Complete Pour-over Coffee Brewing Setup Buying Guide
Let’s face it, building a pour-over coffee brewing setup from scratch can be spendy if you go with the top of the line brands like Hario, Kalita, Baratza, etc. But it doesn’t have to be, read on.
But there are options to fit the frugal budget, that quite frankly, will still produce an excellent cup of pour-over coffee.
Over the last several years several new manufacturers have entered the pour-over coffee brewing space with quality products at much lower price points. This buying guide focuses on less expensive alternative products for the popular Hario, Kalita, Brataza, etc., brands.
Complete Pour-over Coffee Brewing Setup Buying Guide
Let’s face it, building a pour-over coffee brewing setup from scratch can be spendy if you go with the top of the line brands like Hario, Kalita, Baratza, etc. But it doesn’t have to be, read on.
But there are options to fit the frugal budget, that quite frankly, will still produce an excellent cup of pour-over coffee.
Over the last several years several new manufacturers have entered the pour-over coffee brewing space with quality products at much lower price points. This buying guide focuses on less expensive alternative products for the popular Hario, Kalita, Brataza, etc., brands.
Over the last several years several new manufacturers have entered the pour-over coffee brewing space with quality products at much lower price points. This buying guide focuses on less expensive alternative products for the popular Hario, Kalita, Brataza, etc., brands.
Drip Brewers
First you’ll need a brewer; Hario has a V60 plastic Brewer for $8.00*. The lowest price for that type of brewer.
Gooseneck Kettle
You could fork out $149 for a Fellow Stagg, or $49 for a Hario Buono, but don’t go crazy when you can get the Mixpresso stainless steel 1.2 liter (40 oz) Gooseneck Kettle for $16.90*. It has a 5-star review from Amazon, and works exactly the same. There are a lot of other inexpensive options, so run a search on Amazon, or wherever you prefer to shop.
Burr Grinder
Grinding coffee is an important element for successful pour-over coffee brewing, the average mid-range burr grinder will run $130-$150 depending where you shop. But if that’s too much, and to the frugal shopper, it is, the Cuisinart DBM-8 Supreme Grind, for under $36.28*, on Amazon, is a great deal. We’ve run one for more than 15 years with no problems, though the burrs are not replaceable and will dull. Other choices are: Krupps Professional Electric for under $45 or Capresso Coffee Burr Grinder for under $60.
Digital scale with built-in timer
Hario’s V60 Drip Coffee Scale with timer is $45, a good price and is quite durable over the long run (even in a commercial setting). For the frugal shopper, though, Apexstone makes a scale for $17.99* with a built-in timer, and works just as well. There are some other choices in this price range as well.
Thermometer
The ideal water temperature for pour-over coffee brewing is 202º degrees (95º Celsius), but a range of 195º-205º is fine if your winging it. Keep in mind the boiling point of water at your altitude. At sea level, the boiling point of water is 212º which is too hot, while at 5,000 feet it’s 202º, which is perfect.
A quick-read thermometer will help you stay within the proper brewing range. For that, it’s best to use a digital quick-read thermometer. Prices range from $15-$100. The Cooper-Atkins for $23.99*, is a unit we’ve had since 2014 and it’s still working perfectly. Whatever you buy, make sure it’s waterproof.
To keep everything under $100, the Taylor Pocket Thermometer (analog) $3.99* will do the trick.
Filters
Paper filters are the thing you’ll have to keep buying, options are paper, stainless steel and reusable cloth filters. If you used 2 Hario V60 filters at $9.99 for 20.
For the frugal-minded and/or environmentally-minded, the cloth CoffeeSock Reusable Coffee V60 type Filters for $12.99 are an option that will emulate paper. Check out our review. Steel, while durable, can’t filer certain compounds that effect flavor. Obviously, you buy one steel filter and keep it forever, that’s frugal too.
Conclusion
Taking the least expensive options for each item, you’re looking at round $96* for a complete pour-over kit. If you upgrade the thermometer to digital, the cost increases to $117, but doesn’t blow the budget.
*Amazon best prices as of 9/25/2019
Header photo by Asael Peña on Unsplash
