The Pegasus Dripper: Pour-Over Without the Learning Curve

The Hario Pegasus is a trapezoid pour-over dripper with two drain holes and V60-style spiral ribs. The twin holes slow and steady the flow, so an uneven pour affects the result less than it would in a single-hole cone, which makes it a more forgiving first pour-over. Sizes 01, 02 and 03 brew roughly one to two, one to four, and three to six cups. It takes Pegasus papers, not V60 cones.

The usual advice for someone starting pour-over is buy a V60, then spend three months learning to pour properly. That's fine if you enjoy the process. If you just want a decent cup on a Tuesday morning, it's a lot to ask.

The Pegasus exists for the Tuesday morning. It's £7.20, which is less than a bag of beans.

What's different about it

Two things, and they pull in the same direction.

It's a trapezoid rather than a cone, with two smallish holes in a flat base instead of one big one. Two restricted holes meter the flow rather than leaving it entirely to you, so if your pour wanders, the dripper absorbs some of that instead of passing it straight into the cup. You lose a bit of the top-end control a V60 gives you. In exchange, your bad brews get considerably less bad.

Then it keeps the V60's spiral ribs, which hold the paper off the wall so air escapes as the bed drains. That's the part Hario didn't compromise on, and it's why the Pegasus tastes like a Hario dripper rather than a generic supermarket cone.

A first recipe

12 g of coffee to 200 g of water, ground medium, water at 92 to 94 °C. 

1. Rinse the paper, tip the water away.
2. Add the coffee, shake it level.
3. Pour 30 g, wait 30 seconds for the bloom.
4. Pour to 120 g, pause, let it drop.
5. Pour to 200 g.
6. Done by about 2:30.

The flat bed is more tolerant of a wobbly pour than a cone is, but the same rule applies: don't pour onto the paper.

Pegasus or V60?

Buy the Pegasus if this is your first pour-over, if you're setting up a second brewer at work, or if someone else in the house makes coffee and you'd rather it came out drinkable. Buy the V60 if you want to chase the last bit of clarity and you enjoy adjusting variables.

They're £9 and £7.20. Plenty of people own both.

Sizes and papers

Size 01 at £7.20 does one to two cups, size 02 at £8 does one to four, and size 03 at £11.20 goes to six.

The one thing to remember: it needs Pegasus papers, which are trapezoid. V60 cones won't sit in it. Matching Pegasus servers run from £11.50 for the 300 ml to £20 for the 600 ml.

If you want to sharpen up the fundamentals, our six tips for better pour-over apply to any dripper.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Hario Pegasus better than the V60 for beginners?
Generally yes. The twin-hole design meters the flow, so an uneven pour has less effect on the finished cup.

Can I use V60 filter papers in a Pegasus dripper?
No. The Pegasus is a trapezoid and needs Pegasus papers. V60 cones won't seat correctly.

What coffee-to-water ratio should I use with the Pegasus?
Start at 12 g to 200 g, which is about 1:16.

What size Pegasus dripper do I need?
01 for one to two cups, 02 for one to four, 03 for up to six. Most people want the 02.