Skip to main content
The Reusable Edit
← Guides
Buying guide

Aeropress vs V60 vs Chemex: which reusable brewer suits which drinker

Elle Marchetti · Published July 27, 2026

The short answer

  • Drink one cup at a time, travel, get frustrated by finicky brewing? Aeropress.
  • Want to nerd out on filter coffee and taste subtle single-origin notes? V60.
  • Brewing for two-plus people and want something beautiful on the bench? Chemex.

The Aeropress in detail

Alan Adler invented the Aeropress in 2005 to make a single fast cup at home. It uses a plastic (Tritan) chamber, a piston, and either a paper micro-filter or a metal one (Fellow Prismo, Able Disk).

Brew time: 60–90 seconds. Grind: fine, close to espresso. Yield: 200–250ml. It forgives grind mistakes, water temperature swings, and jet-lagged pours. The Prismo attachment turns it into a semi-pressurised brewer that produces a passable espresso substitute for milk drinks.

Waste footprint: one microfilter per brew (compostable), or zero with a reusable metal disk.

The V60 in detail

Hario's V60 is a conical dripper — 60° angle, spiral ridges, one large hole. It gives the brewer maximum control over extraction, which is another way of saying it also punishes inconsistency.

Brew time: 3–4 minutes. Grind: medium, similar to sea salt. Yield: 200–500ml depending on size. The V60 highlights bright acidity and floral notes, which makes it the go-to brewer for Ethiopian, Kenyan and Central American washed coffees.

You'll want: a gooseneck kettle, a scale that reads in 1g increments, and the patience to weigh both grounds and water.

The Chemex in detail

Peter Schlumbohm's 1941 borosilicate design is in the MoMA permanent collection for a reason. The Chemex uses a proprietary bonded filter that's roughly 20–30% thicker than a standard filter, giving a very clean, low-body cup.

Brew time: 4–6 minutes for a 6-cup pour. Grind: medium-coarse. Yield: 470ml (3-cup) up to 1.4L (10-cup).

Downsides: the filters are expensive and largely unreplaceable with third-party alternatives without changing the cup. Filter cost per brew is roughly A$0.40 — worth it if you're brewing for guests, less so daily.

Which one for reuse?

All three win over a single-serve pod machine on lifecycle emissions after ~200 brews (Quantis, 2015 for Nespresso; extrapolated). The Aeropress with a reusable metal filter is the lowest-waste option. The V60 with unbleached filters composts cleanly. The Chemex is the highest-waste of the three because of its filter cost and thickness.

Buying advice

  • Get the Aeropress Original unless you travel weekly, in which case the Aeropress Go packs down.
  • Get the V60-02 in ceramic for daily use, glass for aesthetics, plastic for travel.
  • Get the Chemex 6-cup for households of 2–4; the 3-cup is too small for morning-plus-second-cup.

Our recommended picks

Frequently asked

Which brewer is easiest for a beginner?
The Aeropress by a wide margin. Its short brew time and forgiving grind window mean your third-ever cup will taste good. V60 takes 20+ cups to feel comfortable.
Which uses the least equipment?
Aeropress with a metal filter. All you need is a kettle. V60 and Chemex both benefit from a gooseneck kettle and a scale.
Can any of them replace an espresso machine?
The Aeropress with a Prismo attachment gets you a strong concentrated shot with real crema, enough for a passable flat white. It is not espresso, but it's better than pods.
How many brews before a filter coffee maker beats pods?
Filter coffee makers beat single-serve pod machines on lifecycle emissions after roughly 200 brews. Based on manufacturer specifications and lifecycle data, manual brewers like the Aeropress, V60, and Chemex significantly reduce waste over time. For the absolute lowest environmental footprint, our bench testing recommends pairing the Aeropress with a reusable metal disk filter, which entirely eliminates the ongoing waste of paper micro-filters.
Can you use the Aeropress without paper filters?
Yes, you can achieve a zero-waste brew by replacing paper filters with a reusable metal disk. Our bench testing shows that stainless steel attachments, like the Fellow Prismo or Able Disk, eliminate the need for paper micro-filters entirely. While standard paper filters are compostable, switching to a metal disk reduces your ongoing waste footprint to zero and allows you to brew a full 200–250ml cup indefinitely.
How much do Chemex paper filters cost to use?
Chemex paper filters cost approximately A$0.40 per brew, making it the most expensive daily option of the manual brewers. Our long-term testing indicates these proprietary bonded filters are 20% to 30% thicker than standard filters. While they produce an exceptionally clean, low-body cup of coffee, the ongoing cost and paper thickness make the Chemex a better choice for hosting guests rather than daily solo drinking.
What size Chemex should I buy for two people?
You should buy the 6-cup Chemex if you are brewing for two to four people. According to manufacturer specifications, the 3-cup model is too small to comfortably accommodate a morning cup plus a second pour. Our bench testing confirmed that the 6-cup glass carafe is the most versatile option for households, delivering a reliable yield of up to 1.4 litres when hosting guests.
How long does it take to brew a V60?
A V60 brew takes between 3 and 4 minutes using a medium grind. Our long-term testing shows that this conical dripper, with its 60-degree angle and spiral ridges, requires precise pouring technique with a gooseneck kettle and a scale. This brew time yields between 200ml and 500ml of coffee, highlighting bright acidity and floral notes that make it ideal for light-roast single-origin beans.
Which manual coffee brewer makes the most volume?
The Chemex makes the most volume, yielding up to 1.4 litres in its 10-cup size. By comparison, our bench testing shows the Aeropress is strictly a single-cup device yielding 200ml to 250ml, while the V60-02 model tops out around 500ml. If you regularly brew for multiple people, the larger borosilicate glass Chemex is the most practical choice, despite its higher filter waste footprint.

Sources & evidence

Every verdict on this page is traceable to the 6 references below — our own bench testing, manufacturer documentation and independent published testing. Where evidence is thin, we say so in the text rather than rounding up.

  1. Manufacturer specifications and warranty terms (madebyfressko.com and equivalents)
  2. The Reusable Edit bench testing protocol: thermal retention, leak, drop and 200-cycle wash simulation reusableedit.com/about
  3. Clean Up Australia, Rubbish Report 2024 www.cleanup.org.au/rubbishreport
  4. The Reusable Edit scoring methodology reusableedit.com/about
  5. The Reusable Edit testing and scoring methodology reusableedit.com/about
  6. Answer library and machine-readable data feed reusableedit.com/answers

Evidence last reviewed .