The Hario Switch is a combination of an immersion brewer and a traditional v60 pour over device. Do you get the best of both worlds though?
If you’re looking for a pour over coffee maker that will give you great-tasting coffee without all the fuss, the Hario Switch may be just what you need.
This coffee dripper is designed for single serve brewing, and it’s one of the most popular pour over coffee makers on the market today.
In this Hario Switch review, we’ll take a closer look at this unique coffee maker and see if it’s the right choice for you.
What is the difference between pour overs and immersion brewing?
With pour over coffee brewing, the water is poured over the coffee grounds in a specific pattern.
This allows for more control over the brewing process, and it results in a cleaner cup of coffee with less bitterness.
Immersion brewing, on the other hand, involves submerging all of the coffee grounds in water and allowing them to steep for a certain amount of time. This method produces a richer, fuller-bodied cup of coffee.
So which brewing method is better? The truth is, there isn’t one right answer – it all depends on your preferences and what you’re looking for in a cup of coffee.
Traditionally, If you wanted a cleaner, more nuanced flavor profile, pour over coffee may be the better choice for you. If you’re looking for a more robust, full-bodied cup of coffee, immersion brewing may be the way to go.
That is, of course, until the Hario Switch came along and combined the two…
How Does the Hario Switch Work?
The Hario Switch is a pour over coffee maker that also allows you to immersion brew.
Visually it looks a lot like the legendary v60, but there’s a switch on the side that allows you to stop the coffee from dripping out of the bottom.
So, when used correctly, you can get the best of both worlds – the clean, smooth flavor profile of pour over coffee and the rich, full-bodied cup of coffee that you would typically get with immersion brewing.
An Example Hario Switch Recipe
- With the switch open, add a filter and pour water, to wash off any off-flavours.
- Let the water drain, discard it and close the switch.
- Add 18 grams of coffee, medium grind
- Pour 288g of water over the coffee (which is as much as you’ll be able to get into it.
- No need to bloom, it’ll do that itself.
- Wait three minutes
- Press the switch on the side to release the coffee.
That’s it.
That’s literally it.
Hario Switch Coffee Quality
Quite simply it’s awesome.
It’s got many qualities of immersion brewing – deep flavour profile, complexity and some decent body to it.
But as it’s filtered through paper, you get that clean, bright feeling of a regular pour over. This is because all the small particles and (some) oils are caught by the filter.
Looks
On it’s own, the Hario Switch is a fairly good looking device. Glass, black rubber and a plastic switch.
But pair it with the decanter and you have something that looks pretty damn beautiful in my book.
Or go one step further and add it to a pour over stand for maximum Instagrammynesss. Just check out @slothee.coffee’s setup here:
View this post on Instagram
It can also be pulled apart for easy cleaning.
Value for Money
It’s a bit more expensive than the regular v60’s at around $90 for the dripper and decanter set.
But you’re getting a truly solid brewer and also a v60 at the same time.
What I mean by this is that if you leave the switch open, you can just use it as a regular v60 style pour over dripper.
You can buy the Hario Switch by clicking here.
How to Level Up Your Hario Switch Brewing
Get a better grinder
In my truthful opinion, the best entry level grinder that has ever existed is the Baratza Encore. Nothing at all comes close to the jump in quality you’ll get by using this vs any of the other lower end grinders on the market.
I’ve recommended this for years and consistently have people messaging me about how their minds are blown by how much better their coffee tastes.
Link to purchase ($199 non affiliate link)
Use a Scale for Better Coffee
Coffee brewing is about variables and changing them to make your coffee taste better.
My recipe earlier included measurements for water and coffee.
Using a scale you can build a baseline recipe then either repeat it over and over, or change one variable to see if the taste of your drink changes.
For example, you could add 1g more coffee to increase the intensity of your brew.
Espressotec has a very reasonably priced scale here ($29 non affiliate link).
Use great coffee
Ok this should be a no-brainer.
Use great coffee and you’ll get great results.
Roaster Central (non affiliate link) curates 25+ of the best roasters in Vancouver and will send them direct to your door.
You can even go into their showroom and sample them before you buy.
In Conclusion: Is the Hario Switch Good?
No.
The Hario Switch is awesome.
It’s a decent-priced brew device that allows you to have the best of both worlds – the smooth flavour profile of pour over and the rich, full-bodied cup of coffee that you would typically get with immersion brewing.
It’s simple to use, easy to clean, looks great and can be used as a regular pour over device.
And honestly, if an idiot like me can create amazing coffee using it, you can too.