Brew Method
Fellow Stagg XF: Filters, X vs. XF and Brewing Guide
Stagg XF is Fellow's taller flat-bottom dripper, with tall paper and a larger batch example than the shorter X. Follow a measured pouring method, leave room for drainage, and keep water input separate from the coffee collected.
On This Page11 Sections
Key Takeaways
- 1The XF is the taller Stagg dripper and uses tall XF paper. The X is shorter; filter height matters when water rises above the coffee bed.
- 2Fellow's current measured-water example uses 40 g coffee, 600 g (20.3 US fl oz) total water, an 80 g (2.7 US fl oz) bloom and a 30-second pause, followed by smaller pours.
- 3The set's capacity is 591 ml (20 US fl oz). Capacity, water input and coffee collected are different quantities; do not keep topping up to force a stated yield.
Highlights
- Method
- Flat-bottom paper-filter pour-over
- Named input
- 40 g coffee + 600 g (20.3 US fl oz) water
- Input ratio
- 1:15 by mass
- Bloom
- 80 g (2.7 US fl oz); wait 30 seconds
- Reference serving
- 240 g (8.5 oz) plain brewed coffee
- Generic nutrition
- 96 mg caffeine · about 2 kcal · 0 g sugar
What Is the Fellow Stagg XF?
The Stagg XF is a tall, steep-walled stainless-steel pour-over dripper with a flat base, drainage holes and vacuum insulation. Its paper holds the grounds while coffee drains into a receiver. The separate drip cup includes a coffee ratio aid; it is not a valve that converts the brewer to sealed immersion.
Fellow's XF set pairs it with a double-wall glass carafe. The current listing gives a capacity up to 591 ml (20 US fl oz). That does not mean 600 g (20.3 US fl oz) of brew water produces 600 ml (20.3 US fl oz) of coffee: grounds retain water, and a scale measures mass rather than volume.
Stagg X vs. XF
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| Choice | Stagg X | Stagg XF |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Shorter column dripper | Taller column dripper |
| Fellow paper | Stagg X size | Taller Stagg XF size |
| Current help-guide example | 20 g coffee with 300 g (10.1 US fl oz) water | 40 g coffee with 600 g (20.3 US fl oz) water |
| Workflow distinction | Smaller pulse-pour example | Larger pulse pours; Fellow also describes a fill-up method |
Choose around the batch you normally make and the filters you can obtain.
Use XF paper for the tall brewer. Fellow's general FAQ says Kalita 185 and Blue Bottle papers can also work, while its XF-specific manual specifies XF papers. That general statement does not establish that a shorter paper safely contains an XF fill-up brew. Check the paper's height and fit; keep water below its rim. Buy the specified XF paper for this routine.
Stagg XF Recipe and Water Targets
This is a measured-input version of Fellow's current online pulse-pour instructions. It deliberately uses the guide's 600 g (20.3 US fl oz) water supply as the total brew input. It is not the older manual's method of watching for a 20 oz coffee level in the carafe.
| Variable | Starting guidance |
|---|---|
| Coffee | 40 g, medium-fine in the current help guide |
| Total brew water | 600 g (20.3 US fl oz), including the bloom; rinse water is separate |
| Temperature | 93–96°C (200–205°F) |
| Bloom | 80 g (2.7 US fl oz) water; pause for 30 seconds after the bloom pour |
| Continue | Add 40–60 g (1.4–2 US fl oz) pulses as room permits, stopping at 600 g (20.3 US fl oz) cumulative input |
| Finish and serving | Let the bed drain and record elapsed time. Measure collected coffee before dividing it between cups. |
The online guide does not specify one required total finish time. Do not grind until every coffee happens to reach an arbitrary three- or five-minute target. Use the grind-size guide to compare textures, then adjust for this dose and paper.
Why the quantities differ from some Stagg instructions
Fellow's current help article describes about 600 g of heated water for the XF. Its linked older manual uses an 80 g bloom but then describes stopping at a 20 oz collected-coffee mark, with 2:30–3 minutes of additional pouring. Those are different endpoints. This page's adaptation stops at 600 g water added, follows the current 200–205°F guidance and does not borrow the older manual's pouring duration as a universal total brew time. Twenty US fluid ounces is about 591 ml; the maker's 600 ml wording is rounded.
How to Brew with the Stagg XF
The tall paper gets a careful seat before I start pouring. Then I watch the scale. With that much room in the dripper, it's easy to feel there's space for more water even after I've reached the recipe amount.
Recipe
Fellow Stagg XF: 40 g Pulse-Pour Recipe
- Makes:
- 1 batch; collected coffee is less than 600 g (21.2 oz)
- Time:
- 30-second pause after the bloom pour, then pulse and drain
Ingredients
- 40 g medium-fine ground coffee
- 600 g (20.3 US fl oz) brewing water at 93–96°C (200–205°F), plus separate rinse water
Equipment
- Fellow Stagg XF with matching XF paper and drip cup
- Stable heatproof receiver with room for the batch, grinder, scale, kettle and timer
Method
- Prepare the receiver and paper. Use a stable heatproof vessel with enough room for the batch. Seat an XF filter, rinse it thoroughly and discard the rinse water.
- Weigh and level. Add 40 g ground coffee and gently level it. Tare the scale with the dripper and receiver in place.
- Bloom. Start the timer and wet the bed with 80 g (2.7 US fl oz) water. Pause for 30 seconds after this pour; the scale stays at 80 g (2.7 US fl oz).
- Continue in pulses. Add 40–60 g (1.4–2 US fl oz) at a time, allowing drainage before the next pour if the level is high. Keep water inside the paper and below its top.
- Stop at 600 g (20.3 US fl oz) input. The bloom counts toward that total. Reduce the last pulse if needed to reach exactly 600 g (20.3 US fl oz).
- Drain and serve. Note the total elapsed time. Carefully place the hot dripper on its drip cup, mix the coffee in the carafe, then divide the amount actually collected.
Recipe notes
Uses Fellow’s online 40 g / 600 g (20.3 US fl oz) pulse method; the older printed fill-up recipe is different.
The 80 g (2.7 US fl oz) bloom is part of the 600 g (20.3 US fl oz) total. Divide the coffee actually collected.
What About the Fill-Up Method?
Fellow also promotes filling the tall XF more fully after wetting the coffee. This can reduce the number of small pours, but it remains a draining brewer, not a closed steep-and-release device.
Keep a fill-up recipe separate from the pulse method above. Use tall, correctly seated paper and allow drainage so water never passes its rim. “Fill up” is not an instruction to dump all 600 g (20.3 US fl oz) into the chamber at once or walk away from a potential overflow.
Stagg XF Troubleshooting
| Problem | Useful response |
|---|---|
| Water climbs toward the paper rim | Pause pouring and allow drainage. Check paper size; reduce pouring rate rather than overflowing the filter. |
| Slow drawdown | Check paper seating, fine particles and agitation. Try a modestly coarser grind next time while preserving dose and water. |
| Weak or sharp coffee | Verify coffee weight and cumulative water first. If the brew also ran quickly, try slightly finer grinding and even wetting. |
| Less coffee collected than water added | Some water remains in the grounds. Measure the actual output; do not add uncounted water to reach a carafe mark. |
Cleaning and Handling
Hand-wash the set after cooling, using dish detergent and a soft sponge. The current product page says hand wash only; this is the approach used here even though an older manual allowed a dishwasher. Do not microwave the carafe or dripper. Check glass for damage and handle the dripper carefully because its edges can get hot.
How Does Stagg XF Coffee Taste?
Paper filters limit sediment, but sweetness, acidity and body still depend on the coffee and preparation. The insulated steel body affects how you handle and preheat the brewer.
Compare the same coffee at the same dose and input before attributing a change to the brewer. If a cup is harsh, check grind, pouring force, water and roast preference.
Stagg XF vs. V60 vs. Kalita Wave
The meaningful differences are shape, paper and workflow. A V60 uses a cone and matching conical paper. Kalita Wave uses a flat-bottom wave filter matched to its brewer size. XF combines a tall column with insulation and dedicated tall paper.
XF is worth considering when you want the larger Fellow workflow and can obtain its refills. For repeated small cups, compare the shorter X or another small dripper. The pour-over overview helps compare methods without treating equipment price as a quality ranking.
Stagg XF Caffeine, Calories and Serving Size
For a 240 g (8.5 oz) serving of plain brewed coffee, a generic USDA reference is 96 mg caffeine, about 2 kcal and 0 g total sugar. Use the weighed portion when comparing servings.
Serving assumptions and calculation
USDA Standard Reference record 14209 (page 546; caffeine on page 548) lists brewed coffee prepared with tap water at 40 mg caffeine, 1 kcal and 0 g total sugars per 100 g. A 240 g serving gives 96 mg caffeine and 2.4 kcal before rounding. Actual caffeine depends on the coffee, dose, extraction and serving. Milk and sweeteners add their own calories and sugars.
Common Questions Before You Brew
Is 600 G (20.3 US Fl Oz) of Water the Same as 600 Ml (20.3 US Fl Oz) of Finished Coffee?
No. Input mass, volume and finished yield are different. Some water stays in the grounds, and the set's capacity does not determine the amount this recipe collects.
Can the Stagg XF Make One Cup?
It can brew smaller batches, but changing dose changes bed depth and may require a different grind and pour plan. Fellow's smaller X example uses 20 g coffee and 300 g (10.1 US fl oz) water.
Does It Include a Permanent Metal Filter?
The usual Stagg dripper uses paper. Its steel body is the brewer, not a reusable mesh filter.
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
6 references
External links open in a new tab
- FellowHow to use Stagg X and XFCurrent 20 g/300 g and 40 g/600 g examples, temperature, bloom and pulse sizes.(opens in a new tab)
- FellowStagg XF Pour-Over SetCapacity, materials, fill-up positioning and current hand-wash instructions.(opens in a new tab)
- FellowStagg Paper FiltersModel-specific paper and taller XF format.(opens in a new tab)
- FellowFilter compatibility FAQGeneral alternative-paper statement; distinguished from XF-specific fit.(opens in a new tab)
- FellowStagg XF safety and use manualOlder output-mark method, handling and glass precautions; differences from current guidance disclosed.(opens in a new tab)
- USDA Standard ReferenceBrewed coffee, NDB 14209Original USDA tables, pages 546 and 548; generic serving arithmetic rather than an XF assay.(opens in a new tab)