The Origami Dripper Is by Far the Prettiest Pour-Over I Own—and It Makes Great Coffee
We tried the Origami pour-over against one of our top picks, evaluating its brew quality, ease of use, and more.
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One look at my embarrassingly large collection of coffee makers and it’s evident I’m a coffee nerd. I’m talking multiple French presses, numerous pour-over drippers, an Aeropress, and even a siphon machine. But most days, when my husband and I are just making a cup or two for ourselves, we reach for a pour-over.
We use classic, third-wave coffee shop favorites like the Hario V60 and Kalita Wave frequently. But lately, I’ve been loving the Origami Dripper. It’s simple, beautiful, and deceptively versatile. And I’m not the only person who likes it. Du Jianing won the 2019 World Brewers Cup using the Origami Dripper, becoming the first competitor from China to earn the title.
Why It’s Great
About the Origami Dripper
The unique shape of the Origami dripper is what makes it stand out. Taking its name from the Japanese art of paper folding, the striking cone-shaped dripper has 20 creased edges that funnel down into a hole that’s slightly larger than the Hario V60’s. For comparison, the Hario’s hole is roughly the size of a dime, while the Origami’s is slightly larger than a nickel. The Origami comes in a variety of colors and is available in both ceramic and resin. It’s important to note the device itself doesn’t have a stand, so you do need to purchase a collar to hold it. Origami makes a wooden one that’s pretty, but I find the resin collar with scalloped edges in the center stabilizes the dripper better.
You Can Use Different Filters, Making It Versatile
Because of the shape and the creases in the Origami dripper, you can use either a cone or flat-bottomed filter with it. With the latter, it’s oddly satisfying to watch it conform to all of the dripper’s creases.
This filter variability makes it a great dripper for those looking to tinker with variables like grind size, water temperature, and filter style to get their optimum cup. With the Origami dripper, you can get different brews from the same coffee beans by just swapping out the filters (more on this below). Start playing with grind size and water temperature, and you can dial things in further.
No Matter the Filter, the Origami Makes Great Coffee
Because flat-bottomed filters fit so snuggly into the Origami, coffee will brew more slowly than other flat-bottomed pour-overs like the Kalita Wave. The resulting cup from the Origami may not be as sharp, but it will have a fuller body since water sits in the grounds longer, slowly filtering downward. To account for this, you can always grind the coffee slightly coarser than you would for another pour-over. Or just enjoy the fuller-bodied coffee as-is.
If using a cone-shaped filter, the reverse is true. The Origami has a wider hole at the bottom and a cone filter sits on top of the dripper’s creases, increasing airflow. This makes for a faster brew time. The resulting cup sparkles with clarity and has brighter acidity. If you prefer something less sharp and richer, just grind the beans more finely.
FAQ
What are the different sizes the Origami dripper comes in?
The Origami dripper comes in two different sizes: a small dripper that brews one to two cups of coffee, and a medium size that makes one to four cups of coffee. Both of them are available in a variety of colors. Neither come with a collar, which you can purchase separately in a wooden or resin version, or as part of a package bundle.
Why We’re the Experts
- Irvin Lin is a former barista and coffee-obsessed drinker who owns over 25 brewing devices. He’s a cookbook author, recipe developer, food writer, photographer, and ceramicist.
- He wrote the cookbook Marbled, Swirled, and Layered, which was picked by the New York Times as one of the best baking cookbooks of 2016.
- He runs a blog called Eat the Love, where he’s developed, photographed, and written recipes since 2010. Eat the Love was nominated twice for best food blog by the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) in 2016 and 2022.
- He’s product tested and reviewed hundreds of kitchen items including stand mixers and saucepans.
