Which coffee dripper to choose? Hario vs Origami vs Timemore

Reviews of drip coffee makers - by way of introduction

Firstly - all the drippers reviewedbrew a similar cup of coffee. The changes in coffee taste are not significant, such as when comparing different alternative brewing methods.

Still, there is a reason why more conical manual coffeedrippers are coming to the market. These are the subtle differences in the behavior of the dripper when extracting coffee.

To the experienced eye, indeed tongue, of a filter coffee lover, these uniquenesses in the taste of a cup of coffee do not escape. To a coffee novice they probably won't be so noticeable, but all in good time, right?

Secondly - for the test we prepared the coffee with the same recipe every time. Same water, coffee, temperature, grind, pour-over style. Deliberately. We wanted to get a feel for the differences in the behavior of each of the drippers. This then suggests how to adjust the recipe to make absolutely divine coffee in a particular single dripper.

Alternative coffee brewing method: dripper

We used this recipe to prepare V60 from 15 g of coffee and a total of 250 g of water (93 °C):

0:00 first pour 50 g of water
0:45 (blooming) 50 g water
1:05, 50 g water
1:25, 50 g water
1:45, 50 g water

Total time 2:40. This is a coffee brewed in a classic "vé 60" from Hario. We included this one in the test mainly as a sort of basic, standard dripper. So you can get a better idea of the differences between it and other manual drippers.

Timemore Crystal Eye dripper

As we know, the Timemore brand is an expert in products belonging to the "top price/quality ratio" selection. For about 500 crowns you can have a conical dripper with the "Bond" sounding name Crystal Eye. It is not a porcelain dripper, but a glass one. However, no expense has been spared on the borosilicate glass and the Crystal Eye's walls are really honestly thick. This earns it a plus for durability and of course for thermal insulationcapabilities.

The Crystal Eye's dripper does not have a tab, but is housed in a plastic collar - ring. Thus handling is safe and the dripper sits nicely on the coffeecup/decanter. As with Timemore perhaps always, it looks modern, and with its distinctive style combines minimalism and ornateness.

What immediately caught my eye about the dripper? The groovesinside the dripper. They differ from the Hario V60 in their flatness and alternating grooves in two rows that do not reach the edges of the dripper. When washed with water, the paper filter adheres nicely while the grooves promote an even flow of coffee.

Origami coffee dripper

I was really looking forward to this piece. Lately, Origami coffee porcelain has been stealing more and more of the coffee dripper and coffee cup market. However, it is not colorful and stylish a hit among baristas. Their products are designed to be both eye-catching but above all high quality and functional.

Around 400 years of experience in producing porcelain of the highest quality can be seen in Origami products. At the same time, their products respond to the real needs and demands of coffee professionals. Every Origami product has a purpose, a reason why it was created.

In addition to the color options (although I quite like mine in undisturbed pure white) your eye will rest on the shape of the dripper. This one is completely - but utterly, original. Yeah it's still shaped like a conical dripper, but the walls of the dripper are eye-catching. They're like folding paper into an accordion, zig-zag. Fancy to look at, but how does it affect the taste of the coffee?

V60 dripper Tetsu Kasuya

A cursory glance and you won't be able to tell it apart from the "Hari" classic. Perhaps only because of the pretty black colour. But look a second time and take a closer look. You'll notice a few subtle differences from the standard Hario V60.

In 2015, Tetsu Kasuya became Japan's master of filter coffee. Then the following year, 2016, he became the #1 world champion of this barista discipline and the first Asian barista to win this title at the WBrC (World Brewers Cup). So it couldn't have been any other way than to be involved with Hario in developing a sophisticated line of filter coffeeproducts.

His decanter fulfils the motto Tetsu came up with in his collaboration with Hario: "easily-brewed delicious coffee for everyone". Specifically, this concept has been translated into the Kasuya dripper by modifying the internal structure of the dripper walls. Yes, those dripper grooves again. Shorter than the original Hario V60. They don't reach all the way to the opening, which is also wider.

Coffee dripper test

MANUAL DRIPPER	TIME	TASTE NOTES
V60 Hario	2:40	fine flavour, well perceptible, comprehensive, bright acidity and aftertaste
Timemore Crystal Eye	2:40	similar smoothness and flavour to V60, more pronounced acidity
Kasuya Hario	3:00	full flavour, stronger, sweeter, lower flavour range (roundness)
Origami dripper	2:30	sweeter and stronger flavour, well noticeable notes in the full range

Hario V60 vs. Timemore Crystal Eye vs. Kasuya Hario vs. Origami dripper

Each of them makes a good coffee (so it depends mostly on the barista) and each has something to offer. Still, the results are different. So which dripper to go for? The answer will probably be a combination of what you already have at home and what you want to achieve with your new dripper.

If I have a V60, it seems pointless to get a Timemore Crystal Eye, but the Origami will already have its uses. If I have a Katsuya dripper, it might be worth considering getting a classic Hario or Crystal Eye as well.In fact, some coffees will be better suited to different drippers.

On any side, theOrigami is themost interesting to me so far. Because it has an extra feature compared to its fellow testers. As an Origami dripper owner, you can get both standard V60 filters and Kalita flat-bottomfilters for it. And right away you have another way to make your coffee taste a little different again.

Which manual coffee dripper to choose?

Discernment and advice at the end is always a bit of a worry. All of these drippers have the potential to become your best coffee buddy.

At the same time, I understand that not all of you want to dedicate every shelf in your kitchen to coffee equipment. For opinions on which dripper they prefer, I turned to a Facebook group of coffee lovers.

Summarized - the most recommended dripper is the Hario V60, then the Origami and also the Katsuya. Except... the Hario V60 has been garnering fans for decades. It's the most basic of alternative coffee brewing methods. The love of the "old school" dripper with the tab has been passed down from senior-barista to junior, etc. Thus, it has a considerable advantage.

On the other hand, Timemore Crystal Eye is quite a novelty and so is still forming its fan club. In between then Origami Dripper, which just entertains just by the way it looks. It's photogenic to the max. If you want to fill Instagram with coffee photos, and alternate preparation methods by changing paper filters of different shapes, Origami will be your favorite.

There was one more dripper tip in the comments on the query. The Clever Dripper, or Clever Dripper. However, here the preparation is a bit different and I have not included it in the dripper competition.