Last Updated on February 3, 2023 by Pinpoint 250
Abid Clever Dripper is a full-immersion, one-cup manual coffee brewer that simplifies the brewing process.
Unlike other brewers, the Clever is only available in one size and in BPA-free plastic. The Clever is a standard pour-over device with a conical shape and even a paper filter (#4 Melitta cone filters work well), but it brews more like a French press.
The Clever Dripper first appeared on the coffee scene in the late 2000s. Absolutely Best Idea Development, or Abid for short, is a Taiwanese company that created it.
Its design is intended to make hand-crafted coffee as simple as possible, and it is one of the least fussy methods.
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The Clever has a very user-friendly design. A regular tea kettle, for example, will get in the way of a great cup of coffee and other devices.
It is also made to drain straight into a coffee mug, so you don’t need extra carafes. Cleaning is much easier than with other immersion methods, like the French press, because all you have to do is take out the filter and throw it away.
The Clever is ideal for someone who prefers the cleaner taste of paper-filtered coffee but prefers the simplicity of immersion methods. It can also be used to make iced coffee. The Clever is less widely available than other brewing devices, which is one disadvantage. Most major retailers do not carry it, and while you might be able to find one for sale at a craft coffee shop, they are uncommon. However, it can be quickly purchased on the internet.
How does it work?
Despite its shape, the Clever is still a full immersion method, with the grounds and water steeping together for the brew cycle. The base of the device doesn’t let water in, so the slurry will drain once the release mechanism is turned on by setting it on top of a carafe or coffee cup.
Simply pour the water into the Clever, wait for it to brew, and place the device on your cup to drain. According to experts, Clever loses too much heat during brewing. Others think that the design causes the fines to clog the filter too often, which makes the contact time longer and could cause the coffee to be over-extracted.
The heat-loss argument could be more solid. When professionals “cup” coffee, it often sits for 12 to 15 minutes, uncovered, before being tasted. Heat loss is rarely talked about in this context. But we’ve found that using finer grounds in the Clever can cause the filter to get clogged up.
The Clever Dripper Method
During our home tests of this method, the brew stopped draining entirely in several cases because the Clever clogged when used with finer grind sizes.
Long, French-press-style brewing times (and the required coarse grounds) don’t work as well with the Clever.
This is partly because the longer the hot water is in contact with the paper filter, the more likely it is that a papery flavor will leach into the brew. We settled on a three-minute brewing time to produce a well-balanced cup.
Basic Specifications
medium fine grind (14 on Baratza Virtuoso).
1:15 brew ratio
Water temperature: not quite boiling
Total brewing time: 4 minutes
Ingredients yield 400 g (13.5 fluid ounces).
26.5 grams of whole, fresh coffee beans (14 cups + 1 teaspoon)
400 g (13.5 oz) of water, plus more as needed.
Method: Fill a kettle halfway with water and place it over medium-high heat. Bring the water to a boil.
2. Grind the coffee to a medium-fine grind and set aside while the water heats. Then, assemble your rig (filter and device).
3. Remove the kettle from the heat once the water begins to boil. Wet the filter thoroughly (50 to 60 grams), discard the rinse water, and place the rig on a kitchen scale. Add the grounds, shake the rig gently to level the bed, and reset the scale to zero.
4. To bloom the coffee, start a stopwatch and slowly pour 50 grams of water in concentric circles, saturating the grounds thoroughly. Continue to step 5 when the stopwatch reads 0:30.
5. Continue to pour water into the center of the bed in half-dollar-sized circles until the scale reads 400 grams. Allow the coffee to brew in the Clever until the stopwatch reads 3:00.
6. Pour the clever into a brewing vessel and decant it. The coffee should take approximately one minute to brew; the stopwatch should read 4:00. Remove the filter and rinse the device with any remaining hot water. Enjoy!
Brewing Hints
You may notice a pocket between the filter’s bottom and the Clever’s bottom. It is along the sides that the shape transitions from wedge to neck. During the early stages of brewing, the coffee gets stuck in the channel, and the filter keeps it from mixing with the rest of the slurry. If you use a lighter bloom, you will end up with pockets of under-extracted coffee. As a result, the bloom weight in this method is lower than in other ways.
The Clever Dripper Cold Brew Method
The Clever seems perfect for cold brewing because it is a self-contained container with a filter and a lid. The only disadvantage is that it holds less coffee than other devices. The 400 grams tested here are the maximum.
Basic Specifications
Medium coarse grind (25 on Baratza Virtuoso)
1:7 brew ratio
Water temperature: cold (from the fridge or from a tap)
Total brewing time: 15 hours
400 grams (13.5 fluid ounces) of concentrate, 58 grams (12 cups + 2 tablespoons) of whole, fresh coffee beans
Cold water: 400 grams (13.5 fluid ounces).
Method: Place a filter in the Clever, thoroughly wet it, and discard the rinse water. Grind the coffee to a medium-coarse consistency, add it to the Clever, and gently shake it to level the bed. Pour in the water.
2. Refrigerate the Clever and cover it with the lid. It will drain into the fridge if you don’t put it on the bottom shelf or on a flat surface. Allow the coffee to steep for 15 hours.
3. Take the cold brew concentrate out of the fridge and pour it into a separate container with a lid. To serve, dilute the concentrate with fresh, cold water in a 1:5 ratio or to taste. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 weeks in an airtight container.
Soak the coffee grinds in 1/4 cup (about 50 grams) of water in an even and leisurely manner to create the bloom.
Take care not to disturb the coffee bed too much. We’re soaking the coffee to extract the soluble gases responsible for the bloom. 30 seconds
Pour the remaining water in a circular motion over the center of the coffee bed.
Take your time and be careful. Your circles’ maximum diameter should not exceed that of a silver dollar. 30 seconds
Cover the Clever with the lid and set it aside to finish the brewing process. Two minutes.
Conclusion
The Abid Clever coffee dripper is an excellent coffee maker for those looking for a quick and easy way to prepare a delicious cup of coffee. It’s simple to use and consistently produces superior results. If you’re looking for a low-cost, easy-to-use coffee maker, the Clever Coffee Dripper is a great choice.
