The Clever Dripper: Better Coffee on a Budget

Tired of subpar coffee and don’t want to spend on expensive equipment? The Clever Dripper is a fantastic tool for elevating your home brewing game without breaking the bank. This versatile brewing device combines the simplicity of a pour-over with the immersion brewing of a French press, resulting in a clean, balanced cup of coffee. What makes it so good is its simplicity. You just brew the coffee inside the clever dripper, and once you’re done you set it on top of a mug and a pressure-activated drain will open, pouring out your fresh brew.

One small tip that people often overlook is to pour the water in before the coffee grounds, since this really speeds up the drawdown time. You’ll spend about half as much time waiting for the coffee to drain out of the clever dripper.

• Clever Dripper: A compact, affordable brewing device.

• Coffee Grinder: A burr grinder is ideal for consistent grind size.

• Coffee Filters: Paper filters designed for the Clever Dripper.

• Kettle: Any kettle will do!

• Coffee Beans: Fresh, high-quality beans are essential.

• Scale (Optional): A digital scale to measure coffee and water accurately.

1. Grind Your Coffee: Grind your coffee to a medium-coarse grind, similar to sea salt. A finer grind will result in a stronger, more bitter brew, while a coarser grind will produce a weaker, more acidic cup.

2. Heat Your Water: Heat your water to 200-205°F (93-96°C).

3. Insert your paper filter and rinse it: Pour hot water through the filter to rinse out the paper taste, then drain this water.

4. Pour Hot Water: This is where the "water first" technique comes in. Pour the hot water into the dripper first, then add the coffee grounds. This helps to saturate the grounds evenly and speeds up the brewing process. You won’t end up with a large “clog” of coffee grounds, so it’ll drain much faster.

5. Stir then steep: Stir the coffee to make sure there’s no dry pockets, then allow it to steep for 2 minutes.

6. Stir again: It’s normal for a thick layer to form on the surface of the brew at this point. Shake or stir it to make sure it continues brewing evenly.

7. Pour and Enjoy: After about 30 seconds, place the clever dripper onto a mug or whatever you’d like to drink out of and the coffee will automatically drain out.

By following these simple steps and using the "water first" technique, you can consistently brew delicious coffee at home with the Clever Dripper!