Below is a video brew guide and a written, step-by-step instructional on brewing with the Clever Dripper.

The Clever is an inexpensive brewer that combines the ease of traditional static immersion brewers like the french press with the clarity and nuance you get from using a paper filter. The Clever produces sweet, balanced and clean cups that are achievable by anyone who wants to brew better coffee at home.

Coffee

16 grams of coffee ground medium-fine. Try grinding finer than an average pourover, including a V60

Water

240 grams of water, right off boil.

Equipment

Clever Dripper, #4 Melllitta style paper filters, Scale, Kettle. Stir stick. Brew vessel.

Prep

First, put your kettle on, place and rinse the filter in your dripper and discard the rinse water before weighing out and grinding your coffee.

Add Water and Coffee

Next, add all 240 grams of water to your dripper, followed by your coffee. Stir gently to break up any clumps and to evenly saturate all the grinds.

Break the Crust

At 1 minute and 30 seconds, break the crust by giving it a gentle stir or light shake of the. dripper.

Release

At 2 minutes, pick up your dripper and give it a gentle swirl to incorporate any grinds from the side of the filter and to promote an even bed and extraction. Place your dripper on a carafe or mug to start the drawdown. Aim for a draw down time between 1:00min and 1:30.

Enjoy

Pour your coffee and wonder why everyone made such a big deal about pourovers being so tough.  

Sip meaningfully.

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Tips

  • This recipe can be easily scaled up, using the same ratio to brew two cups at a time.
    • Try 25 grams of coffee to 375 grams of water for a brew for two.
    • Prepare to grind coarser as you brew more and be vigilant about saturating all the coffee once added to the water

Troubleshooting

  • If you find that your coffee tastes sour, under-extracted, or lacks flavour, try grinding finer.
  • If, on the the other hand, your coffee tastes too bitter, try grinding coarser. Adjust your grind until you have a sweet, balanced and delicious cup.
  • You're bed should be even and flat with few grinds hanging "high and dry" along the filter walls. If this isn't the case, try spinning a bit more aggressively before drawdown.

Further Rading and Viewing