Pour Over
Drippers and brewers compared on flow rate and forgiveness, and on what the filters cost, which is the bill nobody budgets for.
How we rate pour over — the 6 criteria behind every score on this page.
Our pick
· research-based, chosen for a reason, not a rating
Anybody unsure how much they brew at once, who does not want to buy filters
Scores 9.5 of 10 on Brew Quality & Consistency, the heaviest criterion in this category at 26 of 100.
The best pour overs, ranked
scored on what the maker publishes · open a row for the working1
AGOGO Pour Over9.6- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 9.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 10.0
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 10.0
- Value for Money
- 10.0
Weakest link: Brew Quality & Consistency — 9.0 of 10, carrying 26 of the 62.4 points scored here.
Filter TypeReusable metal meshCapacity1005mlBody Material304 stainless steel, Borosilicate glass, leather, woodRead review →PriceFrom $27.992
Bodum Pour Over9.2- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 8.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 10.0
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 10.0
- Value for Money
- 10.0
Weakest link: Brew Quality & Consistency — 8.0 of 10, carrying 26 of the 62.4 points scored here.
Filter TypeReusable metal meshCapacity1508mlBody MaterialStainless steelRead review →PriceFrom $19.993
Lalord Stainless Steel9.2- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 8.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 10.0
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 10.0
- Value for Money
- 10.0
Weakest link: Brew Quality & Consistency — 8.0 of 10, carrying 26 of the 62.4 points scored here.
Filter TypeReusable metal meshCapacity798mlBody MaterialStainless steelRead review →PriceFrom $19.994
Mixpresso Pour Over9.2- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 9.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 8.5
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 10.0
- Value for Money
- 10.0
Weakest link: Build Quality & Durability — 8.5 of 10, carrying 16 of the 62.4 points scored here.
Filter TypeReusable metal meshCapacity414mlBody MaterialSingle-walled borosilicate glassRead review →PriceFrom $18.995
COSORI Pour Over9.1- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 9.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 9.0
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 10.0
- Value for Money
- 8.6
Weakest link: Value for Money — 8.6 of 10, carrying 12 of the 62.4 points scored here.
Filter TypeReusable metal meshCapacity1005mlBody Material304 stainless steel, Borosilicate glass, woodRead review →PriceFrom $29.996
Coffee Gator Pour Over8.9- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 9.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 7.5
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 10.0
- Value for Money
- 10.0
Weakest link: Build Quality & Durability — 7.5 of 10, carrying 16 of the 62.4 points scored here.
Filter TypeReusable metal meshCapacity798mlBody MaterialBorosilicate glassRead review →PriceFrom $19.997
Hario V608.5- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 9.5
- Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published)
- 7.1
- Build Quality & Durability
- 10.0
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 10.0
- Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Value for Money (no price published) — 5.0 of 10, carrying 12 of the 75 points scored here.
8
Kavako Pour Over8.4- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 8.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 9.0
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 10.0
- Value for Money
- 7.3
Weakest link: Value for Money — 7.3 of 10, carrying 12 of the 62.4 points scored here.
Filter TypeReusable metal meshCapacity1094mlBody MaterialStainless steelRead review →PriceFrom $32.999
Bean Envy Pour Over8.3- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 8.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 9.0
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 10.0
- Value for Money
- 6.9
Weakest link: Value for Money — 6.9 of 10, carrying 12 of the 62.4 points scored here.
Filter TypeReusable metal meshCapacity591mlBody MaterialStainless steelRead review →PriceFrom $34.9910
Lalord Pour Over8.1- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 8.5
- Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published)
- 7.1
- Build Quality & Durability
- 8.5
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 5.0
- Value for Money
- 9.7
Weakest link: Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published) — 5.0 of 10, carrying 14 of the 75 points scored here.
11
Bee House Ceramic Pour Over Dripper7.7- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 8.5
- Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published)
- 7.1
- Build Quality & Durability
- 7.5
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 10.0
- Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Value for Money (no price published) — 5.0 of 10, carrying 12 of the 75 points scored here.
12
HYAXGM Ceramic Pour Over7.2- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 7.5
- Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published)
- 5.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 10.0
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 5.0
- Value for Money
- 6.8
Weakest link: Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published) — 5.0 of 10, carrying 18 of the 75 points scored here.
13
DIF DECO Pour Over7.0- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 7.5
- Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published)
- 5.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 10.0
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 5.0
- Value for Money
- 5.7
Weakest link: Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published) — 5.0 of 10, carrying 18 of the 75 points scored here.
14
Melitta Pour-Over Coffee Brewer with Glass Carafe6.5- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 7.0
- Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published)
- 5.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 6.0
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 10.0
- Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published) — 5.0 of 10, carrying 18 of the 75 points scored here.
15
Kalita Wave 185 Dripper6.3- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 6.7
- Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published)
- 6.4
- Build Quality & Durability
- 10.0
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 0.0
- Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published) — 0.0 of 10, carrying 14 of the 75 points scored here.
16
MiiR Pourigami Portable Pour Over Dripper6.1- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 6.5
- Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published)
- 5.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 7.5
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 5.0
- Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published) — 5.0 of 10, carrying 18 of the 75 points scored here.
17
OXO Brew Single Serve Pour-Over with Water Tank6.1- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 6.0
- Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published)
- 5.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 6.0
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 10.0
- Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published) — 5.0 of 10, carrying 18 of the 75 points scored here.
18
Melitta 64007 Pour-Over Coffee Brew Cone6.0- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 6.5
- Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published)
- 5.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 4.5
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 10.0
- Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Build Quality & Durability — 4.5 of 10, carrying 16 of the 75 points scored here.
19
Chemex Coffee Maker5.9- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 6.0
- Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published)
- 5.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 8.5
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 5.0
- Value for Money
- 3.6
Weakest link: Value for Money — 3.6 of 10, carrying 12 of the 75 points scored here.
20
Fellow Stagg [X] Pour-Over Set5.6- Brew Quality & Consistency
- 6.7
- Flow Rate & Control (hole diameter not published)
- 5.0
- Build Quality & Durability
- 7.5
- Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published)
- 0.0
- Value for Money (no price published)
- 5.0
Weakest link: Filter Availability & Cost (filter cost per 100 not published) — 0.0 of 10, carrying 14 of the 75 points scored here.
More pour overs guides
How to choose a pour over
A pour over cone does almost nothing on its own. It holds a filter, it lets water through, and everything else is you. That is why two people get different cups from the same dripper, and why the specs that matter are not the ones on the front of the box.
Flow control is 18 points, and the cone shape is most of it
Flow Rate and Control is the second heaviest criterion here. A cone with one large exit hole drains as fast as the coffee bed lets it, so the brewer sets the contact time by how fast they pour. A cone with a small hole, or a flat-bottomed basket with several, meters the flow itself and takes that control away in exchange for being harder to get badly wrong.
Ribs matter for the same reason. Raised ribs hold the paper off the wall so air can escape and water can move down the sides; a smooth cone lets the filter seal against the glass and stall. Neither is better in the abstract. A cone with a big hole and deep ribs rewards a steady hand and punishes a rushed one.
Filters are 14 points because they are the ongoing cost
This is the number most buyers never work out before they pay. A $20 dripper that takes ordinary size-02 papers costs almost nothing to run. A $50 one that takes a proprietary bonded filter costs more every month, forever, and the filters are the thing you run out of on a Sunday.
The third option is a permanent steel mesh, which is what most of the budget cones on this page ship with. It has no running cost at all and it changes the coffee: metal passes the oils and the fine particles that paper traps, so the cup has more body and more sediment. If you came to pour over for a clean, tea like cup, a metal filter is the wrong tool at any price.
What actually decides your cup
The grinder, then the kettle, then the dripper, roughly in that order. A cone cannot fix an uneven grind, and pouring from a wide spouted kettle onto a bed you cannot wet evenly will beat any advantage the dripper had. If you are building this setup from nothing, the cone is the cheapest part and should be the last thing you agonise over.
What to ignore
Bundled carafes and mugs, which set the size you are locked into and change nothing about the brew. Read the millilitre capacity, which we list on every product page, and check it against the mug you actually drink from.
Reading on pour over
What to know before you pick one.
- Flat Bed vs Cone: What the Shape of a Dripper Changes
A cone concentrates the coffee in the middle and drains fast. A flat bed spreads it evenly and drains slow. That one difference decides how much your pour has to be right.
- How to Make Pour Over Coffee
The method is four pours and a timer. What makes it hard is that every one of them has to land in the same place, which is the one thing a recipe cannot write down for you.
- How to Brew Coffee by Weight
Scoops measure volume and coffee is sold by mass, which is why the same scoop gives you a different dose every time you change beans. Weighing fixes it in about ten seconds.
- What Grind Size for Each Brewer
Brew time and grind size are the same dial turned from different ends. A four-minute press wants coarse, a thirty-second espresso wants fine, and everything else sits between.
Frequently asked
Is a metal or paper filter better for pour over?
They make different coffee. Paper traps oils and fines, giving the clean, tea-like cup pour over is known for. A permanent metal mesh passes both, so the cup has more body and visible sediment, and it costs nothing to run. Filter Availability and Cost is 14 of the 100 points in this category because the running cost is real and almost nobody works it out before buying.
Does the shape of a pour over dripper matter?
Yes, and it is 18 points of the score. A cone with one large exit hole drains as fast as the bed allows, so you control contact time with your pour. A small hole or a flat bottom with several holes meters the flow itself, which is more forgiving and less controllable. Ribs hold the paper off the wall so the filter cannot seal and stall.
What grind size do you use for pour over?
Medium, around table salt, and even matters more than exact. A cone gives you no mechanism to compensate for fines, so an uneven grind shows up as a cup that is both bitter and sour. If you are building a pour over setup from scratch, the grinder deserves the money before the dripper does.
Do I need a gooseneck kettle for pour over?
Not strictly, but it is the accessory that changes the result most. A gooseneck lets you place a thin stream where you want it and wet the bed evenly; a wide kitchen spout dumps water in one spot and channels. If you are choosing between a better dripper and a gooseneck kettle at the same money, buy the kettle.
Are proprietary pour over filters worth it?
Only if you want what they do. A Chemex bonded filter is thicker than a standard paper and makes a notably cleaner cup, and that is the point of the brewer. What it also does is tie you to one supplier at a higher price per brew, forever. A dripper taking ordinary size 01 or 02 papers has no such lock-in, which is worth pricing before you buy rather than after.
What is the best pour over?
Based on our research across the category, AGOGO Pour Over is our editor's pick for pour over. Anybody unsure how much they brew at once, who does not want to buy filters
Is there a cheap pour over worth buying?
Mixpresso Pour Over is the least expensive we have reviewed in this category at $18.99. Cheapest is not the same as best value: the review says which corners were cut.
How much does a pour over cost?
The ones we have reviewed run from about $18.99 to $49.50. Price tracks build material, capacity and how much of the specification the maker publishes.