Hario Switch Review

I’ve tested and own a plethora of coffee-making devices, but there’s always room for one more in my kitchen cabinet. My go-to method for brewing coffee is pour-over, but I like to mix it up now and then and make a pot of French press. That’s why I’ve been curious about the Hario Switch, a hybrid immersion and pour-over coffee maker—sometimes called a “steep and release” pour-over, similar in concept to the Clever Dripper. After testing it eight times (with eight different techniques), it’s become my new favorite way to make coffee.

The Tests

• Steep and Release Taste Test: I brewed a cup of fruity light-roast, natural-processed beans by steeping the grounds in hot water for two minutes and then draining them. I tasted the coffee and noted its flavors. 
• Hybrid Recipe Taste Test: I brewed a cup of the same light-roast beans using a different brewing method. I poured half of the water through the grounds with the bottom of the switch open. Then I closed it and poured the remaining water into the dripper, letting it steep for 90 seconds before releasing it. I tasted the coffee and noted its flavors. 
• Traditional Pour Over Taste Test: I brewed a cup of light roast coffee with the Hario Switch’s bottom open, as if it were a typical pour-over. I tasted and noted the difference between this and the previous brews.
• French Press Taste Test: I brewed a pot of French press coffee with the ESP P7 French Press using the same light roast, tasting and noting the difference between it and the Hario Switch cups.
• Medium Roast Taste Tests: I repeated the previous tests using chocolatey and nutty medium-roast washed coffee beans, taking note of the flavors in each brew.
• Usability and Cleaning Test: Throughout each test, I used a variety of carafes and ceramic coffee mugs to see how the Hario Switch fit on top of them. After each test, I hand-washed the Hario Switch to see how easy it was to clean. 

What We Learned

How the Hario Switch Works

The Hario Switch is a Hario V60 with a collar attached at the bottom of the V-shaped dripper. This collar has a stainless-steel ball that plugs the bottom hole, preventing any water from escaping (as it normally would when making pour-over coffee). This means the water has nowhere to go; instead, the grounds sit in the water, as with a French press. Once the coffee is done steeping, just flip the switch and the coffee drains. That’s what “steep and release” means.

One of the advantages of the original Hario V60 is how it funnels water into the center of the cone. This leads to less channeling. Channeling occurs when the water finds the path of least resistance through the coffee grounds, which leads to over-extraction (bitter and astringent coffee) while skipping parts of the grounds, resulting in under-extraction (sour and flat-tasting coffee). This is typically a bigger issue with wedge-shaped brewers, like the Zero Japan coffee dripper or the Melitta filter coffee maker, though it can also occur in cone-shaped brewers like the V60 due to improper brewing techniques. 

The steep and release immersion method of brewing leads to a richer cup of coffee. But unlike a true French press, which often produces silt or sludge, the Hario Switch coffee drains through a paper filter. This combination of immersive steeping and then filtering results in a hybrid cup that is full-bodied but also has the clarity and nuance you would expect from a pour-over.

The Hario Switch Is Great for Beginners

Like the original Hario V60, the Hario Switch makes excellent coffee. But it’s easier to use than a traditional V60. If making pour-over is daunting to you (here’s a tutorial), the Hario Switch is a perfect solution. Traditional pour-over techniques are designed to reduce channeling by encouraging the user to pour the water in a spiral pattern, moving from the center to the edge of the brewer and back to the middle, which helps evenly saturate the grounds. 

But with the Switch, you don’t have to worry about any of that. A simple shake or stir after adding water ensures the grounds become evenly saturated. The steep and release method means there is little chance of channeling. And because there’s no precision pouring necessary, you can even trade the gooseneck kettle for a regular kettle. In short, the Hario Switch produces excellent coffee, even if you have minimal brewing skills.

The Hario Switch Is Versatile

If you happen to be a coffee connoisseur, the Hario Switch opens up possibilities for you to experiment. Toggling the stopper on and off means you can brew hybrid recipes, stopping the flow for part of the time and letting it pass steadily through the filter for the rest. The original Hario V60 (and other V-shaped brewers like the Origami brewer) allows you to customize your cup with the temperature of the water, the coffee grind, and the ratio of coffee to water. The Hario Switch adds yet another variable: You can stop and infuse the coffee before releasing it. This means you can get different brew bodies and richer cups of coffee than you would from a traditional pour-over dripper. For folks who like to tinker with their coffee, the Hario Switch offers another way to explore.

The Verdict

The Hario Switch is an excellent coffee maker that’s ideal for beginners, experienced pour-over experts, and everyone in between. It’s a versatile pour-over dripper that delivers a rich and full-bodied cup of coffee without any muddiness.

The Pros

The Hario Switch makes full-bodied, rich cups of coffee that retain the nuance and clarity of traditional pour-over coffee. The Switch is based on the original Hario V60 design, with an added collar that allows the user to stop the flow of water as they brew. It’s easy to use, even for beginners. And it gives another variable to tinker with, which will be appreciated by coffee enthusiasts. Mastery of the Hario Switch leads to unique recipes and methods that can produce interesting and varied cups of coffee. 

The Cons

The Hario Switch costs more than a typical Hario V60. The plastic part underneath, which moves the stainless steel ball, is thin and could weaken or break over time, making me wonder about its lifespan (though I had no issues with it during the 30 days I tested it). Finally, water can get trapped between the collar and the glass portion while washing it, so I recommend pulling the collar off the glass dripper while washing and drying, then putting it back on, which is slightly annoying.

Key Specs  

FAQs

How do you clean the Hario Switch?

To clean the Hario Switch, pull the glass cone-shaped dripper off the silicone collar, then wash each piece by hand, using a mild dish soap. Dry before reassembling.

What are the different versions of the Hario Switch?

The original Hario Switch comes with a glass dripper or ceramic dripper, a silicone collar base, and a few paper filters. You can buy the Hario Switch Dripper Set, which also comes with a cylindrical carafe and paper filters. 

Different models of the Hario Switch include the MUGEN version of the V60, which is a no-bypass dripper, as well as a colorful, ceramic version of the V60. If you already own a glass V60 or a MUGEN dripper, you can order the dripper collar base separately. And on the Hario USA website, you can actually custom order a Switch with different colors of drippers and collars.

Why We’re the Experts  

• Irvin Lin is a cookbook author, recipe developer, food writer, photographer, and ceramicist. He wrote the cookbook Marbled, Swirled, and Layered, which was picked by The New York Times as one of the best baking cookbooks of 2016. Irvin also runs a blog called Eat the Love, where he’s developed, photographed, and written recipes since 2010. 
• Irvin’s a former barista and a coffee lover who owns more brewers than he has the storage space for. But that doesn’t stop him from buying more.