flat dripper (part 2)
( from instagram post 2025.2.20 )
< flat vs conical : part 2 >
In part 2 I want to share some experiment findings. First let's get back to the original question: why the "low acidity, rich body" impression of flat drippers?
It does not make sense if it is solely due to the design. "Low bypass" might play a role as water is forced to pass through the coffee bed. However, "flat bed", "zero bypass" were also adopted in espresso machines and pulsar yet both are very capable of making coffees bright and light. Then I have another element left to question - the filter paper.
Filter has great influence on flavor balance, in my opinion, more than brew ratio and pouring style. As learnt from filter tests I did in 2022: "same coffee could taste unlike the same coffee", I decided to explore the "orea v3 with hario v60 paper" combination.
Setting hario paper to orea v3 requires a filter shaping tool. It was quite a hassle to fit in perfectly but the result was astonishing. The Ethiopian washed had that crisp citrusy and lightness as in a conical brew. Brightness was a tad lower and I sensed a hint of bitter aftertaste. It may be due to the slow "low bypass" drawdown while the hario paper was not "fast enough" to make up the speed. Besides, the irregularly folded paper might have impeded the evenness of water flow too.
Then I further tested Key Noi conical with wave paper. Acidity was tamed with dominant tea notes - also a sign of filter having impact on taste balance ( see image 3-4 ).
What I learnt from the tests so far:
Flat drippers can make bright and light brews but require faster filters to balance the slow drawdown
Dripper-filter pairing is important. Find a combination that best suits your palate
I encourage everyone to explore if you have multiple drippers and filters. Whether you are a conical or flat lover, it will be fun and worthwhile to find your best match between dripper and filter.
< 2025.2.20 update >
The last two images show some additional tests with pulsar and sibarist filters. Both are known as the "fastest" in the market and are likely the best candidates to verify if "filter speed" can be the solution to flat drippers.
The results are indeed satisfying as either of the two filters has produced tangy, light cups that matched the quality of a conical brew. I am more assured that flat drippers are great drippers and can make decent cups with light roast coffees. Yet daily brewing with Pulsar is less than feasible considering the amount of cut-and-fit prep work. Sibarist instead has stock flat papers available and is a more viable option.
Again thank you for reading and feel free to share your comments with me!
