Flat Bottom vs. Cone Shaped Brewer Guide
When it comes to brewing filter coffee, you usually get to choose between a v-shaped cone filter such as the cafec flower, hario V60, brewista tornado or a flat-bottom filter stile used in the fellow stagg, april brewer, kalita wave.
But which one should you choose based on your preference?
Broadly speaking, when comparing the same coffee, cone filters translate into cleaner cups with more acidity, while flat-bottom brewers get you sweetness and a richer body.
Should you use different brewer styles with different processing methods or sensory profiles?
Intuitively we tend to grab a v-shaped brewer when brewing washed coffees that have any sort of acidity in them that we like to highlight, for example citrus fruits, plum, green apple, berries, pine apple and so on. We also tend to use cone shaped filters when we want to highlight delicate flavors such as florals. On the contrary, with naturals and honeys we generally go for a flat bottom brewer to highlight sweeter notes such as peaches, red apples, mango, banana, strawberries among others or even milk chocolate, caramel, maple syrup, cane sugar.
Is it always this straightforward?
No. Coffee taste is subjective and everyone needs to find its personal preference, that’s why we offer you both versions to choose from in our shop in Locarno before investing in your own equipment! We are happy to guide you in your sensory journey as to find both your favorite varieties, processing methods and based on those the best equipment for your coffee at home!
Is there a difference based on skill level?
Yes! Cone shaped drippers require much more control in your water flow and proper dialed in grindsize making it slightly more challenging to get the perfect cup out of them! Flat-bottom brewers are usually more forgiving and even with easy recipes you can achieve great results if the water you’re using is of the right quality. In our store, you can get hands on and brew your own coffee with a little guidance from us, just to perfect your technique!
Our personal favorite drippers so far:
V-Shaped:
Cafec Flower in combination with their line-up of roast level specific paper filters;
Hario V60, a classic, can’t really go wrong with it.
For both these brewers we prefer the CERAMIC version.
Flat Bottom:
April Brewer, in its plastic version;
Fellow StaggX, super easy, no fuzz, entry brewer for beginners, but can also provide nice results for advanced brewers looking for body and intensity in their cups.
Kalita Wave, another classic, definitively choose the CERAMIC version over the metal one as it flows much better.
Joker:
Origami Dripper, can be used with both styles of paper filters, although we find it kind of tricky to get consistent results out of it.
