Kettle Nook

The Best Pour-Over Coffee Makers

A $20 dripper for most kitchens, a $12 cone for light roasts, three that work with any kettle, and a carafe that pours for three.

By Nora Pell · Updated Oct 6, 202618 drippers compared

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Pour-over is the slow way to make one good mug: a paper filter in a cone, fresh grounds, hot water from a kettle. It's the brewing you control from start to finish, and most of what you need is a $12 to $47 dripper. If I had to pick one for most kitchens, it'd be the Kalita Wave. Its flat bottom and three little holes drain evenly even when your hand wobbles, it makes one or two big mugs, and it costs about $20.

If you like bright, fruity light roasts and want to learn the craft, the Hario V60 is the cone the pros use, for about $12. If you don't want to think about pouring at all, the Clever lets the coffee steep and then drains it into your mug, and an ordinary kettle is fine. Making coffee for the whole table? That's the Chemex.

Our picks

Best overallKalita Wave 185 Glass DripperCheck price on Amazon
Best valueHario V60 Plastic 02Check price on Amazon
Easiest to useClever Coffee DripperCheck price on Amazon
Best for tinkerersHario Switch 02Check price on Amazon
Best for a crowdChemex Classic 6-CupCheck price on Amazon
Best hands-offOXO Brew Single Serve Pour-OverCheck price on Amazon

At a glance

DripperBest forMakesFilterKettleAbout
1. Kalita Wave 185 Glass DripperMost people, one to two mugs2 to 4 cupsKalita Wave 185Gooseneck$20
2. Hario V60 Plastic 02Light roasts on a budget1 to 4 cupsV60 02 conesGooseneck$12
3. Clever Coffee DripperNo technique, no gooseneckAbout 17 oz#4 cone, any groceryAny kettle$42
4. Hario Switch 02Steep or pour, one coneAbout 7 oz steepedV60 02 conesAny kettle$31
5. Chemex Classic 6-CupCoffee for three or more30 ozChemex BondedGooseneck$47
6. OXO Brew Single Serve Pour-OverA mug while you get readyUp to 12 oz#2 cone, any groceryAny kettle$20

The six pour-over makers, ranked

1 · Best overall
Kalita Wave 185 Glass Dripper

Kalita Wave 185 Glass Dripper

A flat bottom with three small holes that drains evenly even when your pour isn't perfect, for a sweet, balanced cup.

$19.68as of 12:21 PM ET
Check price on Amazon
Buy it if

You want great coffee most mornings without practicing your pour, and you drink one or two mugs at a time.

Skip it if

You'd rather buy filters at the grocery store. The Kalita only takes its own wavy 185 filters, so you'll be ordering them online.

Why the flat bottom matters

Most drippers are cones that funnel water to one hole, so where you pour changes how the coffee tastes. The Wave has a flat bed and three small holes, and its fluted filter barely touches the walls, so the water sits on the coffee for a moment and drains evenly. You can be a bit sloppy and still get a sweet, round cup, with the chocolate, caramel and nutty side of a medium roast up front and the acidity tucked behind. That forgiveness is why one of the best-known pour-over guides puts it first.

The cone is heat-resistant glass with a plastic collar that sits on your mug; the base is 4 inches across, wide enough to fit almost any cup or carafe. It brews 2 to 4 cups, goes in the dishwasher, and Kalita suggests warming it with hot water before you brew. Rinse the filter while you're at it, or the first cup can taste a little papery.

What owners report

The one real worry is the glass. Three owners bring up breakage on Kalita's own store: one household is on its third dripper, and another owner says Kalita sent a free replacement after theirs broke, which earned their loyalty. Two have trouble with the plastic collar. One buyer thought the dripper felt too light to be glass and found it tipped on her favorite mug; Kalita's answer was to keep the collar on, since that's what makes it stable. Another says the collar stopped fitting the glass after a few uses.

Everyone else likes it. Several call it light and quick to clean. One owner who's made pour-over for five years says it's by far the best they've used, with no clogging, and another reaches for it over their V60 because it's lighter in the hand.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • Kalita filters only, and they're harder to find than V60 or grocery cone filters.
  • One owner finds the glass a little thinner than their carafe's, and it breaks if you drop it.
  • A gooseneck kettle helps a lot, even if it forgives a wobbly pour.
Size

3.5 inches tall and about 4.4 inches wide, with a 4-inch base. Makes 2 to 4 cups.

Flat bottom, 3 holesHeat-resistant glassDishwasher safeFits most mugs
2
Hario V60 Plastic 02
Best value

Hario V60 Plastic 02

The cone champion baristas use. Plastic holds the heat better than the pricier ceramic one, and it costs about $12.

$12.16as of 12:21 PM ETCheck price on Amazon
Buy it if

You love bright, fruity light roasts and want the cone every recipe online is written for, for the price of a sandwich.

Skip it if

You want it to be easy from day one. A rushed pour shows up in the cup.

Read the full write-up

The pros' cone, in plastic

With one big hole at the bottom and nothing to hold the water back, the V60 gives you full control of the brew, and that's why most recent Brewers Cup champions have favored it. It also won a reader vote among 16 drippers, taking at least 89 percent at every round. The flip side is that every slip shows: if your cup comes out thin, slow down and grind a notch finer.

Get the plastic one. One pour-over reviewer goes as far as saying the $12 plastic version beats the ceramic, because ceramic soaks up heat and can cool the coffee by 4 to 6 °C (7 to 11 °F) in the first half minute, while plastic barely takes any. It's light and sturdy, and the 02 size makes one to four cups. V60 02 filters are sold online and in specialty stores. My Hario V60 guide covers the other materials and a recipe in grams.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • You'll want a gooseneck kettle; a regular spout pours too heavily for this cone.
  • It looks like a plastic cone, because it is one. If you want it on display, Hario makes it in ceramic too.
Made in JapanSpiral ribs, one big holeAbout $12Filters everywhere
3
Clever Coffee Dripper
Easiest to use

Clever Coffee Dripper

Steep the coffee like a French press, then set it on your mug and a valve lets it drain through paper. Any kettle works.

$41.95as of 12:21 PM ETCheck price on Amazon
Buy it if

You want pour-over coffee without learning to pour, and your kettle is the one you already own.

Skip it if

You like to watch the water stream through the coffee and adjust as you go. This one steeps.

Read the full write-up

Steep it, then set it on your mug

Put a filter in, add hot water and coffee, put the lid on and wait. The valve at the bottom stays shut until you set the Clever on top of a mug, then it opens and the coffee drains through the paper. There's no pouring technique to get wrong. Clever's own recipe is 18.5 g of coffee to 310 g of water, done in two and a half minutes. One coffee seller recommends it for iced coffee too.

It takes #4 cone filters, the kind sold next to the paper towels, and it comes with 100 of them, a lid and a coaster. It sits on cups between 1.5 and 3.75 inches across, and holds about 17 oz of brewed coffee. Wash it by hand: the dishwasher turns the clear plastic hazy.

What owners report

Only a handful of owners have written about it, but here's what came up. Two owners had the valve start dripping; one got it working like new with a replacement gasket kit or by cleaning the little silicone gasket. Three say the clear plastic turned brown over the years, one to almost opaque, and the ones who mention taste say it didn't change. And one owner has used the same Clever for about 15 years, hairline cracks and all.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • Not dishwasher safe, and the clear plastic stains with time.
  • Grind too fine and it can stall when it drains.
  • The gasket in the valve needs a rinse now and then to stop drips.
Steep and release valve100 filters includedLid and coasterTritan plastic
4
Hario Switch 02
Best for tinkerers

Hario Switch 02

A glass V60 on a base with a valve, so you can brew it as a pour-over, a steep-and-release, or a mix of both.

$31.05as of 12:21 PM ETCheck price on Amazon
Buy it if

You already like the V60, or you want to play with recipes that mix steeping and pouring.

Skip it if

You want a dripper with no moving parts to wear out.

Read the full write-up

A V60 with a valve

The Switch is a glass V60 cone sitting on a silicone base with a steel ball inside. Flip the plastic lever one way and the ball plugs the hole, so the coffee steeps; flip it back and it drains like a normal V60. One coffee writer calls it the V60 with training wheels and uses it almost daily: the steep evens things out, so you don't need perfect pouring or a gooseneck to get close to a great V60 cup, and you can still use it as a plain cone on the days you want to.

It comes with 40 V60 02 filters, the same ones as the V60, so refills are easy to find. Hario rates the steeping capacity at 200 ml, about 7 oz, so it's a one-mug brewer; opened, it brews like a regular V60, up to about 400 ml.

A reviewer who used it for two weeks found the coffee flavorful and not bitter, and the learning curve close to nothing. Both reviewers say the plastic lever feels like the part that could give out, and one notes it leaks if the cone isn't seated properly in the base. If the lever ever breaks, you still have a working V60.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • One mug at a time.
  • The lever and the base are plastic and silicone, and the lever touches the coffee.
  • Its base, like the V60's, won't fit every travel mug.
Glass V60 coneSteel ball valve40 filters includedWorks as a plain V60
5
Chemex Classic 6-Cup
Best for a crowd

Chemex Classic 6-Cup

The hourglass carafe makes 30 oz at once, and its bonded filters hold back oils and sediment for a clean, light cup.

$47.03as of 12:21 PM ETCheck price on Amazon
Buy it if

You make coffee for three or more people, and you'd like the coffee maker to look good on the table.

Skip it if

You want cheap filters or a carafe that keeps coffee hot. Chemex filters cost more than most, and open glass cools quickly.

Read the full write-up

A whole pot, and the cleanest cup here

The Chemex has been made since 1941, and every one is still tied by hand with its wood collar and leather cord. The 6-cup model holds 30 oz (Chemex counts a cup as 5 oz), and you can brew less if you like. The bonded filters are the point: they hold back oils and fine grounds, so the coffee comes out light, clear and very clean. Chemex suggests a medium-coarse grind and one rounded tablespoon per 5 oz cup.

Take the wood collar off and the glass goes in the dishwasher. If the water suddenly stops draining, the wet filter has stuck to the spout; poke it and it starts again.

Chemex's own warranty doesn't cover breakage, and it only applies to an Amazon purchase if you bought from Chemex's own seller account, so check who's shipping it. If plastic anywhere near your coffee bothers you, it's also in my plastic-free coffee makers guide.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • Filters aren't in the box, and it takes Chemex's own filters (squares, circles or half moons), not grocery-store cones.
  • The filter makes a light cup. If you like a heavy, full body, the Clever suits you better.
How much it makes

30 oz, about six 5 oz cups or three 10 oz mugs. The 8-cup model costs about $2 more if you need 40 oz.

Borosilicate glassWood collar, leather tieMade since 1941Filters not included
6
OXO Brew Single Serve Pour-Over
Best hands-off

OXO Brew Single Serve Pour-Over

Fill the tank on top and it drips the water over the coffee for you, so you can walk away. About $20.

$19.97as of 12:21 PM ETCheck price on Amazon
Buy it if

You want a better mug than the office machine makes, and you have no time to stand over a kettle.

Skip it if

You enjoy the pouring itself, or you want more than 12 oz at a time.

Read the full write-up

A tank that does the pouring

The OXO sets a plastic tank on top of an ordinary cone. You add coffee, fill the tank to one of its marked lines, up to 12 oz, and holes in its floor drip the water over the grounds for you. One reviewer started a brew with about 75 seconds of work and went off to write six paragraphs before coming back to a finished cup. The lid keeps the heat in and doubles as a tray to set the dripping cone on.

It takes #2 cone filters, the grocery-store kind, with 10 in the box, and everything goes in the dishwasher. The included card suggests 1 part coffee to 18 of water.

Flaws but not dealbreakers
  • You give up control over the pour, which is half the fun for some people.
  • 12 oz is the limit; a second mug means a second brew.
Drip tank with oz marksLid doubles as drip trayDishwasher safe10 filters included

Who this is for

This guide is for the hand-brewed kind of pour-over: a dripper on a mug or a carafe and hot water from a kettle. If you'd rather press a button and have a machine do the pouring, look at my best drip coffee makers, where the Moccamaster brews a full pot in about six minutes. If you've settled on the V60 and want to know which one and how to brew it, my Hario V60 guide goes deeper.

One thing none of these drippers can fix is uneven grounds. If you're still buying pre-ground or using a blade grinder, a burr grinder will change your cup more than the cone you set it in.

How to choose

Do you have a gooseneck kettle?

If not, start with the Clever, the Switch or the OXO; all three work with a regular kettle. The V60, the Kalita and the Chemex taste best with the slow, thin stream of a gooseneck.

One mug or a pot

One mug: the Switch, the OXO or the Clever. One or two big mugs: the Kalita (16 to 26 oz) or the V60 (1 to 4 cups). Three or more people: the Chemex, which makes 30 oz at once.

Bright or round

Cones like the V60 tend to bring out bright, fruity notes, especially in light roasts. Flat bottoms like the Kalita and steepers like the Clever give a sweeter, rounder cup that suits medium roasts.

Which filters you can get

The Clever takes #4 and the OXO #2 filters from any grocery store. V60 filters are easy to find. Kalita Wave and Chemex filters fit only their own drippers, so you'll likely order them online.

What I'd skip

Kalita Wave 185 Stainless Steel

About $34 for the steel version of my top pick, and the one to avoid. The wet filter can seal against its flat steel bottom and stall the brew, a flaw two coffee sites describe. The glass and ceramic versions don't have it.

Kalita Wave Mino Yaki 185

The newer Wave with 2 to 4 mm drain holes, which one coffee writer now calls his favorite flat-bottom dripper. It's worth a look at about $28, but on Amazon it's sold under the "Carita" name, with thin product details and few in stock.

Fellow Stagg [X] 10 oz

A handsome double-walled steel dripper, at about $60 for a single 10 oz cup. The V60 does the same job for $12.

Origami Air S

A cone that takes both V60 and Kalita filters, and a good pick for travel. On Amazon, only look-alike copies turn up, not Origami's own.

How I picked

A hand-held dripper or carafe, not a machinePaper filterUnder $50 on AmazonCapacity published, 7 to 30 ozFilters you can buy again easily

Eighteen drippers made my shortlist, drawn from the pour-over guides at the top of Google, Drip Roast and Coffee Chronicler among them. Kalita, Hario, Clever and Chemex publish capacity, materials and filters, and I checked each one there; for the OXO, its Amazon listing. For how they behave day to day, I relied on Reviewed and Low-Key Coffee Snobs, owner reviews on Kalita's store, and years of comments under Sweet Maria's Clever pages. Prices are Amazon's on October 6, 2026.

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Common questions

Is a pour-over coffee maker worth it?

If you like the ritual, yes. For $12 to $47 you control every step of the brew. If mornings are rushed, the OXO or the Clever give you most of the flavor for a minute or two of work.

Is pour-over better than drip?

Not better by default, just more in your hands. You pick the water temperature, the pour and the timing, so you can make a better cup, and also a worse one. A good drip machine is consistent with no technique at all.

Glass, ceramic or plastic: which is better?

Plastic holds heat best, because it barely absorbs any from the water, and even world barista champions use the cheap plastic V60. Ceramic and glass look nicer but start out cold and take heat from the water, so rinse them with hot water before you brew.

Do I need a gooseneck kettle?

For the V60, the Kalita and the Chemex, it makes a real difference: the thin stream lets you pour slowly without churning the coffee. For the Clever, the Switch used as a steeper, and the OXO, any kettle works.

What's a good pour-over ratio?

Start around 1 part coffee to 15 to 17 parts water by weight, for example 20 g of coffee to 300 to 340 g of water. Use more water for a lighter cup and less for a stronger one. My grind size chart shows how fine to go.

The verdict

Buy the Kalita Wave for your everyday cup

The Kalita Wave 185 makes a sweet, balanced cup even on mornings when your pour is a little off, and it costs about $20. Pick the $12 V60 if you love bright light roasts and want to learn, the Clever if you never want to think about pouring, and the Chemex when you're making coffee for three or more.

Check price on Amazon$19.68 as of 12:21 PM ET

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