OREA Brewer V4
Regular price $510.00
V4 is currently sold out and will be shipped from Taiwan on April 26
OREA Brewer Version 4
Details
| V4 NARROW | V4 WIDE | |
| Recommended brewing range | 12g - 28g (200ml to 460ml) | 12g - 36g (200ml to 600ml) |
| Include | - V4 Narrow funnel - 1 x CLASSIC Flat Bottom - 1 x OPEN Flat Bottom - 1 x FAST Flat Bottom - 1 x APEX Bottom - 1 x BASE - Guides |
- V4 Wide funnel |
| For Negotiator | V4 Negotiator Narrow | V4 Negotiator Wide |
| Applicable filter paper |
With Negotiator tool ↴ Without Negotiator tool ↴ |
With Negotiator tool ↴ Without Negotiator tool ↴ |
| Material | FDA & EU Approved Polypropylene (BPA-Free) + Stainless Steel Base |
FDA & EU Approved Polypropylene (BPA-Free) + Stainless Steel Base |
| Origin | Made in Taiwan | Made in Taiwan |
V4 is a coffee filter cup with replaceable brewing bases.
There were a lot of candidate brewing bases in the V4 development project. The OREA team worked hard to eliminate these excessive brewing bases because they only wanted to keep the best and most unique designs to make V4 the best brewing system.
1 System
The modular system of V4 allows you to assemble and replace different brewing bases. The connection point is set at a relatively high position of the filter cup, so that a big change in the brewing effect can be achieved by replacing small parts.
2 Geometries
V4 is still a new product with options. With the previous generation V3 Brewer we released two sizes, 155 (small) and 185 (large). With the V4 we focused on two geometries: Narrow and Wide. Both are available in size Large/185. We are currently abandoning the idea of a small coffee filter cup as we prefer the flexibility of a slightly larger cup with the same geometry. The flow rates and effects of the two geometries are very different - yes, you need to explore them carefully
73° Narrow
While the filter bowl looks a little different on the outside, the internal geometry of the V4 Narrow is the same as the V3 and V2, classic geometry.
65° Wide
Yes, this is a new geometry for the OREA filter cup. Narrower than most flat bottom coffee filters, but wider than any OREA coffee filter. We found that 65° is the sweet spot that really makes a difference for brewing coffee, with a slower flow rate than the Narrow, but not completely becoming a slow-flow coffee filter. This is a width we were happy with and it provides a very unique silhouette.
3 Each geometry has 3 different flat bottoms
2 angles of filter cup torso (narrow & wide) can be freely matched with 3 different flat bottom brewing bases. You might notice that they’re very similar to OREA’s other coffee filters, and that’s no coincidence, as those products are excellent, too.
The Classic V4 is the base of the V3-MK2, with equivalent performance and flavor characteristics. This bottom provides some restraint while keeping the bed completely flat. OREA's classic brewing base is loved all over the world and has won championships in the World Coffee Brewing Championship and many national/regional competitions.
The Open has the same design as OREA's glass series filter cups and Porcelain Brewer, but uses a V4 plastic cup body, which will bring a different contour to the coffee. This base creates a focused flow to the brew and produces a completely different flavor profile—it’s a very interesting area to explore.
The Fast This design takes all the ideas from OREA's Big Boy Brewer and brings them into the V4 system. Probably OREA's fastest-flowing and non-clogging design - giving you new options for exploring finer grinds, larger water fills or using a variety of filter papers.
4 Brewers in 1
In addition to the 3 flat soles, both torsos can be replaced with a very special APEX sole - OREA's "conical" version. The APEX is a shape worth exploring, somewhere between a cone and a flat bottom. The APEX bottom can be used with cone-shaped filters such as V60/Cafec, just follow the folding guides on the filter paper. In the V3 Brewer, the use of Flat filter paper with the Negotiator tool was loved by everyone, and it is bound to be the same in V4. They have special APEX techniques that allow you to manipulate the shape of the cone. The APEX Bottom improves on two of Drive's current brewing systems, adding a cone filter to the lineup, but APEX Brewing also brings something new to the table. In fact, you could say it's more than 4 breweries in one - depending on how you use it. But to not drive everyone crazy, we're just going to keep it simple for now.
NARROW vs WIDE
Two different filter stems will affect your extraction and brewing experience. Although both are V4, there are some differences between the two.
Volume & Capacity
The volume of WIDE is about 20% larger than NARROW due to the wider shape. So the Wide brews a slightly larger amount, up to 36 grams (2 cups), while the NARROW can handle about 28 grams (2 smaller cups). Both use the exact same size filter paper (185/large).
Speed
NARROW will always flow faster - but that doesn't mean WIDE will flow slower. Under the same brewing conditions, NARROW will brew about 30 seconds faster.
Taste profile
The brewing effects presented by the two filter cups with different angles are both very good. Wide helps to achieve better body and balance. Narrow is easier to obtain good brightness and intensity. Of course, the results are greatly influenced by technique, the chosen base, paper, and grind.
APEX brewing experience
NARROW is used with the more rounded APEX base than WIDE, which needs to be sharper due to the size of the hole and the different angle of the torso. If you're looking for clean, bright acidity, we recommend NARROW. If you are looking for a balanced and bright cup, we recommend WIDE.
Consistency
There is nothing different about these filters, they are all pretty consistent. Allowing you to get delicious cup after cup of coffee with less variation compared to other coffee filters.
APEX Brewing
APEX™ Brewing is the new thing in filter coffee – a cone combined with a flat bottom. OREA is the first to conduct a comprehensive exploration. We have been really blown away by the quality of our early testing of this new “conical” extract.
Why is it called APEX Brewing?
It's called APEX™ because we're manipulating the cone-shaped APEX -- the APEX is the tip. Using different Negotiator APEX tips (Bean Belt will be available at a later date), we are able to manipulate the APEX curve, softening or sharpening it to manipulate how conical the shape is and how the coffee shapes within it. A traditional cone filter might be too sharp – we don’t like filter paper like that anyway. It tends to bring out a strong acidity, which we’ve never really liked. With our APEX method, you can choose to round it off more or less (depending on your preference) and really precisely control how the water interacts with the coffee bed. With our rounder APEX tips, we got better coffee with clarity, rounded acidity, and the sweetness and body we love from a flat-bottomed filter. However, you may prefer the sharper APEX tip - and that's totally fine! What we can promise is that with small changes, you will taste a big difference in the cup, and that is what always motivates us.
A huge hole with airflow
The hole on the bottom of the APEX is very large. In fact, you can't brew the same way you would with a Hario V60 in an APEX system because the holes in the V60 are too small and the filter ribs get in the way. The two could never achieve the same results in these devices, which is probably why they never explored these ideas themselves.
Channels rather than ridges
OREA's APEX has channels on the bottom instead of protruding ribs to create airflow and space. We note that the use of ribs (such as the ridges in the V60 or Kono) changes the internal geometry. This seems problematic – because we like simple and consistent surfaces. Instead, we use a series of small channels around the base of the APEX to maintain the exact geometry of the inside of the brewer at 73 or 65 degrees.
Flat walls for lower bypass
We continue to use a flat cup wall and use faster geometry and smart airflow to bring the same extraction concepts from the V3 / V3-MK2 to the tapered experience of the APEX.
Can I use a V60/Cafec filter in the bottom of an APEX?
Yes - you can use a traditional cone filter in the bottom of the APEX with a simple fold. The folds need to follow our unique geometry because OREA's filter cup is not a 60° cone like traditional ones. We do recommend these traditional papers more for WIDE as they are a bit too long and pointy on our NARROW - but feel free to explore.
Is the V4 with the APEX bottom just a cone coffee filter?
That’s not the case – but for many people it might be. This is our specific interpretation of the cone method, but we prefer it with our specific APEX tips, Flat filter paper, and Negotiator. As a new approach, it's more exciting than the traditional cone method - which, of course, works too!
Modular without the modular feeling
When we took on the challenge of making a modular coffee filter, we really didn’t want it to feel modular. Sometimes, modular products feel too … modular. We don’t want this to come across as gimmicky in any way. Every time you configure it, it looks and feels like a regular filter cup — no modular feel. If you prefer to use a base most of the time, you will never see the filter cup as a modular object, just like a specific brewer. All connection points are solid threaded, and they interlock with the base's hidden connections. Each combination is stunning in its own right, which is so important to us that it’s hard to convey with words alone. The V4 doesn’t feel modular — it feels like a solid filter with options for when you need them.
A full-metal base
The stunning metal base is machined from stainless steel and holds the entire filter together. It's a good choice between the metal V2 (if you have it) and the plastic V3, nostalgia included. It brings a nice premium weight to the filter cup which we absolutely love.
High-impact Polypropylene
The plastic part of the filter cup (cup body and base) is made of high-strength polypropylene, is BPA-free and approved for food safety by FDA (US Food and Drug Administration - government agency) and EU standards. This is the same material as the V3-MK2 and Big Boy.
A matte-black finish
Currently, the V4 is only available in matte black, which is the same durable matte finish as the Big Boy and V3-MK2 filters.
Guides in the box
As usual, you'll find helpful brew recipes in the box with the V4, tailored for the different bases in your system. We will also be rebuilding our guides section to better support the new versatility before these products ship.