Three brewers. Three very different experiences. If you're trying to decide between the Hario V60, the AeroPress, and the Clever Dripper, you're asking one of the best questions in coffee — and one that doesn't have a single right answer.
Each of these brewers has earned its reputation for good reason. The V60 rewards skill and attention with exceptional clarity and brightness. The AeroPress is endlessly versatile, fast, and forgiving. The Clever Dripper is the one people rarely talk about but quietly fall in love with — consistent, simple, and capable of producing outstanding cups with almost no technique required.
In this guide we break down how each brewer actually works, who it's best suited to, and where each one falls short. By the end, you'll know exactly which one to buy first.
At a Glance: V60 vs AeroPress vs Clever Dripper
| Hario V60 | AeroPress | Clever Dripper | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brew method | Pour over (percolation) | Pressure + immersion | Immersion + drain |
| Brew time | 3–4 minutes | 1–2 minutes | 4–5 minutes |
| Difficulty | Moderate–High | Low–Moderate | Low |
| Cup size | 1–2 cups | 1–3 cups | 1–2 cups |
| Cup profile | Bright, clean, complex | Smooth, concentrated, versatile | Full, balanced, forgiving |
| Best for | Enthusiasts, light roasts | Travellers, experimenters | Beginners, everyday drinkers |
| Grinder required? | Yes — strongly recommended | Yes — recommended | Yes — recommended |
The Hario V60: Pour Over at Its Most Rewarding
The V60 is the brewer that turned filter coffee from a commodity into a craft. Designed by Hario in Japan, its conical shape and single large drain hole encourage a controlled, even extraction — but only if you put in the work. Pour rate, water temperature, grind size, and technique all matter here. Get them right, and the V60 produces cups of remarkable clarity, brightness, and complexity.
That's the upside. The downside is that the V60 has a steeper learning curve than any other brewer on this list. Small variables — a slightly uneven pour, a grind that's a fraction too coarse — can make the difference between a brilliant cup and a flat one. It rewards consistency and punishes rushing.
For light and medium roast single origins, the V60 is unmatched at this price point. The open-drain design means nothing slows the flow of water, which produces a clean, tea-like cup that lets origin flavours — fruit, floral, citrus — express themselves clearly.
You'll want a gooseneck kettle to control your pour, and a decent burr grinder is non-negotiable. Paper filters are standard, though reusable metal options are available if you prefer a slightly fuller-bodied result.
Buy the V60 if: you enjoy the process as much as the cup, you're interested in developing your technique, or you're chasing the clearest possible expression of a great single-origin coffee.
Think twice if: you want a simple, consistent morning cup without much fuss, or you're brewing for more than two people regularly.
The AeroPress: The Most Versatile Brewer Ever Made
The AeroPress shouldn't work as well as it does. It looks like a giant syringe. It's made of plastic. It was invented by the founder of a Frisbee company. And yet it has produced World Brewers Cup winning recipes, spawned its own annual championship, and has an almost fanatical following among coffee obsessives and casual drinkers alike.
The reason is simple: it's remarkably forgiving, and remarkably flexible. The AeroPress combines immersion brewing — where grounds steep in hot water — with a short burst of pressure as you push the plunger down. This produces a smooth, low-acidity cup that can be brewed long and light or short and concentrated, depending on how you set it up.
Recipes vary wildly. Brew with 80°C water for a mellow, sweet cup. Use near-boiling water and a fine grind for something closer to espresso-strength concentrate to pour over milk. Flip it upside down for the inverted method, which gives you even more control over steep time. There is no other brewer on this list — or arguably in this price range — that gives you this much scope to experiment.
It's also the most practical brewer here. The AeroPress is durable, lightweight, and travels exceptionally well. It brews in under two minutes. It's easy to clean. If you're someone who wants great coffee at home, at the office, in a campervan, or in a hotel room, the AeroPress covers all of those.
Buy the AeroPress if: you travel frequently, enjoy experimenting with recipes, or want a single brewer that can produce multiple different styles of coffee.
Think twice if: you're specifically chasing the clarity and delicacy of a traditional pour over — the AeroPress cup, while excellent, is fuller-bodied and less transparent than a well-made V60.
The Clever Dripper: The Underrated Everyday Brewer
The Clever Dripper is the least-talked-about brewer on this list, which is a genuine shame — because for many home brewers, it's the one that will actually make the best coffee day to day.
It looks like a simple pour over dripper, but it works completely differently. A valve in the base keeps the water sealed inside the brewer until you're ready to drain — so rather than relying on flow rate and pour technique, you're doing a straightforward immersion brew. Steep for three to four minutes, place it on your cup, and the valve opens automatically. That's it.
The result is a cup that's fuller-bodied than a V60 but cleaner than a French press, because paper filters catch the fines that would otherwise cloud the cup. It's consistently good in a way that's genuinely hard to achieve with pour over — and it requires almost no technique whatsoever.
For medium and dark roasts particularly, the Clever Dripper is excellent. The extended contact time draws out body and sweetness in a way that suits those roast profiles well. It also works beautifully with lighter roasts if you shorten the steep time slightly.
The only real limitation is flexibility. Unlike the AeroPress, there isn't much to tinker with beyond brew time and water temperature. And unlike the V60, there's no technique to develop. For some brewers that's a feature; for others it's a frustration.
Buy the Clever Dripper if: you want consistently great coffee with minimal effort, you're new to filter brewing, or you want a reliable everyday option that doesn't require much thought.
Think twice if: you enjoy the craft element of brewing, want to develop pour over technique, or want maximum flexibility in brew style.
Head-to-Head: Which Brewer Wins?
Best for beginners: Clever Dripper
There's almost nothing to get wrong. Steep, drain, drink. The Clever Dripper produces a reliably good cup from day one and doesn't require any particular technique to master. If you're new to filter coffee, start here.
Best for flavour clarity: Hario V60
A well-made V60 is one of the cleanest, brightest cups you can brew at home. If you're buying high-quality single-origin coffee and want to taste everything it has to offer, the V60 is the brewer that will show it off best.
Best for travel: AeroPress
Nothing else comes close. The AeroPress is compact, nearly indestructible, and brews in under two minutes. It's the obvious choice for anyone who wants great coffee away from home.
Best for versatility: AeroPress
The sheer range of recipes and brew styles available with an AeroPress makes it uniquely flexible. You can brew light and delicate or strong and concentrated, with dozens of variables to play with. If you only ever buy one brewer, the AeroPress covers the most ground.
Best for everyday consistency: Clever Dripper
When you want a great cup with no fuss — before work, first thing in the morning, or whenever you just need coffee without ceremony — the Clever Dripper delivers every time.
Our Pick: Which One Should You Buy First?
If you're buying your first filter brewer and want something that will make excellent coffee reliably without requiring you to develop any new skills, buy the Clever Dripper. It's the most forgiving of the three and the one most likely to make you fall in love with filter coffee without frustrating you first.
If you're already comfortable with filter coffee and want to develop your technique further, the V60 is the next natural step. The learning curve is real, but the ceiling is high — and the cups it can produce are genuinely special.
And if you travel regularly, or you simply want one brewer that does everything, the AeroPress is the most practical and versatile choice on the market at any price.
All three are worth owning eventually. Most coffee lovers end up with more than one.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use the same coffee for all three brewers?
Yes, though results will vary. A medium roast works well across all three. For the V60, lighter roasts tend to shine brightest. The Clever Dripper and AeroPress handle a wider roast range comfortably, including medium-dark and darker roasts that might taste flat or over-extracted through a V60. Grind size will need adjusting between brewers — medium-fine for the V60, medium for the Clever Dripper, and fine-to-medium for the AeroPress depending on your recipe.
Do I need a gooseneck kettle for all three?
For the V60, a gooseneck kettle is strongly recommended — pour control is central to the technique and a standard kettle spout makes consistent pouring much harder. For the Clever Dripper and AeroPress, a gooseneck is helpful but not essential. Both brewers are far more tolerant of variable pouring, so a standard kettle will produce perfectly good results, especially when you're starting out.
Which brewer produces the strongest coffee?
The AeroPress, by some margin. Its combination of pressure and the ability to use a high coffee-to-water ratio means you can brew an espresso-strength concentrate that's considerably stronger than anything the V60 or Clever Dripper will produce. If you drink your coffee with milk and want something with punch, the AeroPress is the natural choice. The V60 and Clever Dripper both produce filter-strength cups — delicious, but not designed for concentration.
How do I clean each brewer?
All three are straightforward to clean. The V60 just needs a rinse after use — remove the spent paper filter, rinse the dripper under the tap, and you're done. The AeroPress pops out the spent puck with a single push of the plunger and wipes clean in seconds; it's one of the fastest brewers to clean on the market. The Clever Dripper is similarly easy — remove the filter, rinse the vessel, and the valve mechanism doesn't require any special attention. None of them need soap for daily cleaning, though an occasional gentle wash is a good idea.
Can I brew more than one cup at a time with any of these?
The AeroPress Go brews a single cup; the standard AeroPress can brew up to around 300ml, which is enough for one large mug or two smaller cups. The V60 comes in size 01 (one to two cups) and size 02 (two to four cups), so the larger size is a reasonable option if you're regularly brewing for two people. The Clever Dripper brews up to 500ml comfortably. None of these brewers are designed for larger batches — if you regularly need four or more cups at once, a batch brewer or full-immersion method like a cafetière is a more practical solution.
Ready to get brewing? Shop our full range of pour over and filter brewing equipment — including the V60, AeroPress, Clever Dripper, and everything you need to get started.
