Can a Dripper Also Adjust Flow Rate? An Introduction to Usage Tips for the Hero Variable Speed Cake-Shaped Flat-Bottom Dripper

Last week, FrontStreet Coffee came across a flat-bottom dripper that can serve multiple purposes while browsing online, and became curious enough to purchase it. It's the Variable Speed Cake Dripper launched last year by coffee equipment brand Hero. Today, let's talk about our experience using it.

According to users who've already purchased it, this Variable Speed Cake Dripper offers three extraction modes that brewers can switch between at will. The flat-bottom design is very friendly for beginners—not only can it be used as a clever dripper, but it can also directly "transform" into a coffee cup without any problem.

After getting our hands on it, FrontStreet Coffee also examined the dripper: it features a double-layer structure with manual rotation control, suitable for use with 185 cake-shaped filter paper to brew 1-2 servings. The material is PCTG composite plastic, so it shouldn't get hot during use.

The outer layer of the dripper has a slightly flared Roman column shape, with three connected support ribs at the bottom. Looking down at the drain holes, they appear like several separately divided small sectors. The inner layer is a smooth surface that's vertical at the top and converges at the bottom. Six short ribs connect the cup wall to the bottom, with six small holes about 0.3cm in diameter distributed below. Every two holes are close to each other, with three protruding ribs about 0.5cm in length between them for flow guidance.

The rotating part is the topmost ring, which can be adjusted left and right to change the water flow setting. When rotated to the "Flow Stop" position on the side, all drainage holes at the bottom are closed, and the coffee is in immersion extraction mode like a clever dripper. If switched to "One Gear Slow Speed," three holes will provide water outlet, and the coffee extraction will be in blooming mode. When continuing to rotate counterclockwise to the "Two Gear Uniform Speed" position, all six holes will participate in water drainage, and the coffee will be in uniform speed extraction mode.

Testing Flow Speed

Without coffee grounds, FrontStreet Coffee first tested the flow speed of this dripper's two extraction settings. After placing the filter paper, we poured 100g of water. The "3-hole mode" finished draining in about 21 seconds, while the "6-hole mode" completed in around 12 seconds. For the same amount of water, the V60 that FrontStreet Coffee typically uses takes 16 seconds to fully drain.

First Brew Test

Without further ado, FrontStreet Coffee randomly selected a coffee bean to test all three settings and see how they perform.

Coffee beans: Panama·Washed Mariposa
Dose: 15g
Ratio: 1:15
Temperature: 92°C
Grind size: EK43s setting 10
Pouring method: Three-stage pour

For the first stage, we adjusted to immersion mode, poured 30ml with high flow to fully wet the coffee grounds for a 30-second bloom. After 30 seconds, we twisted the ring to one gear slow speed (3-hole drainage), allowing the bloom water to enter the sharing pot, then evenly poured the second 100ml while raising the powder bed. When the water level dropped to 1/3, we adjusted to the maximum flow second gear (6-hole drainage), then gently poured the final 95ml in small circles from the center. The coffee finished dripping at 2 minutes 26 seconds.

The brewed Mariposa showed predominantly drupe acidity, mixed with caramel and black tea notes. The mouthfeel was rather thick and rounded with a slightly rough texture, and the aftertaste was slightly bitter and not very smooth. FrontStreet Coffee suspected this was due to the long immersion time during blooming, and the coffee bed accumulating at the bottom causing water pooling in the later stages, leading to over-extraction.

Second Brew Test

Considering this dripper's flat-bottom percolation design, immersion extraction can better emphasize the coffee's body and sweetness. FrontStreet Coffee chose coffee beans with fermented flavor characteristics while shortening the bloom immersion time by 5 seconds—that is, opening the valve at 25 seconds to enter the 3-hole "slow speed" mode earlier. For the final stage, we only moved the dial to the 6-hole "uniform speed" after pouring was complete to compensate for the too-fast drainage. Other parameters were kept as consistent as usual.

Coffee beans: Costa Rica·Mozart & Panama·90+ Julieta Geisha
Dose: 15g
Ratio: 1:15
Temperature: 92°C
Grind size: EK43s setting 9.5
Pouring method: Three-stage pour

The Mozart brewed with the second set of parameters showed significantly better flavor performance than the first set. The coffee had notes of raisin, blueberry, and osmanthus with clear sweetness; Julieta offered rich flavors of grape juice, dried fruit, guava, and cocoa with good body. For both beans, whether in fermented aromas or dried fruit sweetness, they were superior to the V60. However, correspondingly, the characteristics of the cake dripper "sacrificed" some of the bright, rising fruit acidity.

Iced Coffee Test

After a series of hot pour-overs, FrontStreet Coffee decided to apply its variable speed function to iced pour-over, using a combination of closed immersion bloom + slow speed extraction mode for brewing, hoping to increase the coffee's extraction rate. For coffee bean selection, FrontStreet Coffee used Mirasoul Strawberry Candy as a demonstration.

Coffee beans: Costa Rica·Strawberry Candy
Temperature: 92°C
Dose: 15g
Ratio: 1:10 (100g ice cubes placed in the bottom pot)
Dripper: Hario V60 & Hero Variable Speed Cake Dripper
Grind size: EK43s setting 9
Three-stage pour: 30g + 70g + 50g

When using the variable speed dripper, FrontStreet Coffee poured the first 30g with high flow for immersion. At 28 seconds, we twisted the ring to one gear slow speed (3-hole drainage), then evenly poured the second 70g. When the coffee bed was exposed, we poured the final 50g in small circles from the center. Both pots of coffee finished dripping in about 1 minute 50 seconds.

After tasting and comparison, we found that the iced coffee brewed with the variable speed cake dripper had fuller flavors, with notes of fruit candy, dried fruit, cream, and peach, and relatively lasting intensity. In contrast, the iced coffee brewed with V60 was slightly watery, and as the ice cubes further diluted it, the aroma became more bland.

Final Thoughts

Overall, through this brewing experience with Hero's variable speed dripper, FrontStreet Coffee believes it indeed provides a relatively fresh approach to the extraction stage, allowing us to find more expression methods for some of our favorite beans.

Usage Details

Some minor details about usage:

1. When FrontStreet Coffee used this variable speed dripper, we found that the dial's detents weren't very smooth—requiring both hands to rotate in opposite directions to adjust the setting, which could delay the pouring timing, so quick action is needed.
2. Unlike other conventional cake drippers' flat-bottom support stands, this dripper's outer layer is closer to bowl-shaped. When placed directly on a sharing pot, it doesn't fix well and will slide if touched, causing tilted drainage. It requires frequent "manual repositioning."

3. Finally, since the dripper has a double-layer design, coffee liquid or grounds easily accumulate in the gaps at the bottom. FrontStreet Coffee recommends rinsing it with running water after each use, shaking off water droplets before air drying.

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FrontStreet Coffee
No. 10, Bao'an Front Street, Yandun Road, Dongshankou, Yuexiu District, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473