How Does the Ice Pupil Dripper Compare With the V60 for Pour-Over Coffee?

The Ice Pupil is a conical single-hole dripper like the Hario V60, but its structure differs. The top zone is a smooth ribless wall, while the middle and lower sections use large recessed areas instead of raised ribs, giving the filter paper better adhesion. Viewed from the side, the height splits into three equal sections.

A comparative test used Front Street Musician Series Bach beans with identical parameters: 15 grams of grounds, a 1:15 ratio, a finer grind at 80 percent passing a 0.85-millimeter sieve, 91°C water, and a three-stage pour starting with a 30-gram bloom for 30 seconds. What separates the two conical single-hole designs is flow rate and flavor presentation.

In the selection of pour-over coffee equipment, differences in dripper design often lead to vastly different extraction experiences. In this issue, we focus on the Ice Eye dripper, conducting a detailed comparative test with the classic Hario V60. Structurally, both the Ice Eye and V60 are conical single-hole drippers, but the Ice Eye's unique recessed pattern gives it better filter paper adhesion. We will use Front Street Musician Series Bach coffee beans and, with identical brewing parameters, compare the two in terms of flow rate and flavor presentation. Whether you prefer sweetness and cleanliness or a rich, layered mouthfeel, this review will provide practical reference.

Introduction The dripper is a crucial piece of equipment in pour-over coffee, and different designs bring vastly different extraction effects. Because of this, many unique drippers have emerged on the market. In this issue, we will take an in-depth look at the performance of the Ice Eye dripper.

Ice Eye Dripper Like the V60, the Ice Eye is a conical single-hole dripper, and its overall structure can be divided into three zones. Viewed from the side, its height is divided equally into three sections. The top zone has no ribs and is a smooth wall, similar to the Kono dripper. The middle and lower sections, however, no longer use raised ribs to support the filter paper, but instead use large recessed areas. When the filter paper adheres, it looks like 12 long ribs and 12 short ribs arranged alternately, but in fact these "ribs" are on the same plane as the upper layer and extend straight downward. The short ribs are in the middle section, while the long ribs run through both the middle and lower sections.

Brewing Test For a fair comparison, we again chose the benchmark of conical drippers—the Hario V60—as a reference. The coffee beans used in the test are the Front Street Musician Series Bach from the Front Street Coffee (FrontStreet Coffee) bean list.

In terms of parameters, Front Street uses 15 grams of coffee grounds, a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15, a finer grind size with an 80% pass rate through a 0.85 mm sieve, and a water temperature controlled at 91°C.

The brewing method uses Front Street's classic three-stage pour: the first stage pours 30 grams of water and blooms for 30 seconds; the second stage pours in a concentric circle up to 125 grams, and when the liquid level drops to half, the third stage begins, also pouring in a circular motion up to 225 grams, and extraction ends when all the coffee liquid in the dripper has flowed through.

The differences between the Ice Eye and V60 during brewing are reflected in two aspects. First is filter paper adhesion, where the Ice Eye is clearly superior to the V60. Because the wall is on the same plane, with no raised ribs and only recessed patterns, the filter paper is easier to press tightly against the wall, which is very friendly for brewers pursuing perfection.

Second is the flow rate. The Ice Eye has a faster overall flow rate. During the early pours, the two are close in speed, and the final pour is completed almost simultaneously (1 minute 10 seconds). But when all extraction is finished, the Ice Eye takes 1 minute 45 seconds, while the V60 takes 1 minute 57 seconds.

Flavor Comparison Ice Eye: clear fermented wine aroma, with sweet berry and raisin notes, and a fresh, smooth mouthfeel.

V60: rich fermented wine aroma, prominent berry-like acidity, obvious raisin sweetness, and a hint of tea in the finish. In the aftertaste, orange aroma and a faint sugarcane-like sweetness can be felt.

Through comparison, it can be found that the Ice Eye's advantage lies in better highlighting the coffee's sweetness and cleanliness, with a relatively full-bodied mouthfeel. The V60, on the other hand, is better at showing layering and gives a rich experience.

In the upper part of the Ice Eye dripper, the filter paper is in a completely sealed state. If the water flow is too strong or the water temperature too high during brewing, flooding the guide grooves, the water level will drop more slowly due to the lack of venting space, thereby forming an immersion like the KONO dripper and avoiding under-extraction. At the same time, the grooves in the middle and lower sections can quickly guide the water downward and prevent clogging. Therefore, coffee brewed with the Ice Eye usually has a good mouthfeel.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.