Hario Switch Immersion Dripper

A small stainless steel ball sits at the bottom of this dripper, and a plastic switch on the side raises and lowers it. Close the valve and the cone holds water and grounds together, like a French press. Open it and the coffee drains through a paper filter, like a regular pour-over. That one valve turns Hario’s familiar V60 cone into a hybrid of the two methods.

The cone is made of Hario’s heatproof glass, and it takes standard size 02 V60 paper filters. A 40-pack of those filters comes in the box, so it’s ready to brew the day it arrives.

It suits the pour-over person who keeps chasing a more repeatable cup. Letting the coffee steep with the valve shut, then flipping the switch, takes some of the fussy pouring technique out of the routine. It also suits someone who likes the clean taste of paper-filtered coffee and the hands-off ease of an immersion brewer. If they already own a V60, this is a clever twist on a tool they know. If they don’t, it’s a friendly first dripper, since the valve gives them one more way to control timing.

The catch: the cone is glass, so a knock against the sink can end it, and the switch is plastic. Once the included filters run out, they’ll need to restock size 02 V60 filters.