Ratio - Four

Underrated little machine. Compact, good looking and simple to use.

This is copy-pasted from the review I left on the site I bought it from. I really don't notice much buzz surrounding this machine, so thought I'd place my thoughts here too. I was torn between this and the Fellow Aiden, but with my usage the Aiden would ONLY be used in single-serve mode. Not worth such a large footprint/different modes for me. Excellent coffee maker that brews the best coffee I've ever made at home (coming from an OXO Brew 8-Cup Coffee Maker in the properly used single-serve mode). Here are some pros and cons: Pros: \- Brews absolutely amazing tasting coffee no matter how much water I put in, anywhere between 5 and 20 ounces (while keeping a consistent coffee-to-water ratio) provides a consistent experience that does not require a change in grind size. Coming from the OXO, I would describe the flavour(s) as "pulled out" more; fuller \- Removeable water tank is incredibly lightweight, allowing me to weigh the water I add directly into it on my small, inexpensive kitchen scale that has a rather low weight limit \- Brew basket slides out instead of having to open a lid; machine sits tucked in on my counter with a floating cupboard above it, allowing me to be able to keep it in one small space \- Incredibly easy and effective to quickly rinse out removeable accessories (glass carafe, brew basket) and use them right away again, without having to worry about stains or residue \- The platform where the glass carafe is placed is completely flat, providing the option to place most mugs under the brew basket in order to brew directly into a mug Cons: \- The single activation button is incredibly sensitive. It is not a button that clicks inward physically. Instead, it's a touch sensor. Any slight tap or touch against the button will fully activate Profile A and begin the full brew cycle. Since I mainly use Profile B (which requires holding my finger against the button for 3 seconds), I need to keep it unplugged until I want to use it so that when I handle other kitchen items around it, I don't accidentally brush the button \- Throughout the majority of the blooming/brewing process, the machine emits a quiet but shrill, high pitched whirring noise that is actually quite harsh on my ears. Other family members in the same space are not as bothered by this, so it may just be a personal quirk \- The entire top piece of the machine flexes downward if I push down on it (even lightly). I am a fan of the look and aesthetic of the machine overall, but the top piece feels flimsy Overall, I will give this machine 5 stars because the cons really are not negative enough to give it 4. It's generally easy enough to just try and not touch the activation button, and the whirring noise isn't loud enough to the point where it's painful. I honestly expect an imperfect build quality from any coffee maker built with any type of plastic, but I do not think that the machine is able to be easily scratched or damaged at all. It's an amazing machine and I absolutely do not want anything else to brew my two daily mugs!

I've had it for only a week or so. I can only speak to the brewing performance. Every time I use it, it's been consistent in blooming and coffee output. I especially like how you can change the water from 5-20 ounces and it won't be any stronger/weaker or requiring a different grind size. I'll repeat that the top piece does feel flimsy, but if that were to "break" essentially it's the entire machine snapping in two, so likely not easily possible. Nothing else feels particularly flimsy. The brew basket actually feels solid.

I just got mine, and I’m noticing the same issue. I’ll be sending support an email as well.

I just stuck a thin piece of cardboard under the front foot of the brewer and tried it again. I am able to get it to come out of the side and rear holes a bit more readily this way, and I do see it pulsing through all the holes from time to time. However, it definitely still favors certain holes for the majority of the brew (front 2 and the one on the far right). This probably is ok for the flat bottom basket, but it’s definitely problematic for the v60.

Thanks, maybe I’ll try an Aiden if I have to send the Ratio back. Unfortunate, because I really like the rest of the brewer aside from this one issue.

I just got mine finally today and made one batch it was really good I’m impressed. My only thing is the different bloom times I cannot figure out how to active the smaller bloom. If you hit the brew button once it just starts right away and if you hold it down for three seconds like they say there aren’t any lights or anything to tell you that you activated the smaller bloom. Otherwise I think it’s great for tired mornings that I don’t want to make a pour over

I'd go for the Ratio Four. It'll likely last forever and I love the fact that you can easily use most common drippers in place of the stock basket.

I've had my Ratio 4 about 3 weeks (from Kickstarter) and have made the decision to send it back based on the feedback I received from my inquiries to Ratio. I really wanted this dripper to work. Based on the marketing, I thought it would be perfect to approximate a large single cup of pour-over coffee and it was aesthetically pleasing. For pourover, I normally use a V60 or a NextLevel Pulsar if I'm wanting to experiment. (Just to let you know where I'm coming from) I noticed that my normal coffee (Methodical Landmark) tasted a bit off. So, I adjusted the grind size up and down--still off. (I have an Ode Gen2 for filter BTW). So, I started paying attention to my coffee bed. Normally, I don't really put too much into what the bed looks like. Taste is king. If the coffee had tasted good, I wouldn't care about the coffee bed and wouldn't be typing this. Consistently, I noticed that my coffee bed had a divot in the shape of a reverse "D" at the front of the filter. The back portion of the "D" was damp, but I would characterized the two sides as completely different. It made me wonder what was going on in there. Because the brew basket of the Ratio 4 fits so close, you can't see what's happening. So, I stuck a V60 under the brewer so I could see what is going on. The Ratio 4 has a circular shower head with about 17 holes. Statistically, you'd expect water to have an equal probability of coming out of any of them to saturate the coffee bed equally and to avoid channeling. This is not what I noticed. The 4 holes at the front of the brewer had a much higher probability of having water come out of them than anywhere else. That is what was causing the big divot in my coffee bed. I tried to take photos, but it's hard to tell anything, so I made a video of the water coming out. If you have a Ratio 4 and yours doesn't do this, I'm jealous. I contacted Ratio and they said that they wouldn't expect another brewer to be any different. They said water will pulse out of all of the holes at the end, which it does do . . .but that's a design flaw in my book. They also suggest that I make sure the brewer was level, which I did (no improvement). Using the V60, I was able to get a great cup of coffee consistently if I stood there and turned the dripper to make sure there wasn't channeling going on. But, obviously doing this defeats the purpose of having an \*automatic\* drip coffee maker. I'd be interested to hear if other Ratio 4 owners have had a different experience or noticed channeling. As for me, I've put in an order for an Oxo 8 with the single cup option. The concept is similar, I hope it works . . . I just didn't want a huge coffee machine for a single cup of coffee. (I do have a Moccamaster Cup One, but it's not the One I'm looking for). [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YDR3VlZvk\_WEoH9xICjNvIP6Pe71qq8e/view?usp=sharing](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YDR3VlZvk_WEoH9xICjNvIP6Pe71qq8e/view?usp=sharing)

Just got my ratio four and it's amazing. Haven't brewed enough coffee to make a good review but it's nice. Fits all my drippers and it's simple to use.

Love it so far. It's one button so there's not much to it. Oddly enough, the carafe might be my favorite part.

Yeah, I wish I could control the temp but there are some ways to control the brew. It brews everything in the water chamber so u could add water incrementally.

I actually love it. I mainly do pour overs so I use this a few times per week. It's simple to use, looks good and tastes great.

I usually do pour overs but I wanted a smaller machine if I'm running late in the morning. This can brew one cup and it fits all my drippers. It blooms then starts pouring so it's similar to a pour over.

The four pours pretty fast. I tried using an origami 01 and it does splash. I tend to like faster pours and more agitation so it works for me.

Ratio 4 or 6 is great for me

I've used my Ratio 4 for a couple days and am generally happy with it. I primarily use a Clever Dripper and occasionally use an Arrow Press. I wanted something simple that could brew slightly more than a Clever Dripper and required less interaction. Following are my thoughts in no particular order. * Both 540ML and 250ML brews using the standard filter basket turned out well. I don't have other drip brewers to compare, but the brews taste similar to when I use a Clever Dripper with slightly less body. * The positioning of the activation button is annoying. I often hit it when trying to insert or remove the filter basket. This may be because I'm blind. I'm already starting to adjust so I don't think this will be a long-term issue. * The machine is quieter than my kettle or the Keurig that I used to use. * It's nice to be able to carry the removable water tank to my fridge and fill it directly from the cold water spout instead of putting water in a pitcher and transfer it to the machine. * Using a hose to attach the water tank to the machine instead of the tank directly attaching to the machine is a nice feature for me. It stopped me from having to rearrange my entire counter to get more space behind the brewer. * The carafe is nicer than any other pot or carafe I've used on prior drip brewers. It pours well and is easy to hold. * The carafe does not hold temperature well. Because I use an Ember mug and it can take me an hour to drink a cup of coffee I pour my first cup from the carafe, then empty the rest of the carafe into a travel mug to keep warm. I then pour from the travel mug into the Ember when I want my next cup. If I were not blind, I would probably have bought the Aiden so I could have the option of experimenting with different brew profiles, and be able to brew a large pot on the rare occasions when I have a lot of people over who all want coffee. Given the fact that the Aiden is unusable when your blind and it's unclear if the app will ever allow you to control the device I’m happy with the Ratio Four. It allows me to make good tasting coffee in fewer steps than are required with my Arrow Press or Clever Dripper. It works well for good tasting coffee with no thought which is what I want first thing in the morning.

I like my new ratio four, but It's probably a little too expensive for what it is. You do get a 5 year warranty and it has been making really good cups.