Bee House Dripper

The Bee House is a ceramic, wedge-shaped pour-over dripper from the Japanese brand of the same name, made by Zero Japan in Mino, Gifu Prefecture. Its design was inspired by Melitta’s classic wedge brewer, with two small drain holes in a flat bottom and peek windows in the base so you can watch your cup fill. It takes ordinary wedge filters and is easy to get right. Here’s a recipe, which filters to buy and how it compares with a Melitta.

The short version

• A ceramic wedge dripper made in Mino, Japan, by Zero Japan.
• Two small holes in a flat bottom, and peek windows to watch your cup.
• Takes wedge filters: #2 or #4 for the large size.
• CoffeeHow’s recipe: 28 g coffee to 450 ml water at 92–96°C for the large size.
• Forgiving: the two holes steady the flow.

What makes the Bee House different?

• Wedge shape with a flat bottom, like a Melitta, so the coffee bed is fairly even.
• Two small drain holes, which steady the flow so your pouring matters less.
• Peek windows in the base let you see how full your cup is getting.
• Ceramic, which holds heat well once it’s warmed up.

What do you need?

• A Bee House dripper that fits your mug or carafe
• Wedge paper filters in the right size
• Coffee and a grinder
• A kettle and scales

How much coffee and water should I use?

Two published recipes:

	CoffeeHow, large	CoffeeHow, small	Prima Coffee (video), large
Coffee	28 g, medium	12–15 g, medium	20 g, medium-coarse
Water	450 ml at 92–96°C	200–240 ml at 92–96°C	300 ml
Bloom	30–40 ml, 30–45 seconds	30–40 ml, 30–45 seconds	A short bloom
Time	Not given	About 2–3 minutes	About 3–3½ minutes

Prima says the large Bee House is good for 3 to 4 cups, or brews of up to about 700 ml.

What grind size should I use?

Medium, or a touch finer for a single mug. If it drains very slowly and tastes bitter, go coarser; very fine grinds can clog the small holes. If it rushes through and tastes thin, go finer.

How do you brew with a Bee House, step by step?

1. Fold a wedge filter, set it in the dripper, rinse it and pour the water away.
2. Add 28 g of coffee, ground medium, and level it.
3. Bloom: pour 30–40 ml of water at 92–96°C and wait 30–45 seconds.
4. Pour the rest slowly in circles, from the centre outwards, until you reach 450 ml.
5. Let it drip through, watching the peek window.

Brew mode on this page times each stage for you.

What filters and sizes are there?

	Large (BKK 15L)	Small
Filters	#2 or #4 wedge filters	#1 wedge filters
Makes	3–4 cups, up to about 700 ml (Prima)	One mug, 200–240 ml (CoffeeHow)
Fits	Most mugs and carafes	Smaller mugs

Check the filter size on the box for your Bee House; a #4 gives a little extra height above the coffee.

Bee House vs other wedge and flat drippers

	Bee House	Melitta	Kalita Wave
Shape	Wedge	Wedge	Flat bottom
Holes	Two	Varies by model	Three
Material	Ceramic	Plastic, porcelain and others	Steel, glass, ceramic
Filters	Wedge (#2/#4)	Wedge (1x2/1x4)	Wave
Peek windows	Yes	No	No

How do you clean it?

Throw away the filter and grounds, then rinse or wash the ceramic. Keep the two holes clear.

General guidance only. Ceramic gets hot and can chip or crack if dropped: handle it with care and follow the instructions that come with yours.

Bee House vs other brewers

• Melitta: the wedge brewer that inspired it.
• Kalita Wave: a flat-bottomed, forgiving pour-over.
• Origami: a ribbed Japanese porcelain dripper.
• Clever Dripper: steep first, then drain.

Explore every pour-over in the pour-over chapter.