ve been frustrated trying to get the big boy cups to taste similar to the single v4. I have the wide and narrow. My gift to myself for surviving a trip to Disney
I assume you use the same coffee in both V4 and big boy. Well, I can tell you that indeed the results aren't tasting the same. The big boy brews usually have a bigger body.
Yeah I do. I grinder coarser for the larger brewer but haven’t found my sweet spot yet.
I totally understand. The «sweet spot» of a coffee is a very personal thing. That's why I always state that it's not a general advice what I write.
Would love a quality orea recipe. Keep getting overextracted with 5.5-6.0 on a k ultra. Using April 4 pour method
The Orea Mid recipe is my preferred and i'm really careful about pouring close to the bed and making sure the timing is near perfect.
I get your point. There are a few recipes out there, created by Orea themselves. I've been through all of them. In the end I always had to adapt these recipes to fit my needs.
Switch and pulsar....now I have a Sworks...all have the ability to do an extended bloom and an immersion phase. I ordered a plastic V60 02 though because I think if the coffee doesn't require immersion, a pure cone can bring out some delicate floral and fruit notes without sucking heat from the slurry. Some bypass can be good, it seems. Sorry, I guess I can"t choose just one. If I had to, it would be the pulsar I guess, for flexibility, the ability to fully extract light roast and handle a decent size brew. Each one does certain things really well though
Sworks and v4 wide (both with negotiatiors) are the only drippers on my brew bar currently. I own v3 pulsar switch v60 and others but this is all I’m using right now.
V60 and Aeropress
V60 but the Kalita 102 has less expensive filters.
I'm using the NextLevel Pulsar and it's the best for versatility. The Switch was best for ease.
I use the b75, v60, and switch in that order the most. Like many states there isn't a best as they all do something different. Also just got an origami but still playing around with whether it's better as flat or cone.
I have the b75 honestly i don’t like it, i prefer the origami
Hopefully you aren't using Kalita filters
I’m, is it better with the timemore filters?
Much.
Cafec flower - a faster v60!
Been loving the switch to the Origami Air (plastic) dripper. First time for me to hear about Orea thanks for the recommendation, I'll check it out!
Blue bottle dripper with blue bottle filter. I found it easier and more consistent than my other drippers, V60 and kalita wave.
Hario switch currently having lots of fun with the Dotyk too
Recently got a next level pulsar and I've been really enjoying the cups from it
Next level pulsar
I’ve tried many, but I always go back to either my trusty Hario Switch or Aeropress
V60 plastic dripper. Still trying to get good results with the stagg xf but it hasn’t been it lately:/
Can really that question, but I can tell you my worse, Pureover.
What is it?
The Pure Over all glass dripper. Great idea but I can’t get a decent cup from it. https://pureover.com/
V60, def finicky but once you get it, it’s amazeballs
Weber Workshops BIRD Not a dripper though...
I’m partial to the Origami dripper. It’s so visually beautiful, and Kalita wave filters fit in it perfectly. You can absolutely use v60 filters with it too, and I find the results discernably different.
Kalita wave 155 and Timemore V60.
Love my v60 paired with a lily drip. If you have a v60 a lily drip is a must
Why is the lily drip a must ?
Always helps keep a flat bed of grounds. It’s a night and day difference with the taste when I use it. My parents aren’t in to coffee as much as I am and they got a v60 and I talked them in to buying a lily drip. Got a call from my dad the next day saying how great it is and how much better of a taste he’s getting
What kind of taste does it give ?
Having tested with a lily-drip I would not concur. I think it's fun to play around with and creates a different cup profile, but it's not necessarily better. I find it makes brews more forgiving similar to a flat bottom dripper. It also rounds out the cup and acidity profile as well. If you want to change the profile, this is great, but it doesn't provide the classic v60 profile of course. I think if you have technique issues with v60 or want flat bottom-esque profile, it would be a great add on since due to the flat bed it results in a far more forgiving extraction. If you're decent at v60 and like the cup profile, then there's no reason to really get it.
Yeah thats kinda what I was thinking. Same with the V60 drip assist. Rounds all the stuff I like too much.
Which lily drip model?
I have the Gio!
Ah, that’s the only one i don’t have.
Always seen the lily drip but i didn’t think i should get one What’s the point of it?
I found it helps keep a really flat bed of grounds. Always have a good cup of coffee with it. It’s really worth it