The difference in price between the three sizes is minor, and won’t be an issue for most individuals.
However, take the thermal mass of each material into consideration. This will affect your brewing temperature, and thus, your extraction.
In short, the plastic performs best in maintaining your water temperature, since it doesn’t absorb as much heat energy as the other materials do; specifically the ceramic and glass.
With those materials, you’ll definitely want to consider the capacity of your gooseneck kettle, because the preliminary step of saturating your filter and preheating your dripper will consume much of your water.
Which Size Hario v60 Should You Choose?
The size you choose will depend on your needs. The bigger the size, the more coffee you can brew at once.
If you’re only used to consuming one cup of coffee, then the small size (01) is probably best. However, if you’re more of a fiene and/or you want to make coffee for multiple people, then we always recommend the 02 or 03 Hario v60.
As a rule of thumb, the size 02 is suitable for just you and/or a mate, and the size 03 is good for serving three to four people.
Just remember that there are minimum brew capacities with each if your goal is proper extraction.
What Comes With The Hario V60?
You can purchase the v60 brewer by itself or in different bundles on Amazon. Here are some items that often come bundled with the Hario:
- Hario V60 coffee server (decanter) w/ lid
- Hario coffee measuring scoop
- An assortment of disposable paper filters (sometimes bleached, sometimes natural)
How Much Does It Cost and Where To Buy?
You can purchase a Hario V60 from Amazon for anywhere from $11 – $70. The price difference depends on the material and size of your choice.
If you want excellent quality at a middle-of-the-road price, the ceramic 02 version is a good fit for most and costs around $25 for just the brewer.
Chemex: A Quick History Lesson
The Chemex pour over brewer, invented in 1941 by Dr. Peter Schlumbohm PhD, is a manual coffee maker that works by letting water flow through the ground coffee beans at its own pace.
The Chemex pour over brewer is praised for its simplicity and elegance, so much that you can find this masterpiece in the permanent collection at the
Museum of Modern Art in New York City.
Chemex Sizes and Styles
The Chemex comes in a multitude of sizes, ranging from a 3 Cup size to a 13 Cup size (a “cup” being 5 ounces), depending on the style of Chemex you buy:
The Classic Series and Glass Handle Series:
The Handblown Series:
Which Size Chemex Should You Choose?
The size of your Chemex doesn’t play a direct role in properly extracting your coffee like it does with the Hario v60.
But it is important to consider the capacity of your gooseneck kettle. For instance, if you have a 1-liter kettle (33.8 ounces), it makes sense to go no larger than the 6-cup Chemex since it only brews around 30 ounces at a time.
The 6-Cup Chemex is a great in-between size and is perfect for brewing coffee for yourself or for smaller groups of family and friends.
The 3-Cup Chemex might better serve those who mostly only brew coffee for themselves or have little storage space.
Chemex Brewer: Considerations
The Chemex is an amazing product, but consider this before purchasing:
Glass Material
It’s glass and breaks easily (if comparing it directly to the plastic Hario v60)
While they’ve constructed the Chemex to be as durable as possible, the glass carafe can break if you’re not careful. In other words, don’t drop it on your way to the kitchen table.
More Expensive Than Others
Yes, the Chemex works fantastic, if not better than most other pour over coffee makers, but you can find a fairly solid alternative for half the price if you shop around. If cost isn’t an issue, then some of the other positives might outweigh the higher price tag.
Not Very Portable
Compared to some of the more common alternatives, the Chemex pour over brewer is significantly larger. There are some people who say that they love the larger size because it allows them to brew for a group of family or friends, while others say that it’s too large to fit comfortably on their kitchen counter.
Ease of Cleaning
It’s
not as easy to clean as the Hario v60, but it’s simple enough to hand-wash your Chemex with warm water and dish soap after each use. For the hard-to-reach area of the bottom chamber, use a hard bristle brush (baby bottle brush) to thoroughly clean it.
Similar to the
Moka pot, it’s best to
keep your Chemex out of the dishwasher. Too many users have broken theirs from subjecting it to the extreme temperatures, then nicking it on something.
How Does a Chemex Work?
It works by placing the
coffee grounds in a circular conical paper filter at the top of the brewer. You then
pour your hot water over the ground coffee beans and let it drip into a vessel like a glass carafe or a thermos.
This puts you in total control of the brewing process, allowing you to adjust the
flavor of your coffee by controlling how your water flows through your ground coffee.
The Chemex uses high quality,
100% natural filters that are thicker than other filters. These filters block any sediments, oils, or bitter elements that might be present in your ground coffee beans from getting through.
And since it’s made with non-porous Borosilicate glass, it won’t absorb odors or chemical residues, so your Chemex coffee will taste as pure as you intend it to be.
Also, the natural wood collar makes it easy to grip, even with wet or oily hands.
As mentioned, the Chemex pour over brewer comes in
four different sizes: 3, 6, 8 and 10 Cup sizes, with each “cup” measuring 5 US fluid ounces. If you want to put your fancy-pants on, you can buy one from the
Handblown Series in sizes of 3, 5, 8, and 13 cups.
How Much Does a Chemex Cost?
A Chemex ranges from around $39.00 for the 3-cup version to around $49 for the larger, 10-cup version. Prices fluctuate, but as I write this, it’s actually a
couple dollars cheaper on Amazon than on the retailer’s website.
If you’re interested in getting yourself one of the cool hand-blown ones, you’ll pay a little extra. They range from around $109 – $134.
Where Can I Purchase One?
Currently, most sizes and options are available on Amazon (with free shipping), or at just about any online specialty kitchen retailer.
➔ Chemex 6 Cup - Check PriceWhich One Should I Buy: Chemex Or V60?
The Chemex makes a cleaner and brighter cup of coffee, whereas the V60 is more versatile and has the ability to create heavier, more interesting flavor profiles.
If you prefer simplicity with a clean, balanced flavor, and you want to use it with very little hassle, go with the Chemex.
However, if you prefer a heavier mouthful and like the idea of being able to create more interesting flavors through experimentation, then the Hario v60 is probably the better option for you. Just remember, the v60 requires a little more patience to dial in.
Hopefully, this article has helped you decide which coffee maker is best for pour overs. Keep in mind, either of these two coffee brewers will probably be a significant upgrade from your automatic drip coffee maker.
From a very young "growth-stunting" age, Clint Doerfler has had a deep-rooted love for coffee. As a result, he founded Coffee Gear Gurus® to share his passion for incredible home brewed coffee with others. When he's not watching true crime shows with family or playing music, he's devoted to helping fellow coffee feins make amazing coffee at home - regardless of their experience.
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