Orea Brewer V4

Note: There is a misprint on the Orea V4 WIDE box. It states that capacity is 12g - 28g. The correct capacity is 12g to 36g. 

Let's evolve - again

Every version of the OREA Brewer has been quite revolutionary. Each time we evolve, we bring new ideas forward. To get a new version name, the change has to be quite drastic. With the V4, we think we have really made something industry-leading and future-proof and we hope you will agree.

Not a brewer - a system

The V4 is far more than a brewer. V4 is a system - a system that currently supports 8 brewing devices, in two tidy packages. A system we can build upon, over time. We think it is so good that we may never have to make a V5, but time will tell.

0 Bullsh*t

Everything in this system has been thoroughly tested. If an item exists as part of the system, it means it was significantly different than the other and warranted a place in the system. We tried hard to eliminate components as each component ads cost (we are a small business) - and we settled on our best and most unique designs to kickstart the best system in coffee brewing. It was simply not possible to eliminate more - we just loved all of these options!

1 System

The V4 uses a modular system to attach and remove different bottoms. We made the connection point quite high on the brewer so that we can really make meaningful changes to how the bottoms are designed. This is not modularity for modularity sake - we are not changing meaningless things. Rather, this is a system that allows you to make big changes with small parts. It was not easy to design, and we are sure many will copy these ideas, but they will never be as good as the original.

2 Geometries

We like to launch new products with options. It's part of what we enjoy about the process of designing and exploring these products. In the V3 Brewer we released two sizes, 155 and 185. In the V4 we focus on two geometries: Narrow and Wide. Both are sized "Large / 185". For now, we are abandoning the idea of tiny brewers, because we prefer the flexibility of a slightly bigger body with the same geometry. The flow rates and cup profiles of the two geometries are very different - we really think you will love exploring this.

73° Narrow - our classic geometry. While the brewer looks a bit different on the outside, the Narrow V4 has the same geometry inside as the V3 & V2.

65° Wide - a new geometry for us. Narrower than most, but wider than our classic. We found this a sweet spot for really making a difference but not quite becoming a slow bowl. It's a width we are comfortable with and it provides a very unique profile.

3 Flat Bottoms in each geometry

Each geometry has 3 different flat bottoms. You may notice they are very similar to all of the other brewers we just released too, and this is not a coincidence.

The Classic - a V3 MK2 bottom in the V4, for an equivalent performance and flavour profile. This bottom provides some restriction while keeping the bed perfectly flat. Our vintage approach, loved around the world.

The Open - the same design as our Glass Series OPEN brewer but in the V4 plastic body, which will give a different profile. This bottom will focus flow centrally and produce a different flavour profile entirely - a great one to explore.

The Fast - this design takes all of the ideas we explored in the new Big Boy Brewer and brings these into the V4 system. An unclogable design, and probably our fastest - giving new options for those wanting to explore grinding finer, pouring bigger, or playing with many paper types.

4 Brewers in 1

Besides the 3 flat bottoms, each geometry comes with an APEX bottom - our version of "conical". The APEX is a new space to explore, between conical and flat, and there is a lot more information about this new style of brewing below. The APEX bottom works with conical papers like the V60/Cafec/etc provided you follow a folding guide. However, we really love it with our flat papers and V4 Negotiators that have special APEX tips to help you manipulate the shape of the cone. The APEX bottom completes the current system for each geometry, brining a conical brewer to the lineup, but also something new with APEX brewing. In reality, you can say it's more than 4 brewers in one - depending how you use it. But we'll just keep it simple for the sake of everyone's sanity.

Award-winning before it even shipped

We are humbled to find out that the V4 was awarded the prestigious European Product Design Award as a winner in the Homeware, Coffee and Tea category. While we design products for coffee nerds rather than product designers, we were really happy to see that some of the best minds in the European design community agree that this design is indeed not rubbish! That surely has to count for something right? Jokes aside - we invested a lot of time, effort and money to make this complex product happen and we are thrilled to have some early recognition for that work.

NARROW vs WIDE

Geometry impacts the characteristics of the brew and your brewing experience. While we like them both, there are some differences between the two.

Volume & Capacity

The WIDE OREA V4 has about 20% more volume than the NARROW OREA V4. This is simply due to the wider geometry. The WIDE OREA V4 can handle slightly larger brews, up to 36g (2 cups), while the NARROW OREA V4 shines until about 28g (2 smaller cups). They both use the exact same paper sizes (185 / Large).

Speed

The NARROW OREA V4 will always be faster - but this does not mean that the WIDE OREA V4 is slow. When brewing under the same conditions, the NARROW OREA V4 tends to draw down about 30 seconds faster.

Taste profile

Both geometries produce great results in the cup, with the WIDE versions favouring more body and balance, while the NARROW versions more brightness and intensity. The results are of course impacted greatly by technique, the chosen bottoms, paper, and grind.

APEX brewing experience

The NARROW OREA V4 will work with rounder APEX bottoms than the WIDE, which needs to be sharper due to the hole size and geometry. If you are in search of clean, bright acidity, we recommend the NARROW. If you are in search of balanced and bright cups, we recommend the WIDE.

Consistency, consistency, consistency

One area these brewers do not differ from each-other is in their consistency. Delicious cup after cup with less variance than other devices.

APEX Brewing

APEX™ brewing is something new to filter coffee - a space between conical and flat where we are the first to explore fully. What we can say is that we were really blown away from early testing in the quality of extractions you can achieve with this new style of "conical".

Why is it called APEX brewing?

We call it APEX™ because we are manipulating the APEX of the cone shape - the APEX being the pointy end. With different Negotiator APEX tips, we are able to manipulate the APEX curve, softening or sharpening it in order to manipulate how conical the shape is and how coffee shapes within it. A traditional conical filter is perhaps too sharp - for our liking anyway. It tends to bring out sharp acidity, in a profile we never really loved. With our APEX method, you have the option to round this off, more or less - depending what you like - and really manipulate quite precisely how you allow the water to interact with the bed of coffee. With our rounder APEX tips, we find the holy grail of clarity, round acidity, with the sweetness and body we love from our flat bottoms. You may prefer the sharper APEX tips though - which is totally ok! What we can promise is that with small changes you will taste a big difference in the cup, and that's what always motivates us.

A huge hole, with airflow

The APEX bottom holes are very large. In fact, one cannot replicate APEX brewing on a classic V60, because the hole is too small and the ridges get in the way. You will never be able to achieve the same result in those devices, which is probably why they never explored these ideas themselves.

Channels rather than ridges

Our APEX bottoms have channels rather than protruding ridges to create airflow and space. We noticed that the use of ridges (that sick out - like in a V60 or Kono for instance) alter the inner geometry. This seems problematic - as we like simple and consistent surfaces. We instead use a series of small channels around the APEX bottom, which maintains the exact geometry of the inner side of the brewer at 73 or 65 degrees.

Flat walls for lower bypass

We maintain our flat walls, but keep use of faster geometry and smart airflow to bring the same brewing ideas from our V3 / V3 MK2 into a conical experience with APEX.

Can I use V60/Cafec filters on the APEX bottom?

Yes - with a simple fold, you can use traditional conical filters on the APEX bottoms. The fold is required to adhere to our unique geometry as our brewers are not 60° like traditional conicals. We do recommend these traditional papers more for our Wide geometry as they are a bit too long and pointy on our Narrow - but you can feel free to explore.

Is the V4 with the APEX bottom just a conical brewer?

Not really - but it can be for many. It is our specific interpretation of the conical method, but we much prefer it with our specific APEX tips, flat paper, and the Negotiator. As a new method, it's more exciting for us than used as a traditional conical - which works too of course!