The Kono Meimon is the dripper that predates and inspired the Hario V60. Made by Kono, a small Japanese company founded in 1925, the Meimon is a 60-degree cone with short ribs that only run partway up the interior wall. This detail — short ribs instead of the V60's full-length spirals — is what gives the Kono its distinctive character.
Because the upper half of the cone has no ribs, the filter seals tightly against the wall once the bed is wet, restricting flow. The lower half, where ribs are present, lets the bed drain freely. The result is a two-phase drawdown: slow at the top, fast at the bottom. Total brew time runs longer than a V60 at the same grind, extraction goes higher, and the cup ends up sweeter, denser, and more syrupy than a V60 at identical inputs.
A starting recipe favoured by Kono's own brewing guide: 20 g of coffee to 300 g of water (1:15), medium grind, water at 85–90 °C (notably cooler because the Kono suits medium-to-dark roasts particularly well), a slow continuous centre pour over 3:30 to 4:30. Uses Kono's own filters, which are thicker than V60 paper and matter to the cup. The Kono is the dripper of choice in older Japanese kissaten and a beautiful counterpoint to the V60 for any brewer who finds themselves chasing body more than brightness.
