How To: Clever Coffee Dripper
By Stuart Grant
This is a Clever Coffee Dripper: They differ from most pour-over or filter coffee makers in that the coffee will remain infusing in the top section until you put it on your cup. This opens the "clever" valve and allows the coffee to drip through.
How to use the Clever Dripper:
You will need:- Clever Dripper (we sell them here);
- Filter papers;
- 30-35g coffee, ground coarsely;
- 500mL boiled water;
- A small jug.
Step 1: insert a filter paper and fill Clever Dripper with boiled water. This rinses the paper and pre-heats the Dripper.
Step 2: drain water and discard, then add ground coffee and 500mL water. Water temperature determines flavour - we measure with this IR device and aim for 85-90C.
Step 3: after 30 seconds, stir again to break up the floating coffee.
Step 4: about 2½ minutes* (after adding water), place the Dripper onto your jug.
Step 5: it should take another minute* for all the coffee to drip through - then pour into your cups and enjoy! [* = these times depend on how coarsely you grind - if you grind finely, you'll need to start the draw down earlier; if you grind very coarsely, you can afford to start the draw down later. The total brew time should be around 3½-4 minutes, but you can experiment with longer; if your brew turns out bitter/tannic, you might have brewed too long.] Cleaning up is super simple: just shake out the spent coffee and filter paper and give the Dripper a rinse. The Clever Dripper gives you complete control over brewing: you can grind very coarsely and infuse for 4-5 minutes, if you like, for a really smooth and interesting brew. Long infusions can help you get good extraction from lighter roasts (ie. when the beans are still fairly hard), for example. We're now selling the Clever Dripper on our website if you're interested in having a go!