Chemex Ottomatic Vs. Ratio Eight: Two Great Automatic Pour Overs

If you’re considering spoiling yourself with automatic pour-over coffee machines, you may be wondering which to choose between Chemex Ottomatic vs. Ratio Eight.

Chemex Ottomatic vs. Ratio Eight
Image source: Chemex Ottomatic vs. Ratio Eight

Pour-over fanatics like me love the bright and flavorful cups of coffee that you get from this brewing method. However, brewing coffee with a manual pour-over method takes time and also technique. My busy schedule, for one, doesn’t always allow me to make pour-over coffee in my Chemex.

This is why I invested in a Chemex Ottomatic, and since then, I have not looked back. Recently, my friend told me about the Ratio Eight, which inspired me to check out this coffee maker. Although it’s pricey, the Ratio Eight offers good value for money and delicious pour-over coffee brewed with a distinct bloom phase.

The Chemex Ottomatic, on the other hand, can be used with different-sized Chemex carafes, making it a bit more of a versatile coffee maker. To find out where you stand in the Chemex Ottomatic vs. Ratio Eight debate, read on.

A Short Overview Of Chemex Ottomatic Vs. Ratio Eight

The Chemex needs no introduction among pour-over enthusiasts. The coffee maker is well-known and admired for its beautiful design. However, Chemex also has a reputation for requiring a bit of technique if you want to brew a decent cup of coffee.

This is where the Chemex Ottomatic comes in. You can now enjoy the same clear and nuanced coffee brews you normally get from a Chemex at the touch of a button. The coffee maker can accommodate a 3-, 6-, or 8-cup Chemex Classic or Glass Handle series.

The Ratio Eight is also an automatic pour over that boasts an elegant design. As opposed to the Chemex, Ratio Eight offers three distinct phases in the brewing process: Bloom, Brew, and Ready. This coffee maker is made from aluminum, borosilicate glass, and wood and is very expensive.

What Are The Similarities Between The Chemex Ottomatic And Ratio Eight?

Chemex with filtered ground coffee
Both automatic pour overs have carafes made from borosilicate glass

The carafes of both the Chemex Ottomatic and Ratio Eight are constructed from borosilicate glass, which is very durable and heat resistant. Both coffee makers also come with lids and a bottle of cleaning fluid. They also both work with Chemex paper filters and produce coffee that is smooth and flavorful.

It is difficult to tell the brews apart. You can also make iced beverages with both coffee makers.

Comparison Between The Chemex Ottomatic Vs. Ratio Eight

                          Chemex Ottomatic

                          Ratio Eight

The pre-infusion phase is not distinct from the Chemex Ottomatic.

The Ratio Eight offers a Bloom, Brew, and Ready phase. 

The Chemex Ottomatic has a plastic water tank.

The Ratio Eight comes with a glass water tank.

The Chemex Ottomatic comes with a hot plate, which shuts off automatically after 90 minutes.

The coffee is not kept warm with the Ratio Eight.

You receive a glass lid, which you need to either manually hold in place or remove when you pour.

The Ratio Eight comes with a rubber stopper, which stays in place when you pour.

The Chemex is made from borosilicate glass, while the coffee maker itself consists of metal and plastic parts.

This coffee maker is constructed entirely from aluminum, borosilicate glass, and wood.

The coffee maker works with 3-, 6-, or 8-cup Chemex Classic or Glass Handle carafes.

You get eight cups of coffee from the Ratio Eight. A Ratio Six is also available.

Although the Chemex Ottomatic is expensive, it’s cheaper than the Ratio Eight.

The Ratio Eight is very pricey.

The Chemex Ottomatic is smaller than the Ratio Eight.

This coffee maker is quite bulky.

What’s Better About The Chemex Ottomatic

top view of coffee in a white cup with white saucer placed on a wooden table.
Chemex Ottomatic gives you vibrant and clear cups of coffee

The Chemex Ottomatic is very alluring for Chemex lovers like me. With this coffee maker, you can receive gorgeously vibrant and clear cups of coffee, just like you get from your Chemex Classic. The hot plate of this coffee maker is also very handy.

What’s Better About Ratio Eight

Although I love all things Chemex, the Ratio Eight impresses me. I like that this coffee machine offers a distinct Bloom phase, which results in a delicious cup of pour-over coffee. What’s more, Ratio Eight is good-looking.

Who Should Go For The Chemex Ottomatic?

Since the Chemex Ottomatic can accommodate variously sized Chemex Classic or Glass Handle Chemex carafes, it’s a bit more versatile than the Ratio Eight. It is also cheaper!

Who Should Go For Ratio Eight?

If money isn’t a concern for you, and you’d like delicious pour over coffee at the touch of a button, you may want to go with the Ratio Eight.

Chemex Comparisons

Chemex Vs V60

Chemex Vs Stagg

Chemex Vs Kalita

Chemex Handblown Vs Classic

Chemex Square Vs Circle Filters

Chemex Vs Moccamaster

Chemex Vs Siphon

Chemex Vs Drip Coffee Maker

Chemex Ottomatic Vs Ratio Eight

Chemex Glass Handle Vs. Wood

Chemex Vs Bodum Pour Over

Author

  • Niki B

    Born and bred in South Africa, Niki B now does her writing from the distant shores of South Korea. A self-proclaimed coffee addict by day, and a writer by night, she gladly shares her knowledge with fellow coffee lovers.