With the Cafellissimo you will never need to worry about pesky paper filters again! While it's a more significant investment up front, you won't have to purchase a separate component that creates paper waste constantly. Yes, you need a little water to clean, but it's a small price to pay for a beautiful dripper that delivers an excellent cup of coffee.
Performance Comparison
The Cafellissimo was one of our favorite all-around brew methods.
Brew Features
This metal perforated cone requires no filters. While you may expect coffee to pour out the sides, it most certainly doesn't. The Cafellissimo pours at roughly the same speed as the V60. These two drippers have about equal extraction times.
The Cafellissimo delivers great taste with no filter.
Taste
In side-by-side tests, we had a hard time telling the difference between this brewer and the V60. Both scored at the top for taste, consistently delivering clean and luscious cups, far better than other cone pour over options.
The AeroPress, our Top Pick for Gourmet Taste, edged out a win for this category, but it was a close race and, depending on personal preference, an arguable one.
Hot water and plastic
More studies link hot water and plastic to health issues. The Cafellissimo was one of the few options in our tests that did not involve pouring hot water through plastic, something we saw as a definite bonus.
Group Cooking
This is a decent option for group cooking scenarios. Load it to the brim with grounds, and you can make coffee for four people. That said, the V60 scored a little higher because it's even easier to load up.
If you want an excellent option for larger groups, the Bialetti Moka Express 9-cup was our Top Pick for Large Groups. It brews up concentrated stovetop espresso quickly, and each person can then add any amount of milk or water they want to get their perfect beverage.
Ease of Use
While the Cafellissimo requires no buying or packing of filters, it will take some extra time, care, and water to clean after each use. The V60 scored a bit higher in this category because clean up just requires lifting out the filter and throwing everything away.
However, if you don't care about thoroughly cleaning out this brewer after each use, you don't have to — bang the cone at the edge of a trash can and carry on. Though it takes a fair bit of time, we recommend completely cleaning out the filter so it doesn't become clogged with oils over time. That will really mess up your brew.
Filterless options like the Cafelissimo require cleaning after each use. How much time and water is dependent on your personal cleanliness standards.
Portability
This is a non-collapsible cone, meaning it's bulky compared to other options if you're stuffing everything in a backpack. That said, with a little ingenuity, you can clip it to the outside of your pack and be merrily along your way.
Weight
At 3.3 ounces, this is a touch heavier than the V60. However, if you add in the weight of the filters you will need, then they are about the same. Our ten filters weighed 0.4 ounces. And, if you like using the little plastic scoop that comes with the V60, that setup will end up marginally heavier than the Cafellissimo, even though it's plastic.
Overall, 3.3 ounces is very light for camping, especially for something stainless steel. For backpacking it's still light, but not ultralight like the Primula Single Serve or GSI Ultralight Java Drip.
Conclusion
If you're looking for something light, easy to use, and practically zero-waste, then the Cafellissimo is a stellar option. Earning top scores in our taste tests and sharing an Editors' Choice award with the iconic V60, this dripper is a solid investment that will serve you well for the long haul.
