Best Pour-Over Coffee Setup: Chemex, V60, Kettle, Grinder

Hario began as a maker of laboratory glassware in Japan more than a century ago, and the V60, named for its 60 degree cone, is the dripper baristas around the world reach for; Hario marked its 20th anniversary with a brewing competition in its name. It is faster and more responsive to technique than a Chemex, and the thinner filter gives a cup with more body and brighter flavor.

This kit has the 02 size ceramic dripper, which is dishwasher safe and brews one to four cups, a heatproof glass range server with a glass handle, a silicone and glass lid that doubles as a stand for the dripper, and 100 filters.

The V60 punishes a careless pour: pour too fast and the water rushes through. That is the fun of it for some and the flaw for others. Skip it if you want the same cup every morning without thinking; the Chemex is more forgiving.

The catch. Rewards careful pouring and a gooseneck kettle, and punishes neither.

The Encore is Baratza's best-selling grinder and the usual first answer to the question of which grinder to buy. It uses 40 millimeter hardened alloy steel conical burrs made in Liechtenstein, driven by a DC motor, with 40 grind settings from espresso-fine to French press coarse. Pour-over sits in the middle of the range.

The controls are plain: an on and off switch, and a pulse button on the front. What makes it a buy-once machine is the support. Baratza sells burrs, motors and small parts, so a worn part is a repair rather than a replacement.

It is loud and a little messy, as most grinders are, and the grind at the fine end is not suited to serious espresso. Skip it if you plan to pull espresso shots; this is a drip and pour-over grinder.

The catch. Noisy, and not an espresso grinder despite the fine settings.

A gooseneck spout is what makes pour-over controllable: a thin, steady stream you can aim at the grounds. Fellow's Stagg EKG Pro adds temperature control to the degree, a color display, a hold mode, and a brew stopwatch so you can time the pour without a phone on the counter.

The Specialty Coffee Association's brewing standard calls for water at about 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Set it once and every pour lands there. It also does 180 for green tea, which makes it the house kettle rather than a single-purpose one. It holds 0.9 liters, enough for a 6-cup Chemex.

It is expensive for a kettle, and the capacity is modest for a crowd. Skip it if you already own a stovetop gooseneck and a thermometer; the coffee will not know the difference.

The catch. Costs as much as the brewer and grinder together at the entry end, and 0.9 liters is small for tea for six.

The Virtuoso+ uses the same idea as the Encore, 40 grind settings on commercial-grade conical burrs made in Europe, with upgrades a daily user notices. A digital timer adjustable to a tenth of a second doses the same amount every morning, and an LED lights the grounds bin so you can see what you have.

The top and base are metal rather than plastic, which suits a kitchen where the coffee corner is on display. Baratza backs it with a one year warranty and the same parts and repair support.

The grind quality for pour-over is better, but not dramatically. Skip it if the Encore's plastic does not bother you, and put the difference into good beans.

The catch. A $100 step up over the Encore for convenience more than for flavor.