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.
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
