With the rise of specialty coffee, more people are starting to enjoy the pour brewing method. But did you know that pour overs have been around since 1908?
German entrepreneur, Melitta Bentz, came up with this brewing method to have the cleanest cup possible. Over time, the pour over method has evolved. But to this day, its cleanliness is still a highlight that stays true to Bentz’s original design.
Here’s our take on brewing with Melitta’s proprietary dripper:
What You’ll Need for Brewing
- Optional: Gooseneck kettle
- Optional: Thermometer
- Scale
- Timer
- Filtered water
- Melitta Dripper
- Melitta filters
- Good coffee
The Melitta Dripper has been around long before gooseneck kettles were invented. While we still like using gooseneck kettles with this dripper for maximum control, it isn’t necessary.
This has worked not only for us, but also Melitta Bentz and many others. With the way this brewer was designed, you don’t need to fuss so much about pouring perfectly to make good coffee. However, we still think a scale and timer is important to get the brew to taste its best.
Click here to see the best scales for coffee brewing
Recipe Guide
- Dose (g): 21
- Total amount (ml): 300
- Ratio: 1:14
- Grind size: medium-coarse
- Water temperature: 88°C / 191°F
- Pouring pattern (ml): 50 – 50 – 50 – 50 – 50 – 50
- Pouring intervals (minutes to seconds): 30 second bloom and succeeding pours are every 15 seconds
- Total time (minutes to seconds): Between 3:00 – 3:20
This is an easy recipe to use when brewing with the Melitta Dripper (or any wedge-style dripper in general). These drippers produce full / heavy-bodied brews that shine with medium to even darker roasts. However, this dripper (and recipe) can work with any coffee.
Dose and Grind Size
The Melitta Dripper can do well with smaller doses. But because its flow rate (how fast water goes through the coffee) is quite slow, you’ll need to minimize fine particles in your grind size to prevent your brew from choking.
One way to minimize fines is to use larger doses. This both encourages a coarser grind size and reduces the amount of fines because there is more coffee.
Ratios
When it comes to brewing ratios, one thing we always try to consider is the coffee’s roast profile.
Since this recipe is mainly for medium roasts, start with a ratio of 1 : 14. If you are working with a lighter roast, though, you can start with a 1 : 15 ratio.
Longer ratios (1:16 and up) work well with lighter roasts because they extend extraction to balance out the higher acidity of lighter roasts. Taste wise, longer ratios produce more clarity and nuance.
Shorter ratios (1:14 and down) work with medium to darker roasts because they focus on the initial parts of extraction without bringing out bitter flavors. In terms of taste, shorter ratios have a more concentrated flavor and bigger mouthfeel.
Click here to learn more about coffee ratios.
Temperature
We’re using a lower water temperature for this recipe (88°C / 191°F) to prevent getting bitter flavors. Lower temperatures bring out more acidity to balance out medium to dark roasts. Meanwhile, higher temperatures bring out more sweetness to balance out light roasts.
If you don’t have a thermometer, open the lid of your kettle and wait for 2 to 3 minutes before brewing.
Pouring Pattern
This pouring pattern was developed to get the most control from a regular kettle. We’ve found that using 50ml per pour is just right to get a continuous flow. Any more is too uneven in pouring, while anything less just isn’t enough water.
After you pre-heat and rinse the paper filter, pour the first 50ml. Let the coffee bloom for 30 seconds. Stirring / spinning the brew bed is optional. Here’s what the entire brew should look like:
| Time (minutes : seconds) | Pour Amount (ml) | Target Amount on Scale | Pouring Motion |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 : 00 | 50 | 50 | Circle |
| 0 : 30 | 50 | 100 | Circle |
| 0 : 45 | 50 | 150 | Circle |
| 0 : 60 | 50 | 200 | Circle |
| 1 : 00 | 50 | 250 | Circle |
| 1 : 30 | 50 | 300 | Circle |
After the final 50ml pour at 1 : 30, let the coffee drain. Total brew time should be around 3 minutes.
Understanding the Melitta Dripper
The Mellitta dripper is a wedge-style dripper. Drippers of this design are meant to increase the contact time between the water and coffee grounds. This makes for a slower flow rate and encourages coarser grind sizes.
The Melitta brewer is most commonly seen in ceramic. But it does also have versions in plastic. If you can, get the plastic one. It is more durable and retains heat better for a better brew.
Outside of Melitta’s proprietary design, Kalita, Beehive, and Bonmac have their own versions of this dripper. They behave about the same, but are all faster in flow rate than the Melitta. This is because they each have two or three holes at the bottom to help water pass through, while the original Melitta only has one hole.
Among all the pour over devices, the Melitta and other wedge-shaped drippers are the least demanding in terms of technique. Because of the increased contact time, brews with these drippers are repeatable and beginner-friendly.
The drawback, however, is that they don’t produce as much clarity compared to cone or even flat-bottom drippers.
The Melitta Dripper vs Flat-Bottom Drippers
We ran a quick test with the Melitta and 2 flat-bottom drippers (the Origami and the Blue Bottle) to see the difference in taste. In terms of construction, flat-bottoms are designed to emphasize sweetness and body. So it would be interesting to see how it compares to another dripper that also emphasizes body.
What stood out with the Melitta was how heavy the mouthfeel was in comparison. Whereas, both flat-bottom drippers were more balanced. Side-by-side, here’s what we noticed in tasting:
| Melitta Dripper | Blue Bottle Dripper | Origami Dripper |
|---|---|---|
| Least acidity, heaviest body, shortest finish | Most clarity, lightest body, lingering finish | Subtle acidity, heavy body, medium finish |
In this test, the Origami brews were halfway between the Melitta and Blue Bottle. The Melitta had lots of body and big flavor upfront. But the flavor would dissipate quickly.
In contrast, the Blue Bottle would come in subtle but its aftertaste would linger. Among the brewing devices, the Blue Bottle had the most clarity and balance.
We weren’t aiming to pick a winner as much as to taste the differences. In the end, all three did taste similar since the same coffee and recipe were used.
That being said, if you’re new to pour overs and like your coffee on the heavier side, the Melitta Dripper is a great place to start.
Have any experience in brewing pour overs with the Melitta Dripper? Let us know in the comments!
About the Author
Project Barista Team
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