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Hollow Wire Filter Pour-Over Coffee Guide: Can You Make Pour-Over Coffee Without a Filter Cup?

Published: 2026-01-28 Author: FrontStreet Coffee

Last Updated: 2026/01/28, Pour-over coffee requires a filter cup. In addition to supporting the filter paper, the filter cup helps us extract better coffee flavor compounds. However, today FrontStreet Coffee will try using a filter cup made from a single wire! Let's first look at the features of this filter cup This filter cup can clearly be seen to be rolled from a single wire, with the wire cut at both ends clearly visible. Stretching the wire

The Unconventional Dripper: Brewing Coffee with a Wire Frame

Pour-over coffee requires a dripper. Beyond merely supporting the filter paper, a dripper helps us extract better coffee flavor compounds. However, today FrontStreet Coffee is going to experiment with a dripper made from a single wire!

A wire coffee dripper made from a single metal wire

Examining the Features of This "Dripper"

This "dripper" clearly shows it's made from a single wire, with visible cut ends on both sides.

Close-up view of the wire dripper showing the cut ends

The wire can be stretched or compressed and still returns to its original shape.

The wire dripper being compressed and returning to shape

Due to being made from a single wire, the four bottom supports aren't perfectly level, causing it to tilt when placed on a serving pot.

The wire dripper tilting when placed on a serving pot

Testing Its Coffee Brewing Performance

First, place the filter paper and wet it with water.

Filter paper placed in the wire dripper and being wet with water

FrontStreet Coffee observed that most of the filter paper conforms to the dripper shape, except for the top wire circle which doesn't fully adhere. However, this doesn't significantly impact the brewing process.

Filter paper mostly conforming to the wire dripper shape

For this brewing session, FrontStreet Coffee used Yirgacheffe Red Cherry Project coffee beans, adding 15g of coffee grounds.

15g of coffee grounds being poured into the filter

Begin pouring water, first injecting 30g for a 30-second bloom. The overall behavior of the coffee bed is similar to using a V60 dripper. However, this tilted dripper would torture anyone with OCD! Hahahaha!!!

Coffee blooming in the tilted wire dripper

Continue pouring in stages, adding 120ml more water, and complete at 225ml.

Continuing the pour-over process in stages

The total brewing time until all coffee liquid drained was 2 minutes and 40 seconds. Under the same parameters, using a V60 dripper requires only 1 minute and 50 seconds. This means that while this "wire dripper's" drainage capability isn't terrible, it's essentially non-existent. The wire frame's function is limited to shaping and supporting the filter paper.

Completed pour-over with coffee liquid draining slowly

Overall Assessment

The coffee brewed with this "dripper" tends to have a thicker body and sweeter flavor profile. Without any flow control, the entire extraction is influenced only by downward gravity. This places higher demands on pouring technique – uneven pouring will definitely lead to uneven extraction.

The final brewed coffee in the serving pot

However, this device is quite convenient as it can be compressed into a flat shape, making it easy to carry for outdoor use. There's no need to compare its other performance aspects with conventional drippers.