April Brewer
The April Brewer is a flat-bottom dripper designed by Patrik Rolf of April Coffee in Copenhagen, who used it at the 2019 World Brewers Cup and took second place with the top cup score. Three small cones in the base lift the filter, and air pockets around the outside let air move under the paper, so it drains faster and more evenly than a Kalita Wave. It's built for small, simple brews: around 12 to 14 g of coffee, 200 g of water, two or three pours.
Water by roast: light 95 °C · medium 93 °C · dark 90 °C
Steps
- PrepRinse the filter with hot water, discard the rinse water, add coffee and shake levelTap the brewer so the bed is flat before you start
- 0:00Pour 50 g in quick circles to wet all the grounds
- 0:30Pour to 120 g in a steady circular pour
- 1:10Pour to 200 gStart once the water level has dropped most of the way
- 2:45Drawdown finished, lift the brewer off the cup
Variations
Two 100 g PoursPatrik Rolf (April Coffee)
No separate bloom. Two big pours of 100 g each, letting the water drain between them
13 g · 200 g water · 93 °C · coarse
- 0:00Pour 100 g evenly over the bed
- 1:00Once the first pour has drained, pour the second 100 gRolf says to let the water go through between pours
- 2:30Drawdown finished
April House Filter RecipeApril Coffee Roasters
Lighter 12 g dose with a short bloom and a fast finish, built for light roasts
12 g · 200 g water · 92 °C · coarse (30-32 clicks on a Comandante)
- 0:00Bloom with 50 g
- 0:30Pour to 150 g, finishing by 1:00
- 1:30Pour the rest to 200 gThe published version lists this last pour as 30 g, which only adds up to 180 g. Pour to 200 g.
- 2:30Drawdown finished
Fix your cup
| Taste | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sour, thin, tea-like in a bad way | Under-extracted, grind too coarse or water too cool | Grind a few clicks finer or raise water to 94 °C |
| Bitter, dry finish | Over-extracted, brew ran long | Grind coarser or drop the dose to 12 g |
| Drawdown stalls past 3:30 | Too many fines, or a high-density coffee (common with some Ethiopians) | Grind coarser, keep dose at 12 g, pour more gently |
| Weak but not sour | Ratio too long for the coffee | Go up to 14 g with the same 200 g of water |
Tips
- Grind coarser than you would for a V60. April's own recipes sit around 30 to 34 clicks on a Comandante, which is close to a coarse filter grind.
- Keep the dose small. The brewer is designed around 12 to 14 g for one cup, and bigger doses tend to stall.
- Pour fairly quickly. The design expects big, confident pours rather than slow drip-by-drip pulses.
- Use April's own filters or Kalita Wave 155 papers. Wave 185 papers fit too but sit higher on the walls.
- Shake or tap the brewer after adding coffee so the bed is flat. A flat bed is what makes flat-bottom brewers drain evenly.
Common mistakes
- Grinding at V60 fineness. The April wants a noticeably coarser grind and will choke if you go too fine.
- Scaling up to 20 g or more for a big mug. Brew two small cups instead, or expect a slower, muddier drawdown.
- Pouring slowly in tiny pulses. That lowers slurry temperature and works against how the brewer is designed.
- Skipping the filter rinse. Flat filters can add a papery taste to such a small brew.
What you need
- April Brewer
- April paper filter or Kalita Wave 155/185 filter
- Scale
- Kettle (gooseneck helps but isn't required)
- Burr grinder