“Ratio Four Coffee Machine Review
The Ratio Four Coffee Machine is an impressive addition to any coffee enthusiast’s setup. Its sleek design and thoughtful engineering make brewing pour-over coffee nearly effortless. The machine consistently produces rich, full-bodied coffee with a flavor profile that rivals manual methods. The bloom cycle and brewing temperature are calibrated beautifully, mimicking the precision of a barista.
That said, there are a couple of drawbacks. While the exterior design is modern and appealing, there’s more plastic involved in the construction than expected for a premium product. It feels slightly out of place compared to the machine’s otherwise high-end appeal. Additionally, it would have been a thoughtful touch to include a few sample filters to help users get started right away, especially since Ratio uses proprietary filter sizes.
Overall, the Ratio Four delivers on its promise of convenience and quality, but there’s room for improvement in material choices and starter accessories. For coffee lovers who value aesthetics and performance, it’s still an excellent investment.”
Harry, thanks for the feedback!
Regarding materials, we chose a polymer instead of metal for the machine body for two reasons:
1. We couldn't get the design we wanted with stamped metal.
2. In high use situations, metal can scratch, and as the Four is intended to be rugged for hotel + office applications in addition to the home, we decided to go with this material as it supports our 5 year warranty span as well.
The Ratio Six is made of formed stainless steel and the Eight is made of die cast aluminum. As you can see from the retail prices, we were able to reduce the price of the Four and make it more approachable to more people by using polymers for the machine body.
We're seeing if we can include paper filters on a future production run; the filters available to include with production did not meet our standards for extraction.
Thanks again for the feedback!
“I own Bonavita and Chemex Ottomatic brewers. The Ratio 4 is my favorite of the 3 based upon the quality of the extraction and flexibility to use other filters/brewers. It is also the best option for one cup brews.”
“What a beautiful little machine!! Makes a great cup of coffee too!!
I love love love it!!
More than pleased with this purchase and would highly recommend it.
Two suggestions that might improve perfection:
1. The coffee pot seems like kind of a fragile glass. Maybe stainless steel as an option
2. I try to cut down on plastics so would have preferred a glass water container.?
Not sure if any of this is doable.
Thanks for making the ratio four!!”
“Just received it last week and have used it only a couple of times. So far, I really like it. I put a coffee cup under the filter basket, used the 2 cup water setting (10 oz.), and 2 1/2 tsps of coffee, medium roast beans ground on my Fellows Ode grinder (pour over grind setting). Very good single cup of coffee without having to heat up a kettle and pour over manually.”
“Just the right size to keep on the kitchen counter looks great. It’s important to read the instructions first regarding to pre heat the water. When you pre heat the unit the temperature is great and the coffee is brewed correctly. The start button is very sensitive. If it turns on by accident just hold the start button for a few seconds it shuts off. You do get some drips from the basket when you remove the glass craft that needs to be wiped down. The Ratio 4 produces a great cup of coffee worth the wait.”
“4 out of 5.
Pro - Definitely makes great coffee, no bitterness. Right size for me, the only coffee drinker in the house.
Con - the start button is much too easy to press while loading the basket (happens about 90% of the time); this may inherent to these kinds of devices but inevitably it will drip into the tray while you're filling your cup, as it has no valve.”
“A great entry-level automated pour-over machine that makes fantastic coffee. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles of the Six or Eight, but it’s probably one of the best coffee makers at its price point. You won’t be disappointed with the flavor. Bonus: the tank, carafe, and filter basket are easy to clean AND the shower head is removable for cleaning. I’ve never seen that feature at this price.”
“The machine is great except for 2 glaringly obvious design flaws. The first and most significant is the placement of the brew button in relation to the filter handle: it is near impossible NOT to press the brew button when removing the filter.
The second flaw is that there is no drip stop: the machine continues to drip liquid LONG after brewing is complete.
I’ll also note that the sound the machine makes while brewing is an incredibly obnoxious high-pitched noise. Very glad I pre-ordered at the price I did, because I would not pay the current full price for the quality of this machine.”
Hey Kate! Thanks for the feedback. If you accidentally press Start button, just hold for 2 seconds and it will turn back off.
We have thought about a drip stop on the filter basket but decided to go with more of a traditional pour over style that doesn't have a valve. We have a ceramic dripper that can support the filter basket and catch those drips easily: https://ratiocoffee.com/collections/carafes-drippers/products/catcher-white
You should notice that noise diminish or go away as the pump wears in. We had to use a durable pump to match our 5 year warranty and so it makes a bit more noise than is ideal, but the pump manufacturer tells us this will wear in and reduce.
Thanks again for taking the time to send us your thoughts!
