Workshop Coffee's Clever Dripper method

Recipe by Workshop Coffee · See the original

Workshop Coffee, a London roaster, pour the water into the Clever Dripper before the coffee. The grounds float and wet evenly instead of packing into the bottom, so the brew drains faster and cleaner at the end.

Their recipe uses water right off the boil, a three minute steep with a second stir, and makes one large mug.

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
Water temperature: 100°C
Grind: Medium-coarse, like coarse salt
Time: 4:00 to 4:30

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
Boil the kettle. Fold the edge of the paper filter, put it in the dripper, rinse it with hot water and put the lid on to warm the brewer. Drain the rinse water away.
2
Grind 25 g of coffee medium-coarse. Put the empty dripper on the scale, zero it and pour in 400 g of water straight off the boil.
3
Start the timer and add the coffee. Stir well so all the floating grounds are pushed under, without scraping the bottom.
4
Put the lid on and leave it for 2 minutes, then stir the surface again to break up the crust.
5
At 3:00, set the dripper on your mug or server. It should drain in just over a minute.
6
If it drains fast and tastes watery, grind finer next time. If it drains slowly and tastes bitter, grind coarser.

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.