Top 5 compared
The best pour-over coffee makers
A clean, smooth cup of coffee brewed by hand, one mug or a whole pot at a time.
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The top 5 at a glance
Pour-over is about as simple as coffee gets: hot water poured over grounds in a filter, dripping through into a cup or carafe below. You control the grind, the pour and the timing, so a little care pays off in a clean, bright cup. A cone dripper sits over whatever it fills; a carafe brewer holds the filter and serves in one. The Chemex, with its hourglass of glass, was invented by the chemist Peter Schlumbohm in 1941.
Paper holds back more of the coffee’s oils than steel, so a paper filter gives a cleaner cup and a steel one a heavier cup, with no filters to buy. Every carafe here is glass, which holds on to no flavors, and every cone is plastic, light and hard to break.
What matters
- Which paper filter it takes, and how easy it is to find.
- Capacity in fl oz; a “cup” is often only 4 or 5 oz.
- A built-in water tank, if you’d rather not learn to pour.
#1Chemex Classic Series Pour-Over Glass Coffeemaker, 8-Cup
$30–$50
Brewer and server in one piece of non-porous borosilicate glass, so it holds on to no old smells or flavors, and the 8-cup size makes 40 fl oz, enough for a few people at breakfast. Chemex says leftover coffee can be covered and kept in the fridge, then reheated without losing its flavor.
What owners say: Owners praise the coffee it makes, especially how it brings out fruity flavors, and say using and cleaning it is no trouble. Durability divides them: some expect it to last decades, while others had the glass break within months.
Heads up: Filters aren’t included: it takes Chemex Bonded filters (FP-1, FC-100, FS-100 or FSU-100).
A closer look: Set the filter with its thicker, multi-layered side against the pouring spout so the paper doesn’t block it as the coffee drains. Chemex counts a cup as 5 fl oz, so the 8-cup fills two to four big mugs. Once it has dripped through, lift the paper out by its corners and the carafe is ready to pour.
- Holds no old smells
- Leftovers keep in the fridge
- Thick filter side faces spout
Best for: Brewing for several people
- Style
- Glass carafe brewer
- Material
- Borosilicate glass
- Capacity
- 40 fl oz
- Filters
- Chemex Bonded paper
- Carafe included
- Yes
#2Hario V60 Plastic Coffee Dripper, Size 02
$10–$20
A light, heat-resistant plastic cone that leaves the pace to you: its shape deepens the bed of coffee and sends the water to the center, so how fast you pour sets how long the water stays with the grounds. Size 02 brews one to four cups straight into a mug or pot, and the design won a Good Design Award in 2007.
What owners say: Owners get smooth, fruity cups from it and say it stays put on the mug, doesn’t break and should last for years. They like how well it’s made, how easily it cleans and how little it costs.
A closer look: Rinse the paper with hot water before adding the coffee, which takes away any papery taste and warms the cone and cup. Pour in slow circles and let it drain through in a few minutes; a finer grind slows it down, a coarser one speeds it up. With the mug on a kitchen scale, it’s easy to weigh the water as you pour.
- Pour speed sets brew time
- Rinse the paper first
- Light enough for travel
Best for: Controlling the pour yourself
- Style
- Cone dripper
- Material
- Plastic (AS, PP)
- Capacity
- 1 to 4 cups (about 13.5 fl oz)
- Filters
- V60 02 cone paper
- Carafe included
- No
#3OXO Brew Single Serve Pour-Over Coffee Maker with Water Tank
$10–$20
Fill the tank to the marked line and its pattern of holes drips the water evenly over the grounds for you, so there’s no pouring technique to learn and any kettle will do. It brews up to 12 fl oz straight into a mug, and the lid keeps the heat in while it brews, then works as a drip tray.
What owners say: Owners find it turns out great coffee every time with almost no effort and like that the lid keeps the brew warm, with a single cup ready about five minutes from start to sip.
A closer look: Go for a medium-fine grind, slightly finer than for a drip machine, since the tank lets water through at its own steady pace and can’t be slowed down. Begin with the dose of coffee you’d use in a drip machine and adjust to taste. Spare #2 cone filters are easy to find at any grocery store.
- No pouring technique to learn
- Lid doubles as drip tray
- Any kettle will do
- 10 filters in the box
Best for: Beginners and single mugs
- Style
- Cone with water tank
- Material
- Polypropylene, Tritan
- Capacity
- Up to 12 fl oz
- Filters
- #2 cone paper
- Carafe included
- No
#4Cosori Pour Over Coffee Maker with Stainless Steel Filter, 8-Cup
$20–$30
A double-layer 304 stainless steel filter sits in a borosilicate glass carafe, so there’s no paper to buy and the coffee’s oils come through for a fuller cup. The 34 fl oz carafe pours eight 4 oz cups and can be warmed over a low flame, and a wooden sleeve keeps hands off the hot glass.
What owners say: A great cup every time, owners say, from a carafe that’s simple to use and to wash; they like its looks and its price too. The steel filter is the weak spot for some, coming apart over time.
A closer look: Use a medium-coarse grind, about like coarse sand, so the fine mesh doesn’t clog and the brew drains in a few minutes. Knock the spent grounds into the trash or compost and rinse the filter right away, before the oils dry on. Wipe the wooden sleeve with a cloth rather than sending it through the dishwasher.
- Lets the coffee’s oils through
- Carafe safe on low flame
- Wooden sleeve shields hot glass
- Dishwasher-safe carafe and filter
- Measuring scoop included
Best for: No paper filters
- Style
- Glass carafe, steel filter
- Material
- Borosilicate glass, 304 steel
- Capacity
- 34 fl oz
- Filters
- Built-in steel, no paper
- Carafe included
- Yes
#5Melitta Pour-Over Coffee Brewer with 52 oz Glass Carafe
$20–$30
Melitta Bentz invented the paper coffee filter in 1908, and this is her idea at full size: a cone that sits on a 52 oz glass carafe, for a 10-cup pot made by hand. You can watch the level as you pour so it never overfills, and a starter supply of #6 cone filters comes in the box.
What owners say: Owners like the coffee it makes, how simple it is and that it brews anything from one cup to a full pot, faster than smaller cones. The glass carafe broke for some after a few years, and opinions differ on how long it keeps coffee warm.
Heads up: The glass carafe isn’t insulated, so pour the coffee into a thermos if it has to stay hot for long.
A closer look: With a pot this size, pour in stages: wet the grounds first and let them bloom briefly, then add the rest in two or three pours so the cone never overflows. Keep #6 filters on hand, as the smaller #2 papers sold for single cups are too small for it. A rinse of hot water warms the glass first and helps the coffee stay hot.
- Watch the level while pouring
- Starter pack of filters
- Dishwasher-safe cone
- BPA-free cone and lid
Best for: A full pot for a crowd
- Style
- Cone with glass carafe
- Material
- Plastic cone, glass carafe
- Capacity
- 52 fl oz
- Filters
- #6 cone paper
- Carafe included
- Yes
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Chemex 8-cup | #2Hario V60 02 | #3OXO with tank | #4Cosori 8-cup | #5Melitta 52 oz |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | Best for beginners | Best paperless | Biggest batch | |
| Picked Rating | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.4 | 9.3 |
| Price | $30–$50 | $10–$20 | $10–$20 | $20–$30 | $20–$30 |
| Style | Glass carafe brewer | Cone dripper | Cone with water tank | Glass carafe, steel filter | Cone with glass carafe |
| Material | Borosilicate glass | Plastic (AS, PP) | Polypropylene, Tritan | Borosilicate glass, 304 steel | Plastic cone, glass carafe |
| Capacity | 40 fl oz | 1 to 4 cups (about 13.5 fl oz) | Up to 12 fl oz | 34 fl oz | 52 fl oz |
| Filters | Chemex Bonded paper | V60 02 cone paper | #2 cone paper | Built-in steel, no paper | #6 cone paper |
| Carafe included | Yes | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Brewing for several people | Controlling the pour yourself | Beginners and single mugs | No paper filters | A full pot for a crowd |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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