How to brew coffee with a Clever Dripper

The Clever Dripper looks like a plastic pour over cone, but a valve in the base keeps it closed. The coffee steeps in all the water at once, and only drains through the paper filter when you set the dripper on a mug.

That makes it as easy as a French press, with a clean, silt free cup. This recipe makes one mug and works with almost any filter roast.

Clever Dripper recipes

Classic

Steep for two minutes, stir, then drain into your mug.

15 g · 1:16.7 · 3:00 to 4:00

Workshop's Clever Dripper

Water first, then coffee, for a faster and cleaner drain.

25 g · 1:16 · 4:00 to 4:30

Recipe

Coffee

Water

Makes about

Change any amount and the whole recipe scales with it.

Ratio: 1:16.7
Water temperature: 95°C
Grind: Medium, like coarse sand
Time: 3:00 to 4:00

What you need

Clever Dripper and a size 4 paper filter
Kettle
Digital scale with a timer
Burr grinder
Spoon
Mug or server

Method

1
Heat water to about 95°C. Fold the paper filter along its seams, put it in the dripper and rinse it with hot water. Set the dripper on a mug to drain the rinse water, then tip it away.
2
Put the dripper on the scale, add 15 g of medium ground coffee and zero it.
3
Start the timer and pour 250 g of water, making sure all the grounds are wet. Put the lid on.
4
At 2:00, give the top a gentle stir to sink the crust.
5
Wait 30 seconds, then set the dripper on your mug so it starts to drain.
6
It should finish between 3:00 and 4:00. Swirl the coffee and let it cool a little before you taste it.

If it does not taste right

My coffee tastes sour or thin

Grind a little finer or steep for longer before you set the dripper on the mug.

My coffee tastes bitter or dry

Grind a little coarser or shorten the steep. A very slow drain also adds bitterness.

It takes ages to drain

The grind is too fine, or the grounds have settled into a tight bed. Grind coarser, and add the water before the coffee so fewer fines reach the paper.