We Tested the Best Pour Over Coffee Makers for a Rich Home Brew

Best Overall

Chemex Classic Series Coffeemaker

$49 at Amazon $49 at Walmart $48 at Williams Sonoma

The Chemex has long been synonymous with pour-over coffee. It's one of the most popular and recognizable coffee makers in general, and several members of The Spruce Eats team use the Chemex as a primary source of coffee at home. In fact, we've kept Chemex Coffeemakers for several years without issue. Unless the glass chips or breaks–which we've never experienced–they should ostensibly last forever.

The main reason these brewers are so popular is that they're excellent at highlighting the different flavors in coffee beans, whether it's notes of bright citrus or rich milk chocolate. Depending on the size of the Chemex, the brewing process can take several minutes, but the results are worth it. Cleaning is easy, too, as the Chemex is dishwasher-safe once the wooden collar is removed. We recommend washing it by hand with a bottle brush if you don't want to put it in the dishwasher.

The Chemex is available in a variety of sizes, including 3, 6, 8, and 10 cups, which is unique for pour-overs, as the majority make just one cup at a time. Many coffee shops and grocery stores sell Chemex brewers and signature paper filters if you are looking to purchase in person. The price increases for larger-capacity models, and even the cheapest model is more expensive than the average pour-over coffee maker, but it's not exorbitant.

Capacity: 3, 6, 8, and 10 cups | Dimensions: 5.125 x 5.125 x 9 inches (8-cup model) | Filters: Chemex | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes (remove wood collar)

Best High-End

xBloom Coffee Machine

View on Xbloom.com $699 at Bloomingdales View on Sur La Table

At the touch of a button, the xBloom brews single-serving pods of whole-bean coffee that are freshly ground by a built-in burr grinder. Picture the ease of a Keurig mixed with the quality of barista-made pour-over coffee. While we have some criticisms after using the xBloom for over two years, it’s a product we thoroughly recommend.

The main sticking point is the price. It’s an investment that may not appeal to casual coffee drinkers. But if it lands within your budget, the taste is worth it. The xPods produce the clarity of flavor and crisp mouthfeel for which pour-over is so beloved. Many notable roasters like Stumptown, Intelligentsia, and Counter Culture partnered with xBloom to make their own xPods. To use, simply touch an xPod to the top of the machine and it automatically sets the water temperature, grind size, and brew time recommended by the roaster itself. The brewing parameters can then be customized via the xBloom app; although, we wish settings could be changed manually on the machine too.

Another issue we found is that a decent amount of coffee grounds get caught inside the grinding chamber and fall out during the brewing process. This most often occurred when using the reusable dripper and our own whole-bean coffee as opposed to the xPods.

All in all, if you come to own the xBloom, you will love having great pour-over coffee without any hassle. It’s primarily about deciding if the machine is worth the price to you, or if you’d prefer to save some money by getting a separate manual grinder and pour-over and doing the work yourself.

Capacity: Single serve | Dimensions: 7.9 x  6.9 x 16.9 inches | Weight: 11.5 pounds | Filters: xPods or Kalita Wave 155 filters

Best for Beginners

Origami Japan Dripper Bundle

$40 at Williams Sonoma View on Slowpoursupply.co

This pour-over from Origami Japan has crimped sides that make the ceramic look as delicate and artful as paper. It's available in more than a dozen colors, including jewel tones, earth tones, and neutrals, making it unique and one of the most stylish coffee makers you can find. It received a perfect design score—a category that not only grades how the item looks but also how user-friendly it is. In fact, we found the Origami Japan Dripper intuitive right away, which makes it the top pick for beginners.

The Dripper comes in two sizes: a small size that brews 1 to 2 cups and a medium that brews 1 to 4 cups. Customers interested in brewing 4 cups at once should place the Dripper over a coffee pot to avoid spills instead of alternating between four different mugs. The Dripper Bundle that we tested includes a plastic or wooden holder that can be attached to the bottom of the Dripper for a more stable brewing experience. The bundle is on the more expensive end for a small pour-over coffee maker like this one, so if you're looking to save a few bucks, you can purchase the Origami Dripper by itself at a cheaper price and still enjoy the rich coffee it produces.

The item is dishwasher-safe and works with several paper filters, including Kalita Wave and V60 filters. The brand recommends using conical filters for best results.

Capacity: 1 to 4 cups | Dimensions: Small model is 4.5 x 2.75 inches | Filters: Kalita Wave, V60 filters, and #2 cone filters | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Design

Melitta Porcelain Pour-Over Coffeemaker and Canister Set

$60 at Amazon View on Melitta.com

Melitta designed this set to be a one-stop shop for pour-over coffee. It includes a coffee canister, filter holder, and pour-over coffee maker, all placed atop a bamboo tray. The pour-over itself is made of porcelain and brews a reliable cup of coffee, yet it's worth noting that we gave the flavor a slightly lower score than that of Melitta's standard 1-Cup Porcelain Pour-Over. Both brewers were tested side-by-side using the same coffee-to-water ratio and water temperature.

Other than that, there is little to nitpick here. All the pieces are sturdy. The pour-over is dishwasher-safe. There are even cutouts in the bamboo tray to give pieces extra stability, which is especially handy if you need to carry the set from the countertop to the kitchen table. Like most pour-overs, it's better suited for solo use than a full household of coffee drinkers. For best results, use #4 cone filters and medium-fine ground coffee beans. Finally, the cost may vary depending on the retailer, but like most Melitta products, the price is generally reasonable.

Capacity: 1 cup | Dimensions: 5.5 x 7.7 x 14.75 inches| Filters: #4 cone filters | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Budget

Melitta 1 Cup Porcelain Pour-Over Cone Coffeemaker

$21 $20 at Amazon View on Melitta.com

Melitta's line of mug-shaped brewing cones are among the most common pour-overs today. They are often sold in the coffee aisles of grocery stores, right alongside the paper filters you'll need to brew with them. We tested both the plastic and porcelain models and prefer the latter, giving it extremely high scores in all areas. It's as affordable as any coffee maker you can find; it's approachable for beginners and experts alike, and it consistently makes strong coffee.

All you have to do is place the Melitta brewing cone on top of your mug, scoop finely ground coffee into the paper filter, and pour hot water over the grounds. Such ease of use is a signature benefit of pour-over coffee makers and part of why they have remained popular for decades. It also makes the Melitta Pour-Over an excellent gift option and birthdays because people of any experience level can use it. Plus, the compact design ensures that it fits any countertop or can be stored in a cupboard when not needed. Keep in mind that the item is best for solo use, however, as it only makes one cup at a time, so we don't recommend it as the primary brewing device for a busy household.

Capacity: 1 cup | Dimensions: 3.875 x 5.75 x 4 inches | Filters: #2 and #4 cone filters | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Single-Serve

Chemex Funnex Coffee Maker

$40 at Amazon $45 at Target View on Chemexcoffeemaker.com

The Chemex Funnex is a compact alternative to the Chemex Classic Series. While the latter is available in multiple sizes and additionally functions as a carafe, the Funnex is meant to be placed on top of a mug when brewing, like the majority of pour-overs. It's made for single servings of coffee instead of a day's worth of joe. One of the best details, though, is that the Funnex is designed to brew up to 15 ounces at once, so you can fill up an entire travel mug on the way to work.

After trying the product, we found the coffee to be aromatic, flavorful, and dynamic—everything customers have come to know and expect from a Chemex brewing device. The brand's filters also eliminated any grit or sediment in our testing process, leading to a clean cup of coffee. That said, folding the filters and placing them inside the Funnex is more difficult than the setup process for other pour-overs that we tested, so this option may be better suited for people with a bit of coffee experience rather than those looking to try pour-overs for the first time. Keep in mind, too, that the filters can be difficult to find in stores, so you will likely need to order them online.

The Funnex is reasonably priced and less expensive than the Chemex Classic Series. The all-glass brewer can be placed in the dishwasher for easy cleaning. Unfortunately, the brand does not cover damage or breakage.

Capacity: 5 to 15 ounces | Dimensions: 4.25 x 4.5 inches | Filters: Chemex | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best for Travel

MiiR Pourigami Pour-Over Coffee Maker

$30 at Amazon View on Miir.com

This innovative, easy-to-transport coffee maker is comprised of nothing but three stainless steel panels. The pieces can be attached in seconds when it's time to brew and then detached and stored in a complimentary carrying case when you're on the go. The Miir Pourigami is simple but highly functional, and it creates an intersection for coffee lovers and outdoors lovers to meet.

Since the Pourigami is unlike any other brewing device, it took us a trial run to learn the setup process, including how to rest a paper filter inside the panels. After that, however, it proved easy to use. If you're really confused, the box has a QR code that links to an instructional video.

It takes about four minutes to brew a full cup of coffee; this is on par with other pour-over coffee makers, but users need to pour slowly to ensure that the filter doesn't overfill and make a mess. The flavor is strong enough to perk you up and keep you warm when camping. We found cleanup expectedly simple, as a quick rinse gets the job done. The price is slightly more expensive than a standard pour-over, but it feels reasonable, especially considering how often outdoor gear is marked up. The Pourigami can certainly be used as a home brewing device, too, but we view it as a travel item first and foremost.

Capacity: 1 cup | Dimensions: 4.94 x 3.38 inches | Filters: V60, #2 cone filters, or Miir filters | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best With Reusable Filter

Coffee Gator Paperless Pour Over Coffee Maker Set

$27 at Amazon

For the majority of pour-over coffee makers, a reusable filter is a separate purchase, but Coffee Gator includes a stainless steel mesh filter with this pour-over, eliminating the need for paper ones. The brand also manages to keep the price low. For both of these reasons, the Coffee Gator Pour Over is an excellent fit for beginners because there are no paper filters to fold and no big sunk cost if you end up preferring a different brew method down the line.

It's worth mentioning that no mesh filter can completely prevent coffee grounds from sneaking into your cup the way that a paper filter can, but in testing, the Coffee Gator filter was highly effective at limiting sediment. One knock against the item, however, is that we found the taste and quality of the coffee subpar when using Coffee Gator's brewing instructions. It wasn't until using a ratio of 250 grams of water to 15 grams of coffee—which was used for all pour-overs we tested in our Lab—that the coffee came out smooth and flavorful. A convenient detail is that the 14-ounce glass carafe has measurements on the sides to ensure precision when brewing.

Capacity: 14 ounces | Dimensions: 5.5 x 6.8 inches | Filters: Reusable stainless steel filter | Dishwasher-Safe: No

Best Fast Brewing

ESPRO BLOOM Pour Over Brewing Kit

$52 at Amazon $75 at Williams Sonoma $35 at Food52

Espro manufactures a number of high-end coffee products, including French presses, cold brew makers, and, of course, pour-overs. Customers can purchase the Espro Bloom Pour Over by itself or as part of this brewing kit that includes a coffee scoop, 50 paper filters, and a 20-ounce glass serving pot. Paper filters are not expressly needed with this pour-over, though, as the Bloom has 1,500 micro-holes to work as a built-in filtration system. If you choose to brew without paper filters, the brand recommends using coarse-ground beans. If you do use paper filters, which give an added cleanness to the coffee, use finely ground beans. One unique bonus of the Espro Bloom is that it brews extremely quickly when paper filters aren't used, around just two minutes. The brewing time with paper filters is on par with that of other pour-overs, however.

The instructions that come with the kit don't mention cleaning, but the brand says the pour-over and serving pot are both dishwasher-safe. The paper filters are surprisingly difficult to remove after brewing and can stick to the sides of the Bloom. As far as using the item goes, though, it's as simple as it gets. Place the pour-over on top of the serving pot or your favorite mug, scoop grounds into the base or a paper filter, and pour hot water over the grounds.

Capacity: 20 ounces | Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 9.25 inches | Filters: Espro Bloom filters | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes

Best Set

Hario Pour Over Coffee Starter Set

$25 at Amazon

Complete with paper filters, a coffee scoop, and a 23-ounce serving pot, the Hario V60 Pour Over Starter Set is a convenient way to improve your coffee routine. The V60 Dripper itself has long been one of the most iconic pour-over coffee makers, known for its blend of simplicity and performance. The name comes from the 60-degree angle of the pour-over's sides, which helps funnel the coffee at an effective speed and direction. When using the V60, we could discern different notes in the coffee beans after brewing, including honey, hazelnut, and citrus—a hallmark of an effective coffee maker.

Thanks to the serving pot, this set suits a two-person household. That said, the glass doesn't offer much heat insulation. We found that the coffee turned lukewarm rather quickly, so you may want to drink it right after brewing or it will be sent to the microwave. The pieces themselves don't feel high quality, but they more than get the job done. Plus, it's somewhat expected given the budget price. For best results, use #2 conical filters and medium-fine ground coffee.

Capacity: 23 ounces | Dimensions: V60 measures 5 x 4.5 x 3.75 inches; serving pot measures 7 x 4.9 x 5.2 inches | Filters: V60 or #2 filters | Dishwasher-Safe: Yes