Chemex vs Hario V60
Buy the Chemex if you brew for two or three people and want the cleanest cup on the counter; buy the Hario V60 if you brew one or two cups and want the brightest, most aromatic one for a fraction of the money. The Chemex is a pour-over and a carafe in one piece of glass, and its bonded filters are thick enough to strip out most oils and fines, which is exactly why the cup tastes so clean and why the brew runs slow. The V60's 60-degree cone, spiral ribs and single large hole hand you control of the flow instead, rewarding a steady pour with more aroma and more clarity of flavour. Both want a gooseneck kettle.
Part of our guide to the best manual brewers.
Head to headHighest overall score: Hario V60 Size 02 (7.9 vs 8.3) — but pick by how you brew.
What the extra money buys — The Chemex costs meaningfully more than a V60 dripper, and its bonded filters cost more per brew too. That money buys the carafe: one piece of glass that brews and serves two or three people, plus the thick filter that makes the cleanest, lowest-sediment cup of the two. The V60 gives up the carafe and the scale, and gives you the brighter, more aromatic single cup for a fraction of the price.
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Which one wins — for you
Brews straight into its own carafe at 6-cup scale; the V60 02 is a one-to-two-cup dripper.
The bonded filters are much thicker than a V60 paper and trap more oils and fines.
A fraction of the Chemex's price, and it scores higher on value here than almost anything in the catalogue.
The open cone and adjustable flow give the highest cup-quality score of the two for a single serving.
A dripper sits on a mug and comes in ceramic, plastic or glass; the all-glass Chemex is one breakable piece.
Score by dimension
BrewSift sub-scores for manual. The longer bar wins each row.
Specs side by side
The bottom line
The right pick depends on how you brew — match the machine to your actual use case using the “which one wins” cards above. If you just want the stronger all-rounder, the Hario V60 Size 02 edges it on our overall score (7.9 vs 8.3).
More comparisons in manual brewers
Other matchups we have run side by side, same scoring, same spec sheet.
Common questions
Do the Chemex and the V60 use the same filters?
No, and they are not interchangeable. Chemex bonded filters are made specifically for the Chemex and are considerably thicker than standard pour-over papers — that thickness is the whole reason the cup is so clean and the drawdown so slow. The V60 uses its own cone filters in sizes 01, 02 and 03, matched to the dripper you own. Budget for the right filters for whichever you buy; Chemex filters cost more per brew.
Do I need a gooseneck kettle for both?
Both benefit from one and the V60 effectively requires it. The V60's large single hole means your pour rate sets the brew, so a controlled stream is the difference between a good cup and a fast, sour one. The Chemex is a little more forgiving because its thick filter slows the drawdown regardless, but an even pour over the bed still matters. If you own neither, budget for a gooseneck alongside either brewer.
Which is easier for a beginner?
The Chemex, marginally, because the thick filter slows everything down and gives you more margin on pour speed. Both are technique-sensitive compared with an immersion brewer, and both improve dramatically with a burr grinder and a scale. If you want a pour-over that is genuinely forgiving on day one, an AeroPress is the easier starting point than either of these.
Which one makes better coffee?
They make different coffee rather than better coffee. The Chemex's heavy filter strips oils and fines for a very clean, tea-like cup that suits a carafe you sip through. The V60 leaves more aromatics and body in a single fresh cup, and scores slightly higher on cup quality here for that reason. Cup size and how many people you brew for is the more useful way to decide between them.