Guide · Pour-over
Best pour over coffee maker: drippers and kits for better filter coffee
Hario V60, Chemex, flat-bottom and permanent-filter pour-over brewers sold in the UK, compared on type, material and size, with prices checked 3 Oct 2026.
Pour-over is the most manual way to make filter coffee: you pour hot water over ground coffee in a paper or metal filter and let it drip through. The best pour over coffee maker for you depends on how many cups you brew and how much fuss you want. We’ve compared six UK-available drippers and kits, from a budget plastic V60 to the glass Chemex. We haven’t tested this in person. Our picks are based on published specs, the retailer’s listings and UK prices checked on 3 Oct 2026. Read how we compare.
Best pour over coffee maker UK: the short answer
Buy the Hario V60 Plastic Dripper (size 02) to try pour-over for very little. It’s £8.99 at Barista Shop, checked 3 Oct 2026. It has the same ridged cone shape as the pricier V60s and is light enough to travel with.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants a dripper that looks smart on the table, or who’d rather avoid plastic.
Get the Simply Hario V60-02 Glass Brewing Kit if you want everything to start in one box. It’s £34.99 at Barista Shop, checked 3 Oct 2026, with a glass dripper, glass server, scoop and 40 filter papers, for one to four cups.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who already owns a jug or carafe and only needs the dripper.
Choose the Chemex 6-Cup Classic for brewing for two or more. It’s £52.99 at Barista Shop, checked 3 Oct 2026. It’s a one-piece glass brewer and carafe with a wooden collar, listed at 885ml.
Who it isn’t for: single-cup brewers. The 3-Cup Classic is £46.99 at Barista Shop, checked 3 Oct 2026, so the smaller size doesn’t save much.
Skip the paper filters with the Bodum Pour Over with Permanent Filter. It’s £29.90 at Barista Shop, checked 3 Oct 2026, with a stainless steel filter, a 0.5-litre glass jug and a listing that says it’s dishwasher safe.
Who it isn’t for: anyone who wants the cleanest, sediment-free cup. Metal filters let more oils and fines through than paper.
Dripper types explained
Cone drippers (V60 style). A steep cone with one large hole at the bottom. The flow depends a lot on your pouring and grind, which gives you control but makes it less forgiving. Hario’s V60 is the best-known example.
Flat-bottom drippers. A flat bed of coffee with smaller holes, which tends to make the brew more even and less sensitive to pouring technique. Barista Shop lists the Timemore Crystal Eye B75 (£16.99, checked 3 Oct 2026) with a flat bottom and angled sides, in Tritan, hand-wash only.
Chemex. A glass hourglass that’s both brewer and serving jug, using thick, bonded paper filters.
Immersion drippers. Brewers like the Clever Coffee Dripper (£24.99 at Barista Shop, checked 3 Oct 2026) hold the water with a valve, then release it when you sit the dripper on a cup. That’s closer to a cafetière than true pour-over; we cover it in our AeroPress alternatives guide.
Who it isn’t for: if you want coffee without watching the kettle, a filter coffee machine does the pouring for you.
Plastic vs ceramic vs glass
- Plastic is cheap, light and hard to break. It doesn’t soak up heat, so the water stays hot as it passes through.
- Ceramic looks great and feels solid, but it’s heavy and draws heat from the water unless you rinse it with hot water first. The Hario V60 Ceramic 02 is £25.50 at Barista Shop, checked 3 Oct 2026.
- Glass lets you see the brew and is easy to clean, but can break.
The material matters less than your grind and pour, especially if you rinse the dripper with hot water first.
Who it isn’t for: if you travel a lot, ceramic and glass are the wrong pick.
What else you need
Pour-over rewards a little extra kit:
- A grinder. Pre-ground coffee works, but freshly ground beans and a consistent grind make the biggest difference. See our guide to the best burr grinders under £100.
- A gooseneck kettle. The narrow spout makes slow, even pouring easy. See our best gooseneck kettle guide.
- Scales. Weighing coffee and water makes a good cup repeatable. See our guide to using coffee scales.
- Filters. Match the filter to the dripper: V60 cones need V60 papers, Chemex needs Chemex filters.
Who it isn’t for: if you don’t want to buy anything else, start with the plastic V60 and a jug kettle, and add kit later.
Size: how many cups?
Drippers are sized by how much coffee they hold. V60 size 01 is for one or two cups, size 02 for one to four (as the Simply Hario kit lists). For larger batches, Barista Shop’s Hario V60 Drip Decanter (£36.90, checked 3 Oct 2026) makes up to three cups straight into a glass jug, and the 6-Cup Chemex holds 885ml.
Downsides
- It takes attention. You stand at the kettle for a few minutes.
- Extra kit adds up. Grinder, kettle and scales cost more than the dripper.
- Learning curve. Cone drippers are sensitive to grind and pour.
Where to go next
FAQ
What’s the best pour over coffee maker for beginners? A V60 starter kit, such as the Simply Hario V60-02 Glass Brewing Kit (£34.99 at Barista Shop, checked 3 Oct 2026), gives you the dripper, server and filters in one go.
V60 or Chemex? The V60 suits one or two cups and is cheaper. The Chemex is better for sharing.
Is a plastic V60 worse than ceramic? Not really. Plastic holds less heat, so it’s arguably easier to use.
Do you need a gooseneck kettle for pour-over? It’s not essential, but it makes slow, controlled pouring much easier.
Where can you buy these? Hario V60 Plastic at Barista Shop, Simply Hario V60-02 Glass Brewing Kit at Barista Shop, Chemex 6-Cup Classic at Barista Shop, Timemore Crystal Eye B75 at Barista Shop, Hario V60 Ceramic at Barista Shop and Bodum Pour Over at Barista Shop.