Hario immersion dripper is one of the best coffee brewers for beginners. You can enjoy a great cup of coffee consistently, even without any coffee brewing experience.
If you read our Hario Switch review, you’ll know how this hybrid method works. A handy switch controls the water flow and allows you to fully control the immersion time. If you are not satisfied with the taste, you can experiment with it by altering the brewing style.
This brewing guide will share the basic recipe and some inspiration for using this versatile dripper.
Hario Switch Recipe – Basic Brew Method
Hario’s official recipe recommends pouring the water over the coffee grounds in one go. Next, you leave the water to steep in the coffee for two minutes before flicking the switch to release the water flow. This is a straightforward way to get a good cup of coffee consistently.
If you follow this recipe, you also won’t need a particular pouring technique. Instead, you can simply pour the water from a standard kettle without needing to use a gooseneck kettle or worry about pouring rates. This method is identical to how you use the Clever Dripper. The only difference is the way it releases the coffee liquid. Overall, it’s an extremely user-friendly method that’s perfect for any standard of home baristas.
However, as we mentioned earlier, we’ve spent a significant amount of time experimenting with the Hario Switch and have a recipe with some tweaking. So, let’s take a look at it.
Hario Switch Recipe
Equipment
- Hario Switch SSD-200 immersion dripper
- A paper filter of 02 size
- A mug or coffee server
- Regular electric kettle
- A spoon
- A scale (optional)
Ingredients
- 15 grams ground coffee medium size
- 240 grams hot water at 200F (93C)
Instructions
- Measure 15g of freshly roast beans and grind them to a medium size, the same as you'd use for pour-over coffee. We use a 1:16 coffee to water ratio (so, 240ml of water). However, if this produces a coffee that's too weak for your tastes, try using 20g of coffee and 240ml of water (a 1:12 ratio).
- Place a paper filter in the cone and rinse it using hot water. Let the water drain into your cup so that it warms up, then pour away the water.
- Ensure the switch is flicked up so the ball is blocking the bottom of the cone filter. Next, pour your freshly ground coffee into your paper filter.
- Pour 240ml of 200F (93C) water over the coffee grounds. Gently stir the water so it mixes in with the grounds, leaving them completely saturated.
- Set a timer for four minutes. The Hario Switch manual recommends a two-minute immersion time. However, its recipe uses a higher dosage, which allows for a shorter brewing time. Because we're using a 1:16 coffee to water ratio, we opt for a four-minute immersion time to extract the necessary flavor and complexity.
- After four minutes, gently swirl the brewer to form a flat coffee bed. Then, flip the switch, and the coffee will slowly draw down into your cup. It takes around 45 seconds for this process to complete.
- Now it's time to enjoy your coffee, but take care when taking away the dripper beforehand. The glass part will be hot, and there isn't a handle, so hold the silicone rubber base instead.
Notes
Other Hario Switch Brewing Methods
If you enjoy experimenting with your brewing methods, read on! Because of the switch, you can easily alternate between immersion and percolation brewing methods. This means you can keep things simple by following the earlier recipe or indulge your experimental side to try new recipes. Here are some other recipes that the Hario Switch is compatible with.
1. Switch Between Immersion And Percolation
You can alternate between the two methods throughout the process.
- Flick the switch down and use 1/4 of the total brew weight of water to bloom your coffee grounds as you would when brewing pour-over. So, if you’re using 15g of coffee, use 60g of water.
- Pour over that water in a circular motion and leave it to bloom for 30 seconds.
- Flick the switch back up to block the flow, then pour another 1/4 of the water over the grounds. Next, leave it to steep for 15 to 20 seconds, then flip the switch back down.
- When the liquid draws down into the cup, flick the switch up to block the water flow again, then repeat step two twice more until you have enough coffee.
This method decreases the overall immersion time and increases the percolation length to produce a more balanced and fragrant cup of coffee than the standard recipe.
2. Pour-Over -> Immersion
- Use 15g of medium grind size coffee.
- Flick the switch down and use the Hario Switch as a V60 pour-over dripper.
- Use 30ml of water to bloom the coffee grounds.
- Slowly pour 100ml of water in a circular motion.
- Flick the switch back up to stop the flow, and pour in 90ml of water to steep the grounds. Then, add 20ml of room temperature water to the cone, which reduces the immersion temperature to around 180F (82C).
- Steep for one to two minutes, then flick the switch and let the coffee draw down.
- Gently swirl the carafe to mix the coffee evenly before serving.
The pour-over phase highlights the original characteristics of the coffee and bright acidity, while the immersion phase at a lower temperature accentuates the sweet notes and body of the beans. Temperature is pivotal to coffee extraction, so feel free to try different immersion temperatures until you find your sweet spot. You can even try the method in reverse, with immersion first, then pour-over, to see if you prefer the result.
3. Traditional Pour-Over
If you want to brew pour-over with the Hario Switch, it’s easy. Just keep the switch down throughout, and it’ll act as a V60 dripper. Check this V60 pour-over brewing guide for more details.
Final Thought
The ideas and recipes presented in the guide are to help inspire you. Of course, different roasts and beans will give different results.
Meanwhile, it’s up to you how long you want the water to interact with the coffee, leaving endless possibilities with the Hario Switch.
