How to Properly Use the Clever Dripper for Coffee Brewing: Extraction Principles and Brewing Steps

Introduction: A Simple Brewing Solution

Many coffee enthusiasts find themselves overwhelmed by the variety of brewing methods available. After all, precise measurement of each water pour and attention to circular pouring techniques require focus on numerous details within just two to three minutes. For those days when you'd rather take it easy, there's a solution!

What brewing equipment might suit someone seeking simplicity today? While a French press might seem appealing, the cleanup process can be quite troublesome. It's like being willing to cook but not wanting to wash dishes—yet having to do it anyway! Fortunately, there's a device that can solve our dilemma—the Clever Dripper!

What Is a Clever Dripper?

The original Clever Dripper was designed and manufactured in Taiwan, featuring a filter cone with a round base.

Its usage is incredibly simple: pour hot water to steep the coffee grounds, wait for the appropriate time, then place it on any container, and it will automatically release the coffee. For cleaning, simply remove the filter paper with the coffee grounds and rinse the dripper with water!

The mechanism lies in the circular joint at the bottom of the filter cone, which contains a rubber piston valve.

When water is poured into the filter cone, water pressure causes the piston valve to seal and stop the flow. After steeping is complete, placing the dripper on a container presses the base, opening the piston valve, allowing coffee to flow slowly through four holes.

Essentially, it's like having a controllable flow valve installed beneath the filter cone—a remarkably clever design that inspired other coffee equipment manufacturers to develop similar controlled-flow filter cones. It can be used for pour-over brewing or as a "lazy version" French press without pressing. Today, FrontStreet Coffee will demonstrate the latter method to experience the clever usage of the Clever Dripper!

Important Notes and Preparation

One important point to note: the Clever Dripper also requires filter paper. Thanks to this filter paper, the cleanup process after brewing becomes incredibly simple—just lift the filter paper with the coffee grounds and dispose of them in the trash, then rinse with water without any residue.

Be sure to purchase the appropriate filter paper for your specific Clever Dripper model. FrontStreet Coffee uses large conical filter papers.

You'll need to prepare five items: a Clever Dripper, filter paper, coffee beans of your choice, hot water, and any cup (the cup's opening must not be wider than the dripper's base, otherwise it won't trigger the base valve).

Brewing Instructions

Grind your coffee to a medium-coarse consistency similar to regular pour-over brewing, approximately 80% passing through a #20 sieve. The amount of coffee depends on how much you'd like to drink. FrontStreet Coffee uses 20g of coffee with a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio.

First, place the filter paper and rinse it with hot water.

Next, add the coffee grounds to the rinsed filter paper.

Use hot water at 94°C for brewing. With FrontStreet Coffee's 1:15 ratio, this means 300ml of hot water. Pour it all at once, then start timing and wait for four minutes.

After four minutes, place the Clever Dripper on your prepared cup, and the coffee will filter through. Once filtered, give it a gentle stir and enjoy!

Tasting Notes

Time for tasting! FrontStreet Coffee used Panama Elida Estate beans. While the flavors might be slightly less pronounced than traditional pour-over, the orange acidity remains quite evident, with peach-like sweetness and subtle raisin fermentation notes.

This incredibly simple brewing method is truly suitable for those who want to relax and enjoy their coffee-making process!

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473