Ratio’s New, Virtually Plastic-Free Coffee Maker Is Worth Every Penny

I’m not a coffee snob. I’d prefer a nice cup of joe, sure, but without another choice, I’d guzzle sludgy, gas station jet fuel and still savor its acrid burn. So it’s fair to say that I started with a healthy dose of skepticism when testing Ratio’s upgraded Eight Series 2 drip coffee machine.

The nearly $1,000 Ratio 8 is more than a coffee machine in the traditional sense of the word, though, for a couple of reasons. One, it looks like it belongs in an art museum, all sloping peaks of dark wood, smoky hand-blown glass, and smooth metal. Two, the quality of the coffee the Ratio 8 produces belies how easy it is to use. And three — and this is what truly piqued my interest — it’s made almost entirely without plastic.

Ratio Eight Series 2 Coffee Machine

The Ratio 8 was dead simple to use. To kick off testing, I positioned the glass carafe in the machine, filled the reservoir with water, measured out my coffee grounds, and hit the “Start” button. That was it. The machine intuits how many cups you’re trying to brew and blooms the coffee before dripping water (heated to between 195°F and 205°F) over the grounds in a simulated pourover. In about five minutes, my carafe was full of hot coffee. And it was smooth. We’re talking silky. I didn’t even have my usual post-coffee jitters. I use good-enough beans, but the Ratio made my coffee taste exceptional, even before I fine-tuned my brewing ritual. I downed a cup and immediately poured another.

Of course, I fine-tuned the heck out of my routine, just to see what the Ratio 8 could really do. A small operation out of Portland, Ratio recommends grinding freshly roasted beans for every brew with a burr grinder. Bad news for the lazy among us, but the extra effort does make a difference. Use filtered water to fill the reservoir, too. And the brand offers another tip that changes the game: Don’t use your brewing carafe to fill the machine’s reservoir, as it’s an easy way to transfer coffee residue or oils into your water source, clouding the taste of your brew. So, we’d recommend using a different vessel. The manual has plenty of other helpful info, like the recommended ratio of ground coffee to water depending on your preference for strength, and it’s worth reading through it all.

But even though the coffee was excellent and the machine gorgeous, does that really justify the $1,000 price tag? Maybe, but the thing I truly find priceless is the Ratio 8’s non-toxic materials. I’ve never encountered a coffee machine that uses almost zero plastic. We know that microplastics have wandered into our food, water, air, and even our bodies, and they’re responsible for all kinds of adverse health effects. As a public health expert — I have a Masters degree in Public Health Nutrition — I’m all for making smart swaps to reduce your exposure in the kitchen, but coffee machines are a less obvious source of plastic than, say, Tupperware. However, limiting the plastic in our coffee brewing can take thousands of microplastics out of circulation in our daily routines. And I can’t put a price on that.

The Ratio 8 is thoughtfully composed of hand-blown glass, stainless steel, and die-cast aluminum, with accents of silicone and hardwood, and next to zero generic plastic. Not only are the materials unlikely to leach any harmful chemicals into your coffee, but I also found the overall machine less wasteful. You can certainly use paper filters, but I used the Basket, a reusable stainless steel filter made in collaboration with Able. The flat-bottomed basket allows for an even extraction as the hot water drips over the grounds, and while it’s still light and sturdy, it doesn’t warp like mesh baskets do.

Now, the Ratio 8 isn’t perfect. There are quite a lot of pieces to wash after every use, and they can’t go into the dishwasher. But that’s worth it if it means I’m creating less waste every time I make coffee. And if there are other details you’d like to tweak, Ratio has thought of almost everything in the form of accessories or useful tips. For example, I wanted hotter coffee, so I switched my glass carafe out for the insulated option and used the heat shield to eke an extra 5 degrees of heat out of my brew.

If you want a refined, non-toxic coffee brewing experience, the nearly plastic-free Ratio 8 coffee maker is worth the investment. It brings quiet luxury to an everyday practice with a machine that couldn’t be simpler to use. And isn’t that exactly what your morning ritual should have?

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At the time of publishing, the Ratio 8’s price started at $799.