If you're a caffeine lover who dreams of the outdoors, this Stanley pour-over coffee maker is perfect for your next camping trip.
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Stanley Pour-Over Review: A Heavy-Duty Yet Lightweight Coffee Maker Built to Last
Updated on Mar. 12, 2025
You might know Stanley for its social media-famous Quencher or editor-approved Aerolight tumblers, but the brand is also popular in the coffee-making world. Heavy-duty materials, easy-to-clean features and a filter-free design ensure the Stanley Perfect Brew pour-over is ready for camping trips and busy mornings alike.
After thorough testing, we named the Stanley Perfect Brew the most durable option on our list of the best pour-over coffee makers. Here’s what you need to know about this mini-yet-mighty gadget.
What is the Stanley Classic Perfect Brew Pour-Over?
The Stanley Perfect Brew pour-over is made of stainless steel with a maximum capacity of 20 ounces, which is larger than some other pour-overs and means you can either serve multiple people or be very well-caffeinated. The overall look (including the colors it comes in) is a bit utilitarian, but its appearance is in line with its durability. Our team thought it felt solid enough to last a lifetime, and even with this hardiness, it’s still pretty light.
Unlike other pour-over coffee makers, which require paper filters, this one has its own stainless steel filter, designed to be easy to clean. That also makes it easier to take on the go—campers and hikers, take note. The pour-over works with many Stanley products, although it didn’t work with our slim Stanley coffee tumbler.
Not familiar with making pour-over coffee? It’s a manual brewing process that’s celebrated for yielding a smoother, more flavorful cup of coffee than you can achieve with coffee machines. It involves putting ground coffee into a filter and pouring hot water over, with coffee dripping through the filter. Making your cup of joe would only be easier if you used a Keurig or other single-serve coffee maker!
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Stanley Perfect Brew Pour-Over
Made of stainless steel, the Stanley pour-over should hold up for plenty of years—and brews—to come
Stanley Pour-Over Features
The Stanley Pour-Over is large, durable and versatile. At 20 ounces, it has a bigger capacity than other similar models we’ve seen. It’s stainless steel but still lightweight enough (0.6 ounces!) to travel with if you’re hitting the trails or a weekend getaway. While it’s not as pretty as competing pour-overs like the Chemex, for example, it’s guaranteed to handle the elements — busy toddlers and hyper pets included.
When it comes to cleaning, it’s pretty handy: It doesn’t require disposable filters and it’s dishwasher-safe. It’s BPA-free, too, which is a thoughtful bonus we definitely appreciate.
Lastly, if you’re already a Stanley fan and own the brand’s iconic water bottle or mugs, it’s designed to fit right on top for a breezy, hands-off process.
How We Tested the Stanley Pour-Over
Our Product Testing team set out to see if the Stanley pour-over could live up to its claim of making the perfect brew.
To start, we followed the manufacturer’s instructions to make the cup. The directions said to use 20 ounces of water with 3 to 5 tablespoons of ground coffee. We used 24 grams, ground to a medium coarseness, with 8 ounces of coffee, which comes out to one cup. We heated the water in a gooseneck kettle to 200 degrees Fahrenheit.
The instructions were very clear, dictating that you wet the grounds with about half a cup of hot water and watch them rise. This is also called blooming, a process when the grounds release carbon dioxide for a smoother cup of coffee. Once the coffee has bloomed, start at the center and move outward, pouring in the remaining hot water in a circular motion. This is a pretty standard way to make pour-over coffee. After about three to four minutes, the coffee should be done. You can remove the pour-over and enjoy.
Making coffee with the Stanley pour-over was especially simple because there wasn’t a filter to prime. The unit has water-measuring lines inside, which is helpful when filling a thermos, and while a metal tab is used as a handle, it wasn’t hot to the touch.
The end result was a very robust cup of coffee, which our team ranked as very strong. It was slightly bitter, as to be expected at that strength. A few minuscule grounds snuck into the mug—something that happened with many of the units we tested—and the temperature had dropped by 61 degrees to 139 degrees. Overall, we were impressed. It would certainly perk you up if you were making it after a night of camping.
This Stanley pour-over is very easy to hand-wash. The filter unscrews, so it’s simple to rinse out all the grounds, and then you can wipe down the interior. It’s also dishwasher safe.
Pros
- Built-in filter
- Easy to clean
- Very durable
- Large capacity
Cons
- Finer grounds can get into the mug
What Other Reviewers Had to Say
There aren’t a ton of reviews on the Stanley website (though it does currently boast a 4-star rating from 40 shoppers) but Amazon shoppers adore it. This pour-over has a 4.4 out of 5 star average rating from over 1,300 reviewers. Here’s what some buyers had to say:
“I recently purchased this product and I must say, I’m thoroughly impressed,” writes one reviewer. “The craftsmanship is excellent, evident in its sturdy build and durability. Cleaning is a breeze, making maintenance a hassle-free experience. One standout feature is its reliable performance — so far, I have not encountered any issues with clogging. Overall, a well-made, robust and easy-to-clean product that lives up to its promises. Highly recommend!”
Sheila W. had similar sentiments: “Purchased for a solo camping trip and love that it fits over any cup so I was able to use one I already own. It’s lightweight yet sturdy and I don’t have to worry about it getting broken when packed in all my cooking gear. No coffee filter needed, zero grounds in my cup and it’s easy to clean.”
Product Comparison
The Stanley Classic Perfect Brew Pour-Over is a great option, but there are tons of other pour-over models on the market. When we tested out a bunch to create our list of the best pour-over coffee makers, our favorite was the Origami Pour-Over Coffee Dripper, a decent departure from the Stanley model. In comparison, the Origami pick boasts a much more aesthetically pleasing look, but it’s also way more fragile due to its fluted ceramic design. It’s clear that each of these options is for different uses—the Stanley is better for outdoor situations while the Origami may be a pretty addition in your kitchen—with both producing delicious, robust cups of coffee. Since the Origami also requires single-use filters, we’d say the Stanley is a more versatile pick.
Price-wise, the Stanley falls in the same spot as our best budget pick, the Melitta Porcelain Pour-Over Coffeemaker. They both retail for between $20 and $25. However, the Melitta boasts a more similar design to the Origami because of its porcelain brew cone and single-use filters. It can only brew enough grounds for one cup, too, while the Stanley can handle 20 ounces, which is more or less equivalent to 4 cups of coffee.
Final Verdict
If you’re a camper, hiker or otherwise, the Stanley Classic Perfect Brew Pour-Over is a great addition to your gear. It’s simple to use and makes a robust cup of coffee that will surely perk you up after a night spent outdoors. It’s also doesn’t require disposable filters and is impressively sturdy, which means it’s strong enough to keep up with you day or night.
Where to Buy the Stanley Classic Perfect Brew Pour-Over
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Stanley Classic Perfect Brew Pour-Over
Need a sturdy pour-over that will last a lifetime? The stainless steel Stanley Perfect Brew is up to the task.
The Stanley Perfect Brew pour-over is available at Stanley’s website or Amazon for $26. You can also find a full set—which includes a mug—at REI for $45.
FAQ
How do you use a Stanley pour-over?
You use a Stanley pour-over like most other pour-over units. After grinding your coffee, put the grounds into the stainless steel filter that comes with the coffee maker. Fill it with some water to bloom the coffee, then pour in the rest of your water in a circular motion. Once the coffee has filtered out, you’re ready to start drinking.
What grind for Stanley Pour Over?
Stanley recommends using a medium grind for their pour-over, so we used 24 grams of medium ground beans for 20 ounces of water.
What is the disadvantage of pour-over coffee?
It depends on what type of coffee you like—some caffeine drinkers adore the time and process of using their pour-over, but it can be too lengthy and hands-on of a process for others.
What is the 4:6 pour-over method?
When using this method, you adjust the taste of your coffee by dividing the water in the brew in a 4:6 ratio. This means that the first 40% of water used will alter the sweetness and acidity of the coffee, while the latter 60% will modify the strength.
Why You Should Trust Us
Our expert Product Testing team put various pour-overs to the test. Each was tested in the same way, with the end result determining which made the smoothest, most flavorful cup of coffee. We followed the manufacturer’s instructions—as that’s what the average consumer would do—and noted how the cup of coffee tasted, how strong it was and how well it maintained its temperature after it was brewed. In addition to the Stanley pour-over, we also tested models from top-rated brands like Origami and Chemex.
I’m a frequent writer of product reviews and gift guides, including those that feature coffee, and I’m an even more frequent coffee drinker. I drink pour-over coffee at home, and with so many options out there, I’m always searching for products that live up to the hype and deliver the most value.
Melissa Lee, Content Updates Editor at Taste Recipes, updated and contributed to this piece. Melissa has been writing shopping guides since 2019 and is a former senior staff writer at Reviewed.
