Porcelain is a big improvement over plastic as a material for the Melita Cone Brewer. Plastic instantly absorbs coffee odor and it cannot be removed. Over time the odor becomes rancid and the plastic cone must be replaced. Porcelain does not absorb any coffee odor (or stain) and is a breeze to clean. However, the porcelain brewer is heavier than the plastic, and we assume it can break.
We bought two of the porcelain cone brewers. Only one of us drinks coffee, but with frequent guests, two brewers makes for improved hospitality. For dinners we would like to have 2 more, but storage space is an issue.
The porcelain is more rugged than we imagined, and should last a long time. One of the cone brewers has a small crack on the outside, vertically oriented on the "web" between the cone and the cup cover. It looks to be a shrinkage crack manufacturing issue. It has become a bit more obvious as coffee has faintly stained the crack. The crack has not grown and appears to be completely superficial.
When I bought these I had in mind that I would expect to replace them much like I have to replace porcelain cups and dinnerware--every few years or so. If we washed them in the dishwasher that might be true, but these are so easy to clean by hand they never see the dishwasher and they look like they will last many years, even with the tiny crack.
For those who have no experience with the Melita Coffee Maker System, a paper cone filter (size #2 or #4) is placed in the brewer and the appropriate amount of coffee is placed in the filter. Hot water is poured over the coffee and brewed, filtered coffee descends through a small hole into a cup, mug, or small pitcher of your choice. The filter "size" idea it the number of "cups" expected to be brewed. I suppose when Melita invented it all of that made more sense. After all Coffee cups back then held about 5 oz (6 oz to the top). Now we have mugs that hold 16 oz. In addition there or so many "grinds" and "roasts" that anyone can be confused. Too fine a grind and the particles will clog the filter. Too course a grind means flavor is reduced and coffee is wasted. We find a grind between medium and fine works well and we always use #2 size filters made by Melita, folding the "seams" over. An 8 oz. cup requires 2 level tablespoons of coffee (one measure). Filling the cone once with hot water fills the cup, but note that slowly pouring the hot water in slowly can lead to over filling the cup. If the cup is 12 oz, use 3 level tablespoons and fill the cone 1 1/2 times.
We get consistently great coffee from the Melita system.
From the manufacturer
JOIN US IN THE PURSUIT FOR BETTER COFFEE
Melitta is dedicated to providing the ultimate coffee experience with gourmet coffees, filters and coffeemakers.
Since our founder Melitta Benz, invented the Pour-Over method over a century ago, we've been on the forefront of cone filter quality and innovation.
THE ULTIMATE COFFEE EXPERIENCE STARTS WITH THE ORIGINAL POUR-OVER
In 1908 German housewife Melitta Bentz made coffee history. Tired of bitter coffee, Melitta poked holes in a brass cup and lined it with a sheet of her son’s blotting paper to create the world’s first Pour-Over. The result was rich, flavorful, handcrafted coffee that forever changed the way people brew their coffee. Over 100 years later, Melitta remains dedicated to the pursuit of a better cup.
- A medium-size drip opening provides a consistent brew and eliminates risk of bitterness.
- A ring underneath drip opening that directs coffee flow into mug and prevents runoff.
- Full-height ridges within cone provide optimal flavor extraction.
- Two viewing holes prevent overflow.
- Uses #4 cone coffee filters.
- High-quality porcelain with white gloss finish.
- Top-rack dishwasher safe.
- Includes a starter pack of #4 Melitta cone coffee filters.
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Add filter |
Scoop in coffee |
Pour water |
Enjoy! |
Customer Questions & Answers
Customer reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on May 23, 2019
Item Package Quantity: 1Verified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2017
It’s basically a white, ceramic coffee mug with a hole in the bottom of it and ridges inside it. What you do is this: you place it on top of your coffee mug, put a filter that fits inside, scoop in coffee grounds to your taste, heat water to almost boiling, pour in the water and you’ve got a fresh-brewed cup of coffee.
It does take some getting used to; after all, we’re all so familiar with coffee makers as the rather large, sometimes loud apparatuses (apparati? Meh.) that sit on our kitchen counters. I’ll admit that I had to look it up online to see how it worked, and still I didn’t regard it as a brewer.
It takes some practice to find the right ratio of heated water to coffee grounds, and it does seem more time-consuming than using a conventional coffee maker. You have to buy specific filters that fit this pour-over brewer. I’ve been using the Melitta Cone Coffee Filter #2, Natural Brown.
You also need to be careful as you pour heated water into the cone brewer - the cone is perched on your coffee mug and you have to hold it to keep it secure, so you may get the hot water on your hands and get burned.
I also think they really should call it something other than a brewer, which has such a specific connotation in our minds as being a machine that this doesn’t even seem to be the same species. They could call it a Brew-let or a BrewerBaby. Something to indicate its diminutive size and the fact that there’s nothing missing here; the ceramic cone is the whole thing in a tiny package.
Okay! Another long review. But I like to give as much detail as possible when I’ve purchased an item on Amazon, as I really rely on customer reviews when I buy things. Hope this helps!
PS I'm not sure if the pictures are loading upright. If they are still sideways when you read this, I'd appreciate feedback on how to correct this issue. Thanks.
Item Package Quantity: 1Verified Purchase
Blink and You'll Miss It
By Ruth H. Williams on September 4, 2017
When I first saw this Melitta Pour-Over Coffee Brewer on Amazon, I was puzzled. Where’s the brewer?!? I kept wondering. All I could see was an item that looked like an unusual-shaped white coffee mug. As it turns out, that’s the brewer. It’s not like the automatic brewers on the market at all. It’s a cone brewer, and it’s a whole different experience.By Ruth H. Williams on September 4, 2017
It’s basically a white, ceramic coffee mug with a hole in the bottom of it and ridges inside it. What you do is this: you place it on top of your coffee mug, put a filter that fits inside, scoop in coffee grounds to your taste, heat water to almost boiling, pour in the water and you’ve got a fresh-brewed cup of coffee.
It does take some getting used to; after all, we’re all so familiar with coffee makers as the rather large, sometimes loud apparatuses (apparati? Meh.) that sit on our kitchen counters. I’ll admit that I had to look it up online to see how it worked, and still I didn’t regard it as a brewer.
It takes some practice to find the right ratio of heated water to coffee grounds, and it does seem more time-consuming than using a conventional coffee maker. You have to buy specific filters that fit this pour-over brewer. I’ve been using the Melitta Cone Coffee Filter #2, Natural Brown.
You also need to be careful as you pour heated water into the cone brewer - the cone is perched on your coffee mug and you have to hold it to keep it secure, so you may get the hot water on your hands and get burned.
I also think they really should call it something other than a brewer, which has such a specific connotation in our minds as being a machine that this doesn’t even seem to be the same species. They could call it a Brew-let or a BrewerBaby. Something to indicate its diminutive size and the fact that there’s nothing missing here; the ceramic cone is the whole thing in a tiny package.
Okay! Another long review. But I like to give as much detail as possible when I’ve purchased an item on Amazon, as I really rely on customer reviews when I buy things. Hope this helps!
PS I'm not sure if the pictures are loading upright. If they are still sideways when you read this, I'd appreciate feedback on how to correct this issue. Thanks.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2021
Item Package Quantity: 1Verified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Amazon Customer
Well-made porcelain product
Reviewed in Canada on April 4, 2020Item Package Quantity: 1Verified Purchase
gordie szymanski
Good quality
Reviewed in Canada on March 7, 2021Item Package Quantity: 1Verified Purchase
