Orea Z1 Brew Guide

A Simple Orea Z1 Recipe for Sweet, Clean Filter Coffee

The Orea Z1 is one of the most exciting coffee brewers I've used in years. It's compact, beautifully designed and surprisingly forgiving, producing incredibly sweet, balanced cups without demanding perfect pouring technique.

Unlike many traditional pour over brewers, the Z1 is designed to encourage even extraction and minimise bypass, making it easier to brew consistently delicious coffee at home. Whether you're just getting into speciality coffee or you've been brewing for years, it's a brewer that rewards simplicity.

After experimenting with several recipes, this is the one I keep coming back to. It's easy to repeat, works across a wide range of washed and natural coffees, and consistently produces cups with excellent sweetness, clarity and body.

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Brewing Speciality coffee beans in Bond Street Coffee, with the Orea Z1 pour over filter coffee brewer

What You'll Need

  • Orea Z1 Brewer
  • Orea Z1 Filter Paper
  • Fresh speciality coffee
  • Burr grinder
  • Scales
  • Gooseneck kettle
  • Timer
Check out our Speciality Coffee Beans
Using a Rao Spin to agitate the Orea Z1 speciality coffee brewer

My Orea Z1 Recipe

Coffee

15g

Water

250g

Water Temperature

96°C

Grind Size

Medium, similar to a V60 but very slightly coarser.

Brew Time

Approximately 2:45–3:15

Brewing Method

1. Rinse the Filter

Place the paper into the brewer and rinse thoroughly with hot water. This removes any paper flavour while preheating your brewer and cup.

Discard the rinse water.

2. Add Your Coffee

Grind 15g of coffee and gently level the bed.

3. Bloom

Start your timer and pour 50g of water.

Give the brewer a gentle swirl to ensure all of the coffee is saturated.

Wait until 45 seconds.

4. Second Pour

Slowly pour up to 150g using gentle circular pours.

Allow the water to draw down until it is almost level with the coffee bed.

5. Final Pour

Finish pouring to 250g.

Again, let the brewer drain naturally without rushing.

Your total brew should finish in around three minutes.

Founder of Freda Coffee, Brewing with the Orea Z1 speciality coffee brewer

How Should It Taste?

When everything is dialled in, the Orea Z1 produces coffee with wonderful sweetness and clarity.

You should expect:

  • Clean, well-defined flavours
  • Rounded sweetness
  • Smooth body
  • Excellent balance
  • Very little bitterness

Compared to a V60, I often find the Z1 produces a slightly sweeter, fuller cup while still keeping plenty of clarity.

Pouring coffee in Bond Street Coffee, Brighton UK, Speciality Coffee Shop

Adjusting Your Brew

One of the best things about the Z1 is how easy it is to dial in.

If your coffee tastes sour

Try grinding a little finer or extending the brew slightly.

If your coffee tastes bitter

Grind slightly coarser or reduce the water temperature by a degree or two.

If your brew runs very slowly

Your grind is probably too fine, particularly with coffees that produce lots of fines.

Small grind adjustments usually make a much bigger difference than changing your pouring technique.

Why I Bought the Orea Z1

I already owned the Next Level Pulsar, which I still think is one of the best zero bypass brewers available. So when the Orea Z1 was released, I wasn't sure whether I really needed another brewer.

It didn't take long to realise it filled a different role.

The biggest advantage for me is its size. The Z1 is much more compact than the Pulsar, making it ideal when I just want to brew a single mug of coffee. Most mornings I'll brew around 15g of coffee to 250g of water, which gives me a delicious cup while using noticeably less coffee and caffeine than the 22g brews I often make with the Pulsar.

As someone who drinks a lot of coffee throughout the day, that's become a genuine benefit. I can still enjoy several brews without overdoing the caffeine.

Another feature I really enjoy is the Melodrip dispersion screen that sits on top of the coffee bed. Rather than pouring directly onto the grounds, the water is gently spread across the surface, reducing agitation and helping create a more even extraction. It makes brewing feel incredibly consistent, even if your pouring technique isn't perfect.

Like other zero bypass brewers, the Orea Z1 is designed to keep all of the brewing water passing through the coffee rather than escaping around the filter. The result is a cup with excellent sweetness, clarity and balance, while still being remarkably forgiving to brew.

For me, the Orea Z1 hasn't replaced the Pulsar. Instead, it's become the brewer I reach for most often when I want one excellent cup of filter coffee. It's quick to set up, easy to dial in and produces consistently delicious coffee with very little fuss.

If you're looking for a compact zero bypass brewer that's simple to use and capable of making exceptionally sweet, balanced filter coffee, the Orea Z1 is well worth considering.

Why I Enjoy Brewing with the Orea Z1

There are plenty of fantastic brewers available today, but the Z1 has become one I reach for regularly.

What I enjoy most is how consistent it feels. Because the brewer is designed to promote even water flow, it removes much of the inconsistency that can sometimes creep into manual pour over brewing.

The workflow is simple, the brewer is lightweight enough to travel with, and it's capable of producing cups that rival much more complicated brewing methods.

Whether I'm brewing one of our chocolatey South American coffees like Black Dog or a bright, fruity washed Ethiopian coffee, the Z1 consistently produces sweet, balanced results.

For anyone looking for an easy way to brew better filter coffee at home, it's a brewer I'd happily recommend.

Buy an Orea Z1

Orea Z1 Brew Guide FAQs

What grind size should I use for the Orea Z1?

Start with a medium grind, slightly coarser than you might use for a Hario V60. If your coffee tastes sour, grind finer. If it tastes bitter or the brew stalls, grind a little coarser.

What is the best coffee for the Orea Z1?

The Z1 works brilliantly with washed coffees, highlighting sweetness and clarity, but it also performs very well with naturally processed coffees. Freshly roasted speciality coffee will always give the best results.

How long should an Orea Z1 brew take?

Around 2:45 to 3:15 is a great starting point. Don't chase an exact brew time though—taste should always guide your adjustments.

Is the Orea Z1 good for beginners?

Absolutely. While it offers plenty of room to experiment, it's also one of the easiest brewers to make consistently good coffee with thanks to its forgiving design and straightforward workflow.

Can I use the Orea Z1 every day?

Definitely. Its compact size, quick workflow and consistent results make it an excellent everyday brewer for anyone who enjoys filter coffee.