Although today drip is associated with the modernity and aesthetics of specialty coffee, its history dates back to the early 20th century. It's a method born from a need for simplicity and purity of flavor, and over time, it became a symbol of conscious coffee brewing. Before it became an icon of minimalist coffee shops, drip was a homebrew—born of intuition, patience, and a pursuit of perfection in the cup.

Beginnings: From Cardboard to the Taste Revolution

The German woman Melitta Bentz is considered the inventor of the drip filter. In 1908, she came up with the idea of ​​filtering coffee through paper. Tired of coffee grounds in her cup, she pierced the bottom of a brass mug with a nail and lined it with a page from her son's notebook. The experiment was a success: the coffee was clear, devoid of bitterness and residue. Thus was born the first paper filter—and with it, the Melitta company, which soon revolutionized home coffee brewing.

It was then that the history of drip coffee began—though the terms "pour-over" or "hand drip" themselves emerged much later. Initially used primarily in German households, the method eventually spread throughout Europe, and after World War II, it reached Japan and the United States.

Japanese Drip: Precision, Peace, and Aesthetics

True drip culture, as we know it today, was born in Japan. It was there, in the 1950s and 1960s, that manual coffee brewing became almost a ritual—a combination of craftsmanship, silence, and control over every element of the process. In 1957, the Japanese company Hario introduced the legendary V60—a cone-shaped vessel with a single, large opening and spiral grooves inside.

The V60 defined the modern drip. Its design allowed for precise control of water flow, thus extracting the full spectrum of flavors from the coffee—from juicy acidity to velvety sweetness. It was this simplicity, combined with scientific precision, that made the drip a symbol of a new coffee culture: mindful, pure, and sensual.

Drip in the era of specialty coffee

When the third wave of coffee began at the turn of the 21st century, drip coffee experienced a renaissance. Baristas and coffee lovers alike sought methods that emphasized the individual character of the beans—their terroir, processing, freshness, and roast profile.

Drip coffee perfectly aligned with this philosophy. It became a tool that allowed for the discovery of nuances—the lightness of fruity notes in Ethiopia, the chocolate depth in Guatemala, or the jasmine finesse in Kenya. Every parameter—temperature, weight, pouring speed—became part of a conscious experience. Drip brewing is not just a technique, but a way of engaging with coffee: slow, focused, and full of sensual pleasure.

Why has drip stood the test of time?

More than a century after its invention, the Melitta Bentz drip still impresses with its simplicity. It requires no electricity, sophisticated machinery, or pressure—just coffee, a filter, a kettle, and a little patience. It's a method that teaches mindfulness, allows you to celebrate the everyday, and gives you something incredibly valuable in return: a cup of pure, clear flavor.

Today, drip coffee is not just a method of brewing, but a symbol—a return to the origins, to simplicity, to an authentic connection with coffee. From notebook pages to elegant ceramic cones, its history shows that sometimes the greatest revolutions begin with the simplest ideas.