Clever Dripper Brew Guide

February 26th, 2023

The Clever Dripper method combines the best of both worlds: the immersion and bold flavour of a French press, and the clarity of a pour over. The stopper mechanism at the bottom only opens once you place it on top of a mug. This allows you to steep the coffee for several minutes before dripping. A gooseneck kettle isn’t essential for this method. Pour all your water in at once, and the immersion will evenly extract a smooth, rich cup of coffee. 

Chemex brew time is approximately 4 minutes.

Yields: This Clever recipe makes approximately 500ml of coffee.

What you’ll need

  • 20 grams of Firebat coffee, ground slightly coarser than pour over
  • Weight scale
  • Water kettle 
  • Hot water, 30-60 seconds off the boil
  • #4 paper filter
  • Clever Dripper
  1. Bring your kettle to a boil. Meanwhile, weigh and grind 20 grams of coffee on a medium setting. Set aside.
  1. Place a #4 paper filter in the Clever Dripper basket. With the dripper directly on top of the mug, wet the filter with some hot water, and discard the water once it has drawn down. This will help prevent a papery taste in your coffee.
  1. Place your dripper on the weight scale (stopper closed), pour in your coffee grounds, and tare it to zero.
  1. Add 320 grams of hot water all at once. No special pouring technique is required. Grab a spoon, and gently saturate the grinds just until there are no more dry pockets of coffee. Place the lid on to prevent heat loss, and let it sit for 2 minutes.
  1. After 2 minutes, use a spoon to gently break up the “crust” that has formed on top.
  1. Place the dripper on top of your preheated mug. It should take about 45-60 seconds to draw down completely. Once drained, set your dripper on the coaster. Enjoy!
Some of our recommended products and roasts for Clever:

If you enjoyed this Chemex Brew Guide be sure to check out The Firebat Guide to Cold Brew to learn how to make a simple yet nuanced cup of delicious cold brew!

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