Bonwits

The pour-over coffee setup.

Pour-over is four things: a brewer, a filter, a kettle that pours slowly, and a grinder that grinds evenly. Spend on the grinder first and the rest follows.

By the Bonwits editors
Updated September 26, 2026
5 picks
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The pour-over coffee setup

The short list.

5 picks. Tap any to check today’s price.

  1. The one to buyOur pick
    CHEMEX Bundle, 6-Cup Classic Series, 100 ct Square Filters
  2. The one-to-four cup setup
    HARIO V60 Coffee Pour Over Kit, 02 Ceramic Dripper, Glass Range Server, 100ct Filters
  3. The part that matters most
    Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder ZCG485BLK, Black

    No. 03Baratza

    Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder ZCG485BLK, Black

    $150 on Amazon today

  4. The kettle
    Fellow Stagg EKG Pro Gooseneck Electric Kettle, Brew Timer, 0.9 Liter
  5. If money is no object
    Baratza Virtuoso+ Coffee Grinder ZCG587BLK, Black

    No. 05Baratza

    Baratza Virtuoso+ Coffee Grinder ZCG587BLK, Black

    $250 on Amazon today

Before you buy

Read this first.

Picks
5
Price range
$54 to $250
Updated
September 26, 2026

A pour-over is the slowest way to make coffee in the house, which is most of its appeal. Four minutes at the counter, a kettle, a scale if you like, and a cup that tastes of the beans rather than the machine. It is also a good way to make coffee for guests: a Chemex on the table after dinner does the job of a pot and looks like it belongs.

The kit is simple and nearly indestructible. Glass and ceramic brewers last until they are dropped. What wears out, and what decides how the coffee tastes, is the grinder. A blade grinder chops beans into dust and boulders that brew unevenly. A burr grinder cuts them to a consistent size. If the budget allows one serious purchase, it is that.

Every pick below is sold on Amazon by Amazon.com or by the maker itself. We left out Kalita's Wave dripper, a fine brewer, because on Amazon US it is sold only by third-party importers.

What we judged on.

4 tests, applied to every pick below

  1. 01

    Grind consistency

    Conical burrs, adjustable in fine steps, from a maker that sells parts and supports repairs.

  2. 02

    Pour control

    A gooseneck spout and an accurate temperature, so the water goes where and how hot you mean it to.

  3. 03

    Materials

    Glass and ceramic that do not hold odors or flavors and go in the dishwasher.

  4. 04

    Batch size

    One cup for a morning alone, or a carafe for a table of six.

No. 01The one to buy

Chemex

CHEMEX Bundle, 6-Cup Classic Series, 100 ct Square Filters

The hourglass brewer from 1941, in the size that serves a table, sold with a box of its own thick filters.

CHEMEX Bundle, 6-Cup Classic Series, 100 ct Square Filters
Price
About $65 with filters (Amazon today: $64.94)
Made in
USA (Massachusetts)
Keeps for
Decades; there is nothing to break but the glass
Capacity
6 cups of 5 oz, about 30 oz
Material
Borosilicate glass, wood collar
Filters
Chemex bonded, 100 square included
Made in
Massachusetts, USA

Peter Schlumbohm, a chemist, designed the Chemex and the company has made it since 1941. It is still made in Massachusetts, where Chemex says workers inspect, polish and hand-tie each coffeemaker. The body is non-porous borosilicate glass that holds no odor or residue, and the wood collar and leather tie are the handle.

Chemex counts a cup as 5 ounces, so the 6-cup makes about 30 ounces: three large mugs or six after-dinner cups. Chemex says the coffee can be covered and refrigerated for reheating without losing flavor, and the carafe goes to the table as it is.

Chemex bases its bonded filters on laboratory paper, and they give a very clean, light-bodied cup with almost no sediment. Some people find it too clean. Skip it if you want a heavy, textured cup, or if you only ever make one.

The catch. Needs its own filters, and the narrow neck is awkward to scrub; a bottle brush helps.

No. 02The one-to-four cup setup

Hario

HARIO V60 Coffee Pour Over Kit, 02 Ceramic Dripper, Glass Range Server, 100ct Filters

The barista's cone: a 60 degree ceramic dripper, a glass server and filters, in one box.

HARIO V60 Coffee Pour Over Kit, 02 Ceramic Dripper, Glass Range Server, 100ct Filters
Price
About $55 (Amazon today: $53.68)
Keeps for
Decades for the ceramic; the server is glass
Dripper
V60 02, ceramic, dishwasher safe
Server
Glass range server, up to 4 cups
Includes
Lid and stand, 100 V60 02 filters
Batch
1 to 4 cups

Hario began as a maker of laboratory glassware in Japan more than a century ago, and the V60, named for its 60 degree cone, is the dripper baristas around the world reach for; Hario marked its 20th anniversary with a brewing competition in its name. It is faster and more responsive to technique than a Chemex, and the thinner filter gives a cup with more body and brighter flavor.

This kit has the 02 size ceramic dripper, which is dishwasher safe and brews one to four cups, a heatproof glass range server with a glass handle, a silicone and glass lid that doubles as a stand for the dripper, and 100 filters.

The V60 punishes a careless pour: pour too fast and the water rushes through. That is the fun of it for some and the flaw for others. Skip it if you want the same cup every morning without thinking; the Chemex is more forgiving.

The catch. Rewards careful pouring and a gooseneck kettle, and punishes neither.

No. 03The part that matters most

Baratza

Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder ZCG485BLK, Black

The burr grinder specialty coffee people recommend first: 40 settings, European burrs, and a company that sells the parts to fix it.

Baratza Encore Coffee Grinder ZCG485BLK, Black
Price
About $150 (Amazon today: $149.95)
Keeps for
Many years; Baratza sells replacement parts
Burrs
40 mm conical, hardened alloy steel
Settings
40
Motor
DC
Controls
On and off switch, front pulse button

The Encore is Baratza's best-selling grinder and the usual first answer to the question of which grinder to buy. It uses 40 millimeter hardened alloy steel conical burrs made in Liechtenstein, driven by a DC motor, with 40 grind settings from espresso-fine to French press coarse. Pour-over sits in the middle of the range.

The controls are plain: an on and off switch, and a pulse button on the front. What makes it a buy-once machine is the support. Baratza sells burrs, motors and small parts, so a worn part is a repair rather than a replacement.

It is loud and a little messy, as most grinders are, and the grind at the fine end is not suited to serious espresso. Skip it if you plan to pull espresso shots; this is a drip and pour-over grinder.

The catch. Noisy, and not an espresso grinder despite the fine settings.

No. 04The kettle

Fellow

Fellow Stagg EKG Pro Gooseneck Electric Kettle, Brew Timer, 0.9 Liter

A gooseneck kettle that heats to the degree, holds temperature and pours a slow, steady thread.

Fellow Stagg EKG Pro Gooseneck Electric Kettle, Brew Timer, 0.9 Liter
Price
About $180 (Amazon today: $179.95)
Keeps for
Years; an electric kettle is still an appliance
Capacity
0.9 L
Spout
Gooseneck, precision pour
Temperature
To the degree, with hold mode
Extras
Brew stopwatch, Guide Mode presets, scheduling

A gooseneck spout is what makes pour-over controllable: a thin, steady stream you can aim at the grounds. Fellow's Stagg EKG Pro adds temperature control to the degree, a color display, a hold mode, and a brew stopwatch so you can time the pour without a phone on the counter.

The Specialty Coffee Association's brewing standard calls for water at about 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Set it once and every pour lands there. It also does 180 for green tea, which makes it the house kettle rather than a single-purpose one. It holds 0.9 liters, enough for a 6-cup Chemex.

It is expensive for a kettle, and the capacity is modest for a crowd. Skip it if you already own a stovetop gooseneck and a thermometer; the coffee will not know the difference.

The catch. Costs as much as the brewer and grinder together at the entry end, and 0.9 liters is small for tea for six.

No. 05If money is no object

Baratza

Baratza Virtuoso+ Coffee Grinder ZCG587BLK, Black

The Encore's big brother: a digital timer, a lit grounds bin and a metal body for a counter you look at.

Baratza Virtuoso+ Coffee Grinder ZCG587BLK, Black
Price
About $250 (Amazon today: $249.95)
Keeps for
Many years, with the same parts support
Burrs
Conical, European-made hardened steel
Settings
40
Timer
Digital, to 0.1 second
Body
Metal top and base
Warranty
1 year (listing)

The Virtuoso+ uses the same idea as the Encore, 40 grind settings on commercial-grade conical burrs made in Europe, with upgrades a daily user notices. A digital timer adjustable to a tenth of a second doses the same amount every morning, and an LED lights the grounds bin so you can see what you have.

The top and base are metal rather than plastic, which suits a kitchen where the coffee corner is on display. Baratza backs it with a one year warranty and the same parts and repair support.

The grind quality for pour-over is better, but not dramatically. Skip it if the Encore's plastic does not bother you, and put the difference into good beans.

The catch. A $100 step up over the Encore for convenience more than for flavor.

A starting recipe

About 1 gram of coffee to 16 or 17 grams of water is a common starting point. The Specialty Coffee Association's golden cup standard, about 55 grams per liter, is a touch weaker. For a 6-cup Chemex, that is about 45 grams of coffee to 750 grams of water. Grind medium-coarse for the Chemex, medium-fine for the V60.

Rinse the paper filter with hot water first, pour just enough to wet the grounds, wait 30 to 45 seconds while they bloom, then pour the rest slowly in circles.

Where the money goes

Grinder first, then fresh beans, then the kettle. A $150 burr grinder with a plastic cone will make better coffee than a $200 kettle with pre-ground coffee. A kitchen scale, even an inexpensive one, does more for consistency than anything else under $30.

What to skip

Blade grinders. Pre-ground coffee, which goes stale in days. Metal mesh filters in a Chemex, which let through the oils and sediment the paper is designed to catch. Pour-over sets with a plastic carafe.

Questions.

Chemex or V60?

Chemex for a clean, light cup and for serving several people. V60 for one to four cups with more body and brighter flavor, if you do not mind a more careful pour.

Do I need a gooseneck kettle?

It makes pour-over far easier to control, especially with a V60. A Chemex is more forgiving of an ordinary kettle.

What water temperature is right for pour-over?

About 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit, per the Specialty Coffee Association. Just off the boil is close enough if your kettle has no setting.

Is the Baratza Encore good enough?

For pour-over and drip, yes. It is the grinder most specialty coffee people recommend first. Upgrade only for convenience or espresso.

How much coffee for a Chemex?

A good start is about 1 gram of coffee for every 16 or 17 grams of water. For a full 6-cup, roughly 45 grams of coffee.

Sources.

  1. Chemex, company and history
  2. Hario, company and V60
  3. Baratza, Encore
  4. Fellow
  5. Specialty Coffee Association, coffee standards

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