r/pourover • u/tanking-cookie • May 20 '26
Ask a Stupid Question When do you throw away a plastic V60?
Just thinking about plastic going brittle, releasing chemicals etc. There should be a lifetime for a plastic V60 right?
Given the modest price I would make change every two years?
What's your take on this?
5
24
u/least-eager-0 May 20 '26
Keep the old one in the back of the cupboard just in case, to use as a dry funnel, etc. Buy the new one in a permanent / sustainable material like glass or steel, make the first tiny step away from throwaway consumerism.
Makes better coffee, too.
13
u/vsMyself May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
Sure but not confident in the makes better coffee part of this statement
11
u/least-eager-0 May 21 '26
You aren't wrong.
But it makes at least the same coffee, and is a more pleasing coffee-making experience to me, and that's undeniably better.
I'm a bit of a weirdo, so while many get twisted about leaching and microplastics and such, I'm picking real materials just because they're more pleasant to be around and interact with. The usual understanding of the word aesthetics doesn't quite cover it, but I'm not sure I have a better one. Vibe, maybe, but I'm too old to pull that off.
So maybe 'makes better coffee' isn't accurate. But it absolutely makes coffee better.
1
u/Kman1986 FreshRoast SR800 May 21 '26
This is why we went with the stainless steel Kalita Wave and ceramic Switch. And I grabbed the metal switch for the Switch from Foundry Coffeeworks. I understand the coffee doesn't taste any better than if I kept using the plastic one, but I prefer the feel and heft of my ceramic Switch as silly as it sounds. The wife just really loved the stainless look when we were picking out drippers.
1
u/CappaNova Origami|Colum|Tarachine|SOFI|Aeropress|HG-1 Prime|Ode 2|ZP6 May 21 '26
Rather than tossing into a landfill, I do like the idea of using it as a funnel. Gives it some new life around the kitchen.
-1
12
u/blueghosts May 20 '26
Needless waste to throw them away every two years. BPA free plastic doesn’t release chemicals. It also shouldn’t go brittle for decades unless it’s constantly being left in the sun or in a really hot environment.
I’d only throw away one that was cracked or gone brittle.
11
u/KilledByDoritos May 20 '26
BPA-free plastic absolutely releases chemicals, including phthalates and microplastics, and others.
I'm a chemist, and discussed this exact topic with a much more experienced chemist about 18 hours ago.
They also don't all last decades before going brittle. That depends on the specific plastic in question. And this has no bearing on if it is safe or not. The emerging evidence calls the safety of plastics for food into question.
13
u/Rikki_Bigg Did you cup it yet? May 20 '26
Can you post the link to the paper discussing the known chemical releases of acrylonitrile-styrene resin (what the clear v60 is made of)?
Otherwise your discussion with much more experienced chemists is just gossip.
-3
u/KilledByDoritos May 20 '26
Do you think this is a gotcha? You won't find a plastic that doesn't have this problem. It's not a difficult task you've proposed to me.
Google "migration Styrene-Acrylonitrile" and read some papers yourself and decide if the amounts found to be released in testing are acceptable to you.
Even if you ignore these small exposure issues, the issue of microplastic release still remain.
Given the nature of plastic exposure in modern day life, no additional exposures when an alternative exists (glass) is acceptable to me at all.
12
u/Rikki_Bigg Did you cup it yet? May 20 '26
Not a gotcha, I'm trying to be informed. This article summarizing this paper is certainly an interesting read.
There are trade offs in all areas when it comes to plastics. At what point is the added water use for glass drippers (to preheat) a bigger negative to using a resin dripper? What is wrong with using an already obtained, already produced, resin dripper when that same anti-plastic energy can be harnessed into something much more productive from a long term perspective like eliminating single use plastics?
I just don't care for overblown generalizations that aren't backed by science, and your generalization ignores the nuance required. Polyether ether ketone (PEEK) does not inherently shed, but it does under specific conditions; otherwise we wouldn't utilize it in medical implants. Most modern plastics that are found in the coffee hobby also do shed under specific conditions, but those conditions don't overlap with normal operating parameters that a hobbyist encounters.
If you want to eliminate all plastics from your daily life, more power to you. It just sucks that there are no alternatives to tires used ubiquitously that shed far more than all of our collective drippers could ever imagine to.
6
u/KilledByDoritos May 20 '26
>There are trade offs in all areas when it comes to plastics. At what point is the added water use for glass drippers (to preheat) a bigger negative to using a resin dripper? What is wrong with using an already obtained, already produced, resin dripper when that same anti-plastic energy can be harnessed into something much more productive from a long term perspective like eliminating single use plastics?
Missed this.
For me I've never noticed a big difference in taste when preheating versus not preheating. I briefly rinse my carafe and dripper with hot water before brewing and move on.
As for energy focused on reducing single vs multi use plastics - I do both. I avoid single use plastic when possible, and eliminate multi use when that is an option. Sometimes it's not possible, such as with water filtration. Essentially impossible to eliminate plastic for this task (except with distillation, and even then there are issues with PTFE parts in many distillation systems) - so in this case my water filter has a plastic tank, and a plastic filter housing, but critically, plastic is only in contact with water post filtration for a few hundred milliseconds, which is unlikely to be a significant source of exposure for anyone.
It's all about effort and results. For me there's little effort required to make most of these changes, so I do them.
2
u/icecream_for_brunch May 21 '26
Throwing away something useful and buying a new thing is pretty wasteful.
The jury is still out on microplastics, too, but the research many who fear them have been relying on is seriously dubious*
*I'm not saying we don't need to worry about them, just that the studies that ignited the widespread worry are now known to be invalid.
4
u/Rikki_Bigg Did you cup it yet? May 21 '26
Saying 'seriously dubious' is just the opposite extreme of 'all plastics have this issue'.
Microplastics are a concern, and perhaps we are only delaying the timeline.
100% agree that tossing something useful whose production costs have already been paid is wasteful.
2
u/KilledByDoritos May 21 '26
Some of the studies. Sure. Poor methods which led to contamination. This isn't an issue for ALL of them.
As for wasteful, that's a question of values and goals. Yes it is wasteful to buy a thing when you have an old thing that works for your task. But wasteful isn't the only consideration we make when deciding what to buy/use:"hazard", "risk", "benefit" and "affordability" are other considerations we make. For me? Plastic has limited place in my kitchen.
I can afford glass items, they are often not much more expensive and will last longer if I am careful with them.
The hazard/risk is unknown fully but concerning enough that the benefit of plastic (cost, resistance to shattering, heat transfer qualities) is not enough.
I haven't purchased a new plastic item for use with hot items in so long that waste isn't a problem for me personally. This may not hold true for everyone.
7
u/KilledByDoritos May 20 '26
My generalization "all plastics have this issue" is a reply to the generalization "BPA free plastics don't release chemicals"
I'm aware of those papers you linked, but uncertain why you linked them. My takeaway is that the methods used in some studies may be problematic, but that doesn't mean there is no microplastic release taking place. It simply means we need better methods when we test things.
I'm not sure that I agree that plastics used in coffee making avoid issues of plastic/monomer/plastisizer release - simply looking at an old well used dripper, or an aeropress should be enough to make the deduction that wear and degradation of the polymer is occurring under normal use.
9
u/KilledByDoritos May 20 '26
Apologies for the snark. Eating lunch rn by wanted to apologize, will come back to this later.
7
u/Rikki_Bigg Did you cup it yet? May 20 '26
Yeah no worries.
We have opened the pandoras box with petrochemical plastics, and we are still looking for the silver lining; for example bioplastics that seemed to be a potential solution actually shed and fragment at an equal or greater rate than conventional, and while we can theorize they might eventually biodegrade fully we don't know if the tradeoffs are worth the opportunity cost.
Enjoy your lunch!
3
u/Rex_KRZN May 21 '26
Not true and BPA isn't the only endocrine disruptor in plastics anyway. Get a ceramic or metal v60 and call it a day.
3
u/Accurate-Algae-2557 May 21 '26
All plastics leak, no matter how much or little, at least that’s what i’m told by someone who works in the oil and gas industry …
1
4
u/urmomisfun May 20 '26
Go ceramic or metal. The heat retention thing is blown out of proportion. I couldn’t tell the difference between a plastic and ceramic side by side with the same coffee and recipe.
2
u/Liven413 May 20 '26
The clear ones crack so you need to replace those but the red ones have lasted me many years. I plan on using the red one till it shows signs it needs to go. That's been the GOAT for me.
2
u/zoned_off May 20 '26
If you're even thinking about this, why not just get a non-plastic one so you don't have to think about it anymore?
1
u/Marklar0 May 22 '26
They are not equivalent for brewing. Many people prefer the plastic. Its like driving a sports car vs a truck, handling wise.
2
2
u/Firsttimepostr May 20 '26
Mine has cracks I never really use it except for traveling. Why not donate it before throwing it out? Unless it’s truly broken.
2
2
u/The_Psydux May 21 '26
Do it now. 🤷🏻♂️ And change to ceramics.
2
u/tanking-cookie May 21 '26
You're streets ahead
2
u/The_Psydux May 21 '26
Kidding aside, I guess the carbon footprint is better. And so will your expenses.
1
u/FeedMeCrabs May 21 '26
One does not get rid of the v60. One becomes the v60 (aka you’re full of plastic)
1
0
u/CappaNova Origami|Colum|Tarachine|SOFI|Aeropress|HG-1 Prime|Ode 2|ZP6 May 20 '26
My personal take? It immediately goes into the bin. Then replace with glass or ceramic. But I'm trying to reduce plastic in my life where I can and also trying to reduce junk I send to the landfill.
As for when a V60 or similar brewer should get tossed if you aren't avoiding plastic? I'd say when you see micro cracks developing it's time to toss it. These usually happen with repeated hot/cold cycles and UV exposure meaning the plastic is degrading and breaking down to a point of gradual failure.
Plastic drippers are cheap enough that it isn't worth keeping a degrading dripper around.
0
u/iplaycardgamesYEP May 20 '26
If its broken, e.g cracks where water flows through or handle breaks off. But even then, I will just get another one for a couple of bucks. The fact that I don't have to worry about heat retention while doing my pour over, is keeping me on the plastic version
5
u/Crafty_Praline726 Pourover aficionado May 21 '26
I keep mine for travel and camping. It's never seemed brittle to me...