Hario Coffee Dripper and Stand
- March 2015
- Simple Life
I love things that are simple, well made and do the job perfectly. Somehow a nice coffee maker always makes you happy every time you use it π The Hario Coffee Dripper and Stand are Japanese made (naturally), sturdy, lovely and elegantly practical. I’ve always had a firm policy that any coffee maker I own should not have a plug and should be equally at home on a picnic table or a tailgate as in a kitchen.
I’ve gone through different coffee phases, and for many years was firmly attached to my stovetop espresso maker. I don’t drink coffee all the time right now, and recently when I do I’ve been enjoying drip coffee. I’m also drinking decaf since my infrequent coffee consumption is making me more sensitive to caffeine (did you know decaf still has caffeine?!), and the Peet’s House Blend Decaf is pretty darn good. I do have the classic plastic dripper that you put a filter into, but I prefer to avoid mixing hot liquids and plastic and never really liked using it. I also have a very nice cloth filter with a handle (definitely the ticket for expeditions), which I love for a lot of reasons. But my boyfriend complained that he had been turned into a human coffeemaker since someone does have to hold it over the cup while it drips and it was preventing him from breakfast multi-tasking. I’d seen the ceramic drip cones, but ceramic and tile floors or slickrock have just never seemed like a good match, and pretty tricky for roadtrip kitchen storage.
So I discovered this metal coffee dripper, with a coffee stand. I had never seen a setup quite like this before, and after a few weeks of use it has become a pretty cherished item in the kitchen! If you put the dripper in the stand, you pull off the rubber gasket on the bottom. If you take it with you on a roadtrip, the large rubber skirt on the bottom allows it to sit on top of a cup. Since it does sit on top of a cup, you really don’t “need” the stand, however there is the potential for a spill and ensuing coffee disaster, especially with a tall metal cup that is more tippy. So for home use, I really appreciate the stand. On the back of a tailgate, a coffee tip is pretty terrible too, but at least you don’t have to wash the floor. They do have special filters that are cone shaped (which I did buy since I was ordering the other stuff anyway), but you can buy the regular ones from the grocery store and crease them to get the point.
One tip: when you put the coffee in the filter, first pour just enough hot water over the grounds to wet them (make sure the cup is underneath already). Wait for 30 seconds before pouring the rest of the water over them. This makes the coffee taste stronger and richer π
If you’re looking for a perfect drip filter setup, I think this one is an all thumbs up!
Thanks for the review! I am always looking for the same things in a coffee maker as you. It’s a never ending fun quest to see how clever people can make a cup of coffee
The V60 is awesome for sure. The Hario filters are made out of really nice quality Japanese paper, the cloth filters taste like drinking coffee through a sock! You should check out the aeropress too. It’s pretty solid and you can play with different extraction methods (and make that geisha taste different and bangin’ every time!). It is plastic though…deal breaker?
yes π π
the plastic is kind of a deal breaker π
Steph, I too have become sensitive to caffeine once I stopped it for a long stretch. I am wondering if you drink alcohol in any amount (wine or beer). If so, does it hold you back at all in climbing the next day, physically, mentally? My experience is that booze, even in small amounts, can slow things (the brain as well!) down more than desired. But for some it seems to give them a boost of energy, and enthusiasm. Thank you for any thoughts.
Yeah, I too would love to know if alcohol fits into your lifestyle as an athlete (not referring to drinking while being an athlete, just the down-time)?
I occasionally drink white wine with ice cubes in it–don’t laugh until you’ve tried it π
with the filter situated so high above the cup, do you have many problems with splash when you’re filling the cup to the brim? Thanks!
Hi Melissa, I haven’t had any trouble with that. Recently I ran out of the Japanese filters and bought some regular Melita filters–I like the Japanese ones much better because they are thinner paper and the coffee seems to taste better π
The GSI H2JO! is my favorite – I screw it onto my hydroflask/nalgene and five minutes later, coffee. Aeropress gets an honorable mention for when I’m feeling continental.
yes π π
Maca coffee substitute + organic hemp reusable coffee filters (come in cone shapes all sizes)
I guess this is the day i helped somebody awesome π