Guide to Japanese Coffee Makers + 5 Best Products for Your Home

How to Find the Best Japanese Coffee Maker: Buyer’s Guide

• Set your budget. Japanese coffee makers come in a variety of styles, materials, and of course, prices. It’s easy to get overly excited and go way past your spending limit. So, it’s better to decide how much you are willing to spend on your new coffee maker beforehand. Keep in mind that single over-the-mug drippers are cheaper than carafe pour-overs or syphons. Also, plastic coffee makers and their components are less pricey than models with glass or metal parts. 
• Cold or hot brew? As you already know, Japanese coffee can be brewed in two ways. You need to decide which one would work for you. Keep in mind that cold brew takes much more time and results in a more concentrated beverage. However, cold brew coffee is typically smoother and less acidic. It’s also sweeter and doesn’t taste bitter at all. Hot brewed coffee has that slightly bitter zestiness, subtle fruitiness, and an obvious rich aroma. Cold brew takes time (and more sips) to reveal all of the notes in its flavor.
• Consider how much coffee you typically drink. Japanese coffee brewers come in different sizes and can offer various capacity options. If you are a solo drinker who wants a fresh cup of coffee every time, you might want to consider an over-the-mug dripper (single-serve pour-over that you place on top of your cup). If you want more coffee at once (or live with someone who loves this beverage as much as you do), then a pour-over with a carafe or a syphon would suffice. Cold brew coffee makers would also work, as they don’t typically come with a single cup capacity and tend to be larger. If you aren’t sure what capacity you will require, you might want to consider getting a dual coffee maker. And if you know that you won’t require too much coffee daily, check out these single-serve coffee makers.
• Check the materials. Great coffee makers of good quality (and most Japanese brewers fall into this category) typically use such durable materials as glass and steel (sometimes also wood for some details). However, you can still find cheaper plastic pour-overs with mesh filters (over-the-mug are the most common ones in this case). Of course, if you are not very tight on budget, you should give your preference to glass or steel models. They will certainly serve you longer (plus, they look much more appealing).
• Consider how much kitchen space you have. Keep in mind that some Japanese coffee brewers are quite tall and might not fit under the cabinets. If that’s the case, perhaps a smaller pour-over or a syphon coffee maker would be more suitable. 
• Think about the coffee filters. Do you want to buy new paper filters for your pour-over? If not, a syphon with a reusable filter would be better. Many cold brew makers also come with washable coffee filters. Some pour-over models may include a reusable filter as well, although cheaper models typically come with no filter at all.
• Don’t forget about the accessories. If you buy a syphon, for example, you are likely to get all the needed parts and components with the purchase. However, for a pour-over, you will need a kettle, filters, and a water thermometer (if you want to brew at proper temperatures). It’s not such a big deal, but this aspect can upset some shoppers. Not only do you have to spend more money, but also you need to spend more time searching for quality accessories. And let’s not forget about the most important one – a grinder. Quality grinders are quite pricey, but they are worth it. As an alternative, you can also check some of the best grind and brew coffee makers that come with integrated grinders. 
• Think about portability. Again, some Japanese coffee makers are tall and bulky. Others have multiple glass parts. You should take these aspects into consideration if you are planning to move or to transport your coffee maker, for example. In this case, a smaller over-the-mug dripper might be a better idea (they can be made of glass, mesh, and ceramic).