At Dear Green, we love a new coffee toy to play with. There are, of course, numerous different instruments for brewing specialty coffee.

From V60 to Aeropress to siphons, each method can highlight different characteristics of your coffee, and each offers many other recipes to fine-tune your cup even further.

The wealth of brewing information available can be overwhelming, especially for those new to specialty coffee. For that reason, we always welcome a brewer that can simplify the process while still providing a cup of coffee that stands shoulder to shoulder with the tried-and-tested coffee industry giants. Enter the Hoop.

What is the Hoop?

TheHoop is a hand-operated coffee brewer that uses radial infusion technology to brew filter coffee. Like the Aeropress and V60, it uses a pourover technique to brew. However, it crucially differs from these two methods because the water pours in from the sides rather than from above. We’ll explain why this is beneficial below.  

Who is the Hoop suited for?

The Hoop is suited for anyone who enjoys pour-over coffee. Thanks to its ease of use, it requires very little in the way of honing your technique. As long as your grind size is correct, your water is the right temperature, and your ratios are correct, you’re guaranteed a good cup of coffee with just one pour.

How does it work?

As mentioned, the Hoop uses radial infusion technology, which means that, rather than being poured from above, water is poured into the Outer Loop before it enters the Flow Tower for a more even saturation and extraction.

This ‘no bypass’ design in the deep brewing chamber, coupled with the steady introduction of water during the pour, means not only that the Hoop ensures consistent extraction and better flavour, but also that it’s very easy to use. This is further boosted by the fact that, unlike V60s, the paper filter needn’t be wetted before pouring, and you also don’t need to swirl between pours — in fact, you only need to pour once.

While this is, of course, welcome news for beginners, it also benefits professional baristas juggling hand pours, espresso and milk drinks, and other tasks. The brewing process lasts 4 minutes, which is a little longer than some other hand-pour methods, but it’s still well within the acceptable range, with customers very unlikely to bat an eye!

How does Hoop-Brewed coffee taste?

In our opinion, absolutely fantastic! The paper filter removes fine grounds, giving a clean brew and clarity of flavour.

What is the Hoop made of?

Like many hand brewers, the Hoop uses sturdy, BPA-free plastic. The Hoop is also incredibly easy to clean, comprises just two parts, and can be dismantled after extraction by unscrewing the Flow Tower from the Outer Loop. This allows the paper to be easily ejected, enabling you to clean the brewer with water or in the dishwasher.

Who makes the Hoop?

The Hoop is made by our good friends at Ceado - you may have seen us brewing coffee on their stall at Nordic Coffee Festival, World of Coffee, and Host Milano, but if you’re not familiar, Ceado produces (among other kitchen gadgets) a variety of coffee equipment to suit professional baristas and casual home brewers — including The Hoop.

What grind size and dose should I use for the Hoop Brewer?

Filter grind is generally agreed to be the consistency of sand or granulated sugar. For the geeks, we're talking 850 microns, but of course, a 'dial in' is always necessary to taste and tweak to ensure the perfect extraction of a perfect brew!

Our favourite recipe

Like all good filter recipes, find a starting point and adjust one variable at a time until you nail the perfect brew. For the Ceado Hoop, we recommend a 1:15 – 1:18 coffee-to-water ratio, starting with 17 g and 255 ml. We pour 50 ml directly onto the coffee to initiate a bloom, then add the remaining 205 ml after 30 seconds, with a total brew time of 4 minutes.

There is plenty of experimentation that can be done with this no-bypass brewer. Play around with filter thickness to allow a finer grind and higher extraction, or try a reusable metal filter for increased body and texture.

Generally, the uniqueness here is in the simplicity, a user-friendly brewer with minimal skill required to achieve clarity in every cup!