Honest Review: Simply Good Coffee Automatic Pour-Over Brewer – Is It Worth $400?
Honest Review: Simply Good Coffee Automatic Pour-Over Brewer – Is It Worth $400?
We pre-ordered the Simply Good Coffee automatic pour-over machine back in September, expecting it in October. After multiple delays and chasing customer service, we finally received it just before Christmas (on sale for around $400). We were excited: stainless steel + glass construction (no plastic!), a bloom mode switch, one-button operation that’s supposed to mimic real pour-over.
Here’s what actually happened:
What we liked
Beautiful build – all glass and stainless. Looks premium, feels clean.
Bloom function works as advertised.
Super simple: push button, walk away (in theory).
What we didn’t like (and why we’re returning it)
No brew timer. You can’t set it to have coffee ready when you wake up – the whole point of an “automatic” machine for us.
Water flow is way too fast with the included filters → very weak, light coffee.
Switch to Chemex or generic #6 filters → brew slows dramatically and risks overflow. We had to babysit it, turning the machine off/on repeatedly.
Taste test: it brews like a regular drip machine, not true pour-over. No depth, no clarity, no creaminess we get from manual method.
After experimenting for days, we realized this machine isn’t really automatic pour-over – it’s a fancy drip brewer in pour-over clothing. If you just want clean, plastic-free drip coffee and don’t mind the price, it might work for you. But if you’re chasing real pour-over results, save your money.
Our current favorite setup (cheaper + better results):
Automatic gooseneck kettle with timer + hot plate (heats water overnight, stays hot)
Chemex filters + manual pour-over
Same effort in the morning, way better taste, costs a fraction of $400.
We waited three months, were genuinely excited, and ended up disappointed. If you want a truly hands-off pour-over machine that actually delivers, this isn’t it. Stick with manual or look at higher-end options that have proper flow control and timers.
Would we buy it again? No. Would we recommend it? Only if you specifically want a clean drip machine and don’t expect real pour-over.
Have you tried the Simply Good Coffee brewer? Drop your experience below – we’d love to hear if yours performed differently!
Thanks for watching, and happy brewing! (We’re keeping our manual setup – it’s still undefeated.)
#CoffeeReview #PourOver #CoffeeGear #SimplyGoodCoffee #HonestReview
