Which brewers & extraction tools are baristas using today?

Key takeaways

Baristas are using new coffee brewers to gain tighter control over extraction variables.
Competitions such as WBrC drive the adoption of hybrid brewers like the Hario Switch.
WDT tools have become standard at the WBC.
Future tools will prioritise data-driven precision with simpler interfaces.

Every year, more manual brewers and extraction gadgets appear at coffee competitions and trade shows. Eventually, many of them also find their way into coffee shops and home barista setups.

We’ve seen hybrid brewers, drip assist devices, WDT tools, and more become increasingly popular in recent years. The reason is simple, but underlyingly complex: baristas want more control over as many extraction variables as possible.

Brewers and devices that allow users to adjust flow rate, temperature, and particle size distribution, among other parameters, are helping elevate both the brewing and drinking experience.

“For coffee professionals, brewing tools are more than just equipment; they are an extension of precision and control,” says Sherry Hsu, the 2022 World Brewers Cup Champion and founder of Sherry Selection. “They provide stable flow rates, precise temperature control, and uniform extraction.

“Investing in these tools helps minimise human error. More importantly, these innovations allow us to push the boundaries of extraction, helping us translate the potential of each coffee into a more consistent, beautiful sensory experience,” she adds.

New products also support recipe development, allowing baristas and competitors to accelerate and deepen their understanding of how different variables impact extraction and flavour. Whether highly sophisticated or focused on simplifying the brewing process, new brewers and extraction tools are redefining how we prepare and drink coffee.

Sherry Hsu brews Hario Switch and drip coffee bags.

Which manual coffee brewers did we see in 2025?

The Hario V60, Kalita Wave, and Chemex once dominated coffee shops, home setups, and competition stages. The first seven World Brewers Cup (WBrC) Champions all used these three brewers until the 2018 Champion, Emi Fukahori, introduced the hybrid GINA brewer.

From there, WBrC competitors began to branch out. Devices like the Origami and Orea became more popular, helping competitors like Sherry, Du Jianing, Carlos Medina, and Martin Wölfl claim the title of world’s best.

At the 2025 WBrC finals, baristas used a number of different brewers. The winner, George Jinyang Peng, opted for a SOLO dripper.

Developed by coffee professional Jackie Tran and released in December 2024, the SOLO has 40° angled walls, a large bottom hole, and a curved bottom design – all of which Tran says help increase flow rate and create more even extraction.

Another notable brewer at the 2025 WBrC finals was the Hario Switch. Although it first launched in 2019, the Switch has become more popular in recent years, including at competitions. As its name suggests, users can choose between immersion and percolation (or pour over) to experiment with body, sweetness, and clarity.

The UAE competitor, Mariam Erin, even created her own brewer for the 2025 WBrC. Officially launched at World of Coffee Dubai 2026, the Binocular Dripper features two tall, narrow, 30° angled cones that allow the user to brew two different coffees simultaneously – a concept Erin coined “wet blending”.

On the competition stage and beyond, other brewers have gained traction among professional and home baristas. One notable example is the UFO dripper. According to the designers Jay Kim and Kenzie Chay, the UFO’s 80° angled walls reduce bed depth variability, so the ground coffee is spread out for more even extraction.

A barista uses a distribution tool at the 2025 World Barista Championship.

Which extraction tools did baristas use in 2025?

Alongside the growing diversity of manual brewers, we also saw a range of new extraction tools used for both filter and espresso in 2025.

The Weiss Distribution Technique (WDT) was first developed by John Weiss in 2005, but WDT tools have become increasingly popular over the past five or so years. The method involves stirring ground coffee in a portafilter basket or manual brewer with fine needles or similar utensils to break up clumps, minimise the risk of channelling, and evenly distribute coffee grounds.

Following Anthony Douglas’ winning 2022 World Barista Championship (WBC) routine, where he used a prototype of Barista Hustle’s Autocomb, the use of WDT tools has accelerated. The majority of WBC (and more WBrC) competitors now use them, making them among the most popular extraction gadgets on the competition circuit.

Weber Workshops’ Moonraker, Subminimal’s Flick, and Rancilio’s Barista Kit are other WDT tools available on the market. Nucleus Coffee Tools also released the Bloom WDT tool in October 2025, specifically designed for both espresso and filter brewing. Users can customise the number and position of needles in two modes: straight for conical brewers or flared for flat-bottom drippers.

“WDT tools came to prominence on the competition stage and are now part of many home barista setups, but were too time-consuming for busy cafés,” says Liam Hayden, the Sales and Relationships Manager at Brew-It Group. “That was until PUQ Coffee introduced the Navigator in 2024 – an automatic WDT tool which can be combined with a compatible grinder mount for auto-start, adding less than one second to workflow.”

Beyond WDT, tools that regulate flow rate and distribute water evenly during pouring are increasingly common. The Melodrip, first launched in 2018, is widely used today, as well as other models, such as Hario’s Drip Assist and Timemore’s Simple Drip.

Bayu Prawiro performs at the 2025 World Brewers Cup.

Will future coffee tools focus on sophistication or simplicity?

The future of coffee brewing will see precision as the norm, with a range of brewers and tools that allow baristas to control extraction variables to create an enhanced brewing experience.

Sherry believes the future of coffee brewing lies in “sophistication simplified”. She explains that, especially in competitive settings, highly complex variables must be managed, and tools that address these challenges will become more popular.

When asked about the future of brewers and extraction gadgets, Sherry says she sees a strong shift toward three key trends:

Design evolution: There will be greater emphasis on the thermal stability of materials used (e.g., advanced synthetic resins) and on the precise geometry of ridges to define body and clarity.
Bigger focus on water quality: There is a growing awareness that water chemistry is the foundation of flavour. Customised mineral solutions have become essential for professionals to ensure the best possible expression of flavour.
Data-driven brewing: We are moving from “brewing by feel” to “brewing by data”. Tools such as flow-rate-monitoring scales and TDS refractometers are becoming standard, enabling us to objectively analyse and refine our extractions with scientific rigour.

“The most successful tools are those that hide this complexity behind an intuitive interface,” Sherry adds. “To me, stability and ease of use are the most important qualities. A tool that is simple and reliable allows a barista to focus on what matters most: hospitality and the final flavour profile.”

Sherry Hsu brews coffee at a trade show.

Brewers and extraction tools that balance precision with accessibility will find the most success in specialty coffee. As competition-level equipment becomes more affordable, the gap between professional and home brewing narrows.

Tools with simple interfaces that offer greater control will define the next era of coffee brewing, benefiting professionals and enthusiasts alike.