April Pour Over Coffee Maker Review

The April pour-over brewer is a new way to brew coffee at home, a way that is inspired by professionals. And you don’t get much more professional than the founder and CEO of April, Patrik Rolf. April was born out of seven years of experience in the coffee industry. Patrik started April in the winter of 2016 with this in mind, “To learn, improve and share our products with quality - focused partners around the world. We always strive to become better at what we do, roasting coffee.” He began his journey with specialty coffee when he got a job as a business consultant working with a local Roastery da Matteo located in his hometown of Gothenburg. The founder, Matts W. Jahansson was the one to introduce him to what coffee could be and Patrik says if it wasn’t for him he would have never started a career in coffee. This came at a time when he was looking for a craft - something he could learn and get his hands dirty with. Before April was started, Patrik spent two years as the head roaster for Five Elephant, one of the most prominent coffee roasters in Berlin.

As April rose to the very top of the roasting game they decided to take one step further. Often coffee roasters will go back one step in the chain, to the farmer and try to help them improve their crop by investing with them both in financial and in research terms. April went the other direction and decided to help us brew better coffee at home. The April Brewer project started with the goal to “create a Drip Filter Brewer that generates a perfectly balanced, transparent, and reliable taste experience.” At April they have spent the last two years making the best brewer possible. They were confident to launch their 3rd version of the product to the public.

So how exactly is it different from my existing pour-over at home? This is the question I asked before using the April pour-over brewer for the first time. Will it be noticeably different or better than the renowned V60 and Kalita Wave that have dominated the pour-over market in recent years? I can affirm that this brewer deserves a place in your kitchen/Brew bar. I have been so impressed with this brewer and the coffee that it makes. Before I get more into the details of the brewer, can I please make it clear that this pour-over isn’t just for baristas and those who like to think of themselves as “home baristas” but it's also for the beginner or the person who just wants to make great coffee. Patrik has included two different recipes for using the pour-over; one using precise weight and recommended pouring technique for the experienced brewer. And a second for those who don’t use scales and precise measurements.

Let's talk design; April teamed up with Belgian design company Serax to craft a product that combines beauty and functionality. April opted for a flatbed brewer to promote sweetness and even extraction. As well as this they have included three unique “Filter-Holders” that help hold the filter papers in place. While we are on the topic of filter paper I should let you know that both Kalita filter papers sizes fit the April Brewer as well as most flatbed filter papers of this size. They have designed the Brewer with “Air-Pockets” that help with air circulation and allow for a consistent brew time after time. The lid is another simple design element that makes this brewer stand out from the others. If you are anything like me you will have a preferred temperature to drink your coffee at. This means that I end up having to drink my coffee over a quick time period after I’ve allowed it to cool to my ideal temperature. The lid allows me to trap aromatics and keep the coffee at my favoured temperature for longer.

If I haven’t yet convinced you that this brewer makes incredible coffee, then I should mention that Patrik brought the pour-over to the World Brewers Cup 2019 in Boston and secured a silver medal while they secured the highest-scoring cup in the competition.

Alongside that, this brewer just looks exceptional. April and Serax have used a light and thin ceramic clay with a white gloss finish. They chose this material as it is consistently conductive at multiple brewing temperatures. So I definitely think you should check this brewer out and see for yourself just how good coffee can be.

Harry McNeely (@coffeewithharry_) - Reviewing and brewing specialty coffee | Helping you make better coffee at home | Based in Northern Ireland | Barista at The Copper Lab

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