Hario Mizudashi Cold Brew Coffee Maker In-depth Review
Overall Verdict
The Hario brand is a respected name for quality coffeeware. For this reason, we chose to do a hands-on review of their cold brew coffee maker, the Hario Mizudashi. Though the device looks nice, we found the Hario brew quality weak, the flavor sub-par, and the design flawed. In particular, since the brew decanter isn’t airtight, it’s not a great thing to have in your refrigerator. While many of Hario’s products are top class, we do not recommend the Mizudashi as a worthwhile cold brew coffee maker.
Things We Like
- Attractive brew decanter
- Easy-to-clean filter
- Color choice
- Hot or cold brewing
Things We Don’t Like
- Not airtight
- Odor contamination
- Poor brew quality
The Hario Mizudashi is an attractive cold coffee brewer. It’s quite slender, tall, and purportedly made from heat-proof glass. It has a simple immersion filter made from polyester resin and polypropylene plastic. Although recommended for cold brew, it can also be used for hot brewing, including tea.
6.5 Brew Quality
The Hario Mizudashi was an overall poor performer. The brew lacked complexity and had an overall sourish taste. This was largely down to a short filter, a poor brew ratio, and a non-airtight vessel. One way to improve the brew quality would be hot blooming where you pour hot water over the grounds and allow to bloom for 30 to 40 seconds before pouring cold water.
7.0 Bouquet
After 18 hours of brewing, the bouquet produced by the Hario Mizudashi can best be described as medium strength. The brew brought out a dominant nuttiness, but with underlying bitter and resinous notes. Sweet notes were very understated.
6.0 Drinkability
Compared to other cold brew coffee makers we tested, the Hario output tasted like a low-grade coffee. There was no real distinction to it and the texture was not smooth. We detected a mild woodiness indicating an under-extracted brew. With dilution, it tasted somewhat watery and sour with a bitter aftertaste.
8.0 Sediment
The Hario produced noticeable sediment, but most of it is relatively fine with only a few large granules present. The filter worked well, but at the same time its design may be a compromise for the poor quality of the brew.
7.2 Design
The Hario scored well for its build quality, but it fell short on the key fundamentals of the lid and filter design. Overall, the design did not contribute to producing a good quality brew.
In the Box
- Brew decanter
- Detachable filter
- Manual
The Hario Mizudashi comes in a very nice box. On the side are simple instructions highlighting its key features. There is no unnecessary plastic covering, and inside you find the decanter, detachable filter, and a handy instruction manual.
Decanter
The Hario Mizudashi brew decanter is quite attractive in its design and this is a key reason why people choose to buy it. It fits easily into the door of even a small refrigerator and looks good on the table. The handle is fixed to the glass and cannot detach and there are a number of colors to choose from.
7.0 Stopper / Lid
While we liked the slender and practical design of the Hario Mizudashi decanter, the lid design is not completely airtight. This we thought to be a fundamental design flaw especially for odor contamination in the refrigerator and excess oxidation while brewing. The lid itself has a snap mechanism so it doesn’t slip off accidentally.
6.0 Filter
The best thing about the filter is the removable bottom which makes it easy to clean. Additionally, it’s small, stores away easily, and appears to be of high quality. However, the relatively short length of the filter and its lack of porousness created a weak and rather sourish brew.
9.0 Build Quality
The Hario Mizudashi is well built. The brew decanter is elegant and the plastic parts fit well. The filter is also easy to clean thanks to its removable end cap. However, the design is flawed in the short length of the filter and the non-airtight lid.
9.7 Ease of Use
The Hario Mizudashi is really easy to use because it requires little effort. Additionally, it is easy to brew without having to measure out the grounds or water. The tall size is a little troublesome when hand washing, but everything is dishwasher safe. Our key issue, however, is with the non-airtight design.
10 Brewing
Brewing with the Hario Mizudashi is very straightforward. You don’t immerse the filter into water, but instead gradually pour water over the grounds once the filter is put in place. After pouring, you mix the grounds around a little.
There’s no real need for measuring. The prescribed 80g of coffee more or less reaches the top of the visible portion of the filter. You then add water until it reaches the level of the plastic neck.
10 Decanting
Decanting is about as effortless as brewing. You simply pop the lid off and remove the filter. You may want to leave the filter at an angle in a glass to catch any remaining concentrate as it drips out.
8.5 Cleaning and Storage
One thing the Hario Mizudashi has going for it is the practical filter design. The bottom comes off so it was very easy to clean. The slender brew decanter is too narrow and long for hand cleaning, but you can use a brush. All parts are also dishwasher safe. Once everything’s dry, store it fully assembled. Its height is the main concern when it comes to storage.
Compared to Other Cold Brew Coffee Makers
The Hario Mizudashi is the only cold brew coffee maker we tested that isn’t airtight. Additionally, as detailed, the filter is too short, and the brew ratio unfavorable. If you specifically need a jug type brewer for the door of a refrigerator, there are a number of options.
Coffee Gator is a good brewer for a small refrigerator even though the brew quality is a little below average. Alternatively, for better quality brew strength we recommend the County Line Kitchen mason jar brewers. For a full listing of other brewers, see our selection of the best cold brew coffee makers.