I got a Hario Switch a few weeks ago and, honestly, I wasn’t sure where it was going to fit in between my Chemex on the one side for large, slow brews and my Aeropress on the other for quick, single dose fixes. But the Switch has fast become my favourite coffee brewer.
I have not seen much mention of it so I thought I would give it a shout out on here to see if there were any fans and techniques to be shared.
I opted for the 03 off the bat so I had plenty of room for immersion and, having used it now, I don’t really see how the smaller size would work satisfactorily so - if you are curious - definitely get the 03.
PS: I changed the title of this post to be super specific because “Hario Switch” might have gotten some unintentional crossover from the Gaming community 😁
I’m pet sure this will be my next gear purchase. I do have a v60 but made the mistake of getting the ceramic version which saps heat way more then a plastic version.
How does it brew compared to a normal v60?
I can only compare it to the Chemex, which is a bit of a different beast. I find that I can get a great balance of extraction and flavour out of the brew because I can immerse. For my work coffee I have settled into a medium grind of 18g coffee + 54g water, gentle pour for bloom, followed by a full pour (to 300g) at 30 seconds with the switch up so that the brew immerses, then switch down at 2 minutes to let the brew drain through the settled grounds. Then I vary the grind to sort any extraction issues with the particular beans I have.
I’m not sure if glass v plastic will make a difference like the ceramic does. I prewash my filters with boiling water which will heat up the Switch but I’m not sure how effective that will be.
I use one (size 2) daily, and heat it / rinse the filter paper with the switch up. Less wasted water and gets it up to temp quickly. I do not like heating plastics. I’d definitely recommend the switch.
Here is a better angle as requested:
I’ve got the switch (size 02) and absolutely love it, find myself using it nearly daily. The flexibility it offers for playing with methods is great. My favorite recipe is inspired by the Coffee Chronicler’s, that brews as a V60 for the first half and then an immersion brew for the second half.
Recipe below taken from the Chronicler website:
Specs This recipe can be adapted to work with doses from 15 to 26 grams of coffee and most common brew ratios. Go for a 1:15 ratio if you have an entry-level conical grinder (such as a Baratza Encore or Hario Skerton). Adjust to 1:16 or 1:17 if you have a more consistent grinder. Pouring structure: ❶ 0:00 First pour: 50% total water volume (Open switch) ❷ 0:45 Second pour 50% total water volume (Closed switch) ❸ 2:00 Open the Switch and let it drain Total brew time = 2.45-3.15. However, the total brew time can be a bit longer if you’re brewing around the max capacity for this technique (26 g / 400 ml) or are using natural Ethopians.Came across this a while back and found it interesting. I don’t have one myself, but making me think about it. https://youtu.be/gC8K40kZ_6E
Yes that’s basically why I got my Switch and its mostly the way I use it: percolate for the bloom then immerse for the brew. Although I’m going to play around with that soon.
Tetsu Kasuya’s is my favorite recipe for the Switch! To me, it’s easier than a normal V60 yet produces cups just as sweet, especially as I usually only dose 10g.
I was debating between a Hario Switch and a Clever Dripper as my most recent gear change. I finally went with the Clever since Hario or 3rd party filters are quite expensive here compared to Clever cones which just use a generic Melitta style cone.
I love the mix of immersion and pour over. Really love it for the office. Requires the smallest of amount of my direct time input while providing very good consistent cups of coffee from day to day.
How does it compare to AeroPress? Why do you prefer Hario Switch?
I was going to write a bunch of things about the Switch but I guess they would apply to most other pourover drippers too. I’m coming from the Chemex as a comparison, which is lovely but a bit slow and unwieldy for that one cup of coffee.
Having said that what makes the Switch stand out to me is that it feels like such a high quality piece of kit, and having the immersion element in the mix really suits me. My brain interprets that as “big aeropress” for whatever reason.
That looks pretty dope. Can you post a pic(s) from a different angle?
Will do tomorrow.
Thanks. I tried googling and couldn’t find any great pics. Mostly interested on how it differs, both in looksv and brewing, from my Chemex.
Even more gear. Now I’m wondering how coffee from this is like. Was thinking about a flat bottom for a more bodied flavour vs a V60. Anyone has any comment on how coffee from this will turn out in comparison?