The Pulsar Dripper is a collaboration between NextLevel and Jonathan Gagné, an astrophysicist, coffee blogger and the author of The Physics of Filter Coffee. It is one of only a handful of coffee brewers on the market designed specifically for zero-bypass filter brewing.
To give a simple explanation, when using a traditional pour-over brewer like the Hario V60 , some of the water flows around the coffee bed rather than through it, meaning it doesn’t contribute to extraction. Brewers such as the Pulsar Dripper are designed to prevent this by forcing all of the water to pass directly through the coffee bed.
The Pulsar Dripper features a base with a flow-control valve, a brewing barrel and a dispersion cap that acts like a shower screen. Water poured into the dispersion cap flows evenly through the coffee bed below, helping to promote a more even extraction and, in theory, a better-tasting cup.
I originally found this recipe on Jonathan Gagné’s blog and have been using it to brew filter coffee both at home and at The Granary ever since. If you enjoy digging into the science of brewing, his blog is well worth a read.
Recipe
- 25–30g coffee, medium grind
- 1:17 coffee-to-water ratio (by weight)
- 45-second bloom using three times the coffee weight
- Total brew time: 3:30–4:30
Equipment Needed
- NextLevel Pulsar Dripper
- Freshly roasted coffee — if you brew filter coffee regularly, a coffee subscription can be an easy way to make sure you always have beans at peak freshness
- Scales accurate to 0.1g
- Timer
- Kettle
- Clean, soft water
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Weigh and grind your coffee slightly coarser than a manual pour-over, but finer than batch brew.
- Fill your kettle with clean, relatively soft water and bring it to the boil.
- With the Pulsar valve closed, fill the base halfway with warm water.
- Place a filter paper into the base and open the valve to drain the water, rinsing the paper and removing trapped air beneath it.
- Attach the barrel firmly to the base with the threaded side facing down.
- Add the ground coffee, gently shake to level, then place the dispersion cap on top.
- Once the kettle has boiled, allow the water to sit for around one minute.
- Start your timer and pour three times the weight of the coffee into the dispersion cap.
- Allow a small amount of water to drip through, then close the valve.
- At 45 seconds, pour enough water to create a slurry 1–2cm above the coffee bed.
- Open the valve.
- Complete the brew by pouring the remaining water in short bursts, maintaining the same slurry height.
- After the final pour, gently swirl the brewer while holding the barrel and base together.
- Serve and enjoy.
Brew Notes
- Using 25–30g of coffee helps ensure sufficient bed depth and reduces the risk of astringency.
- Aim for a total brew time of 3:30–4:30.
- If your brew time falls outside this range but the cup tastes great, don’t change a thing.
- If the brew finishes too quickly and tastes unpleasant, try grinding slightly finer.
- If the brew runs long and tastes harsh, grind a little coarser.
- Experiment freely. Like most brew methods , there are many variables to explore. Use this recipe as a starting point, not a rulebook.