Strong, Smooth or Mellow? Choosing a Loveramics Brewers Coffee Dripper
Three shapes, three speeds, one coffee. The Loveramics Brewers Coffee Dripper is made in three versions — Strong, Smooth and Mellow. Each has a different internal surface area and rib texture, so water passes through the coffee bed at a different rate. Same beans, same grind, same pour: three noticeably different cups.
That is the whole idea, and it is easier to see than to read about. Simon Stevens, who designed the range, shows the three drippers running side by side in this four-minute film:
What is the difference between the Strong, Smooth and Mellow drippers?
The difference is contact time. A dripper's ribs hold the paper away from the ceramic wall and create the channels that water drains through. Change the texture and spacing of those ribs and you change how long the water sits in the coffee — which is what actually decides body and intensity in the cup.
| Dripper | Colour | Flow | What it Gives You | Try it With |
| Strong | White | Slowest |
Longest contact time, heaviest body, |
Darker roasts, chocolate and nut profiles, anyone who finds filter coffee thin |
| Smooth |
Celadon |
Middle | The balanced default — sweetness and clarity together |
Washed coffees, everyday brewing, the one to buy first |
| Mellow |
Celadon |
Fastest | Shortest contact time, lightest body, most aromatic lift | Light roasts, florals, Ethiopian and Kenyan lots |
Nothing else in your routine has to change. Keep your recipe, swap the dripper, and you have a dial for body that costs nothing per brew.
Which Loveramics dripper should I buy first?
Buy Smooth first. It sits in the middle of the range and handles almost anything you put in it, so it is the natural single-dripper choice. Add Strong if you mostly drink darker roasts or want more weight in the cup, and add Mellow if you buy light, delicate coffees and want to protect their aromatics.
- Brewers Coffee Dripper — Smooth (Celadon Green)
- Brewers Coffee Dripper — Strong (White)
- Brewers Coffee Dripper — Mellow (Celadon Blue)
Browse the full range on the Loveramics coffee drippers page.
Do I need special filter papers?
No. The Brewers drippers take standard cone papers — the same 02-size papers you are probably already buying. Loveramics recommend using two papers together for the most consistent results, which firms up the paper wall and stops it collapsing into the ribs mid-brew.
What else do I need for a full pour-over set-up?
A dripper on its own works fine balanced on a mug. A proper station is three parts:
- The dripper. Strong, Smooth or Mellow — see above.
- A stand. The Brewers Coffee Dripper Stand is 18/8 stainless steel with a detachable silicone ring, 12cm square and 2.5cm tall, and dishwasher safe. It keeps the dripper upright and lets you brew straight into any vessel. It also fits most third-party drippers in 02 size, so it is not a single-brand purchase. Also in Matte Black and Metallic.
- Something to brew into. The Brewers Specialty Jug (300ml) fits under most drippers and serves two cups; the 500ml Tall Glass Jug lets you watch the brew and doubles as a server.
What about the Flatbed Dripper?
The Loveramics Flatbed Coffee Dripper, added in 2023, is a different tool rather than a fourth speed. It uses flat-bottom wavy papers, brews fast, and is built for a single cup. Its floral-shaped embossment increases the internal surface area by around 120% and holds the paper slightly off the wall, so water drains quickly and evenly.
Loveramics' own brew tests land at 18–25g of coffee at a 1:12 to 1:15 ratio. It sits on the same stand and pairs with the same glass jug, so it slots into an existing set-up without buying anything else. If you brew one cup at a time and want a flat-bed profile alongside your cone, this is the one to add.
Why ceramic rather than plastic or glass?
Porcelain holds heat. A preheated ceramic dripper loses less energy to the brewer during the pour, which makes the temperature curve across the brew flatter and the result more repeatable. Loveramics fire their porcelain at around 1,300°C, which gives a water absorption rate under 0.5% — a non-porous body that will not stain, hold flavours from yesterday's coffee, or release anything into the cup.
It is also a material with a very long life. Clay, water and fire, with no plastics involved at any stage. We wrote more about that in Loveramics and sustainability.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Loveramics dripper a V60 alternative?
Yes. It is a cone dripper that takes the same 02-size papers, so it drops straight into a V60 routine. The difference is that you choose your flow rate by choosing a shape, rather than by changing grind or pour technique.
Are Loveramics drippers dishwasher safe?
Yes. The porcelain drippers, jugs and cups in the Brewers range are dishwasher and microwave safe, and the stainless steel stand is dishwasher safe.
How much coffee does the Brewers dripper brew?
A standard 02-size cone brew — roughly 250–500ml depending on your recipe. The 300ml Specialty Jug serves two cups; the 500ml glass jug gives you more headroom for larger brews.
Can I use the dripper stand with another brand's dripper?
Yes. The stand is designed to work with third-party drippers, with 02 size preferred.
Who designs the Loveramics Brewers range?
Simon Stevens, an award-winning British product designer who has been head of design at Loveramics since the brand started. He also designed the dripper stand and the Scandi collection.
Ready to change the body of your coffee without changing anything else? Start with the Loveramics coffee drippers.