Japanese Slow Drip Coffee Makers: 4 of the Best Out There!

Japanese Slow Drip Coffee MakersOne drip at a time.

That’s how a perfectly honed in Japanese slow brewer works. Of course, in this day of Starbucks, where impatience runs our daily lives, it’s not often that one thinks to turn to the nirvana of a modern slow-drip coffee maker.

However, those looking for the quickest solution might be missing out on some very wonderful things.

With the Japanese-style slow-drip, the coffee tends to be more aromatic and have more delicate or nuanced flavors and have a lighter body. It’s simply a different experience than even the slow brewing method of a cold brew or bottled concentrate coffee which is readily available all over.

The Japanese slow drip is a rarity in the coffee world, there are difficulties to using it aside from the meditative-like dedication one needs to perform a brew. This style requires a special three section brewer. Water is poured into the top section of the brewer and drips down into the middle section. Coffee grounds are in the middle section, and as each drop of water works its way through the coffee, it brews drip by drip, collecting at the bottom of the brewer.

Yama Glass

Yama Glass BrewerThe Yama Glass is a 6-8 Cup cold drip coffee maker with a curved brown wood frame. If you want coffee with a significantly less acidic taste, and the subtleties of your roast are important, then consider going down the path of the slow drip brewing process with the Yama Glass brewer. A permanent ceramic filter allows one to never worry about buying filters again, bleached or unbleached.

Ice and water are placed in the uppermost chamber and by regulating the dripping water through the valve in the center, coffee is steeped. Through a unique three hour process using pure ice water, this coffee making process produces a unique flavor not found in regular brewed coffee.

This coffee maker holds 32 oz. By slowly brewing your coffee with ice water, the harsher oils in your ground coffee are not brought out. The final brew is a lot mellower than a regular brew machine.

Osaka Slow Brewer

Osaka Slow BrewerAnother famous Japanese brand, Osaka, delivers its version of the cold brew coffee maker. Coming in at a compact four cups, this coffee dripper features an innovative adjustable dripper with glass carafe. But the devil is in the details, included is a long-lasting stainless steel filter.

No, this isn’t the towering goliath of a drip coffee maker as typically seen in slow drip fashion. The Osaka slow brewer reinvents the age-old method of slow drip for ultimate control over the brewing process and an ease of cleaning unachievable before. The adjustable dripper lets you control the drip speed thus controlling the strength of the coffee and the speed of the brew. Unlike immersion brewers that require 12-24 hours, this provides a full four cups of coffee within three to four hours. Dispense your expertly crafted brew from a hand-blown glass carafe in style.

Nispira Luxury Slow Drip

Nispira Luxury Drip BrewerA true luxury of the dripper coffee maker variety. Adorned in well-crafted stainless steel in a copper finish and borosilicate glass. Nispira didn’t worry about skimping on the details here, but this is still a great entry level slow drip brewer if you’re just interested in what kind of coffee this style is capable of.

It’s sturdy and made for entry-level brewers or the hardened slow drip champions. Smaller and more compact than the towering models described previously in this list. One wonders if the Nispira Luxury wouldn’t just fit with any style of kitchen, imagine that beauty right on your countertop.

Nispira Wooden Slow Drip

If you were a fan of the previous Nispira slow dripper, then this one will come as another their in their coffee making operation. Three graceful and durable wood panels are made of carbonate composite and tastefully position the heat resistance glass into a towering coffee maker that fits among some of the finest designed brewers out there.Nispira Wooden Slow Drip

This Nispira Wooden Slow brewer features a single valve to control dripping and the center chamber is loaded with a permanent stainless steel filter to ensure that no grounds end up in the final product.

If you’re working to make some of the best coffee possible and like a less acidic brew, then this could be the coffee preparation method for you. Though perfect can be hard to achieve the Osaka company has a great Brewing Calculator. They recommend 8.75 grams of coffee per cup of water. They also give the excellent advice, “Measuring coffee by volume is not a good idea since each coffee and each type of grind weighs differently.

Good luck in your future coffee ventures, and may the coffee tasting gods be with you. If you’re interested in further venturing into the cosmos of coffee gear, then check out our reviews here.

Brian Mounts

Head blogger, editor, and owner of "Top Off My Coffee", a website that has been educating readers about coffee brewing techniques and equipment since 2012.

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