Melitta Porcelain #2 Cone Brewer, White

This is perhaps the only ceramic dripper in the market with one hole. Other ceramic drippers have three holes. The flow rate is slightly faster than Mellita plastic dripper. I use a small dowel to hold hot tap water to prime the dripper.

Though it’s a 1 cup size, it’s bigger than my old Kalita 1 cup model, so I can use #6 filters and make 2 cups into my travel mug also. Sturdy and lead-free. Just what I wanted.

Porcelain is a big improvement over plastic as a material for the Melita Cone Brewer. Plastic instantly absorbs coffee odor and it cannot be removed. Over time the odor becomes rancid and the plastic cone must be replaced. Porcelain does not absorb any coffee odor (or stain) and is a breeze to clean. However, the porcelain brewer is heavier than the plastic, and we assume it can break.We bought two of the porcelain cone brewers. Only one of us drinks coffee, but with frequent guests, two brewers makes for improved hospitality. For dinners we would like to have 2 more, but storage space is an issue.The porcelain is more rugged than we imagined, and should last a long time. One of the cone brewers has a small crack on the outside, vertically oriented on the "web" between the cone and the cup cover. It looks to be a shrinkage crack manufacturing issue. It has become a bit more obvious as coffee has faintly stained the crack. The crack has not grown and appears to be completely superficial.When I bought these I had in mind that I would expect to replace them much like I have to replace porcelain cups and dinnerware--every few years or so. If we washed them in the dishwasher that might be true, but these are so easy to clean by hand they never see the dishwasher and they look like they will last many years, even with the tiny crack.For those who have no experience with the Melita Coffee Maker System, a paper cone filter (size #2 or #4) is placed in the brewer and the appropriate amount of coffee is placed in the filter. Hot water is poured over the coffee and brewed, filtered coffee descends through a small hole into a cup, mug, or small pitcher of your choice. The filter "size" idea it the number of "cups" expected to be brewed. I suppose when Melita invented it all of that made more sense. After all Coffee cups back then held about 5 oz (6 oz to the top). Now we have mugs that hold 16 oz. In addition there or so many "grinds" and "roasts" that anyone can be confused. Too fine a grind and the particles will clog the filter. Too course a grind means flavor is reduced and coffee is wasted. We find a grind between medium and fine works well and we always use #2 size filters made by Melita, folding the "seams" over. An 8 oz. cup requires 2 level tablespoons of coffee (one measure). Filling the cone once with hot water fills the cup, but note that slowly pouring the hot water in slowly can lead to over filling the cup. If the cup is 12 oz, use 3 level tablespoons and fill the cone 1 1/2 times.We get consistently great coffee from the Melita system.

First, this thing is really large and really heavy. Even though I use a large coffee mug, it seems precarious placing this heavy monster on top. It will eventually tip, fall and break, leaving a mess behind. Second, it matches the photo at the top of the Amazon page but it does NOT match the photos and description below. Notice these describe and show an opening in the side intended to allow you to see the dripping into your cup to avoid overfilling. That does not exist.Third, it is made in China. I was hoping to avoid Chinese-made products by ordering a major brand, but that did not work out. My concern about Chinese ceramics is concern over their quality control for metals, i.e. inclusion of lead or other toxic materials. Unfortunately, I failed to notice that it can't be returned "due to food safety concerns."

I realized this wasn’t returnable, but I did not expect that to be a problem, since I’ve been using a Melitta plastic cone forever, and it’s been great. However, I’ve been trying to get away from plastic, so I decided to get this ceramic model. I figured it would work the same and be as nice or nicer than the plastic one. There are two problems, however. First, the hole in the bottom is significantly larger than the hole in the plastic model, so the water goes through too quickly. I’ve tried pouring more slowly, but that hasn’t helped measurably. Secondly it’s very hard to get the cone to balance well on any of my mugs. I can balance it if I make a concerted effort, but it’s annoying to have to be so fussy and careful with it.Back to the return policy: The company has the right, of course, to decide not to accept returns, but to blame it on food safety issues is dishonest. It’s a washable utensil, not a piece of food. Most, if not all of the other Melitta-style cones for sale on Amazon are returnable. I was tempted to give this item a 2-star rating, on the basis of the ridiculous reason given for the return policy, but it’s a nice enough ceramic that it deserves a 3.

Looks and feels like quality ceramics. I like the heaviness and the small hole on the bottom creates the perfect steeping rate.