Ratio Eight Series 2 Coffee Maker Overview
More than a decade into making what has become one of the most recognizable batch brewers on the market, Ratio is back with a timely update to the Ratio Eight to address a handful of real brewing limitations and to accomplish something no other coffee machine has managed.
The bones remain unchanged. Why attempt to fix something that makes it iconic? The sculptural silhouette, the wood accents, the single-button operation, all of it intact. If you loved the original Eight for its quiet confidence on a countertop, you'll find the Series 2 immediately familiar. Let's get into the key updates to the Ratio Eight Series 2.
A plastic-free water path
This has been on Ratio's wishlist for years. With the Series 2, they've actually pulled it off: from the moment water leaves the reservoir until it lands in the carafe, it never comes into contact with plastic. The Internal lines are hand-blown glass. The shower screen and basket are stainless steel. The carafe is hand-blown borosilicate glass. The only plastic in the machine is the water reservoir itself, which holds cool water and nothing more.
For those actively reducing plastic in their kitchen, this is a meaningful distinction, and we'd wager there is no other fully automatic coffee machine that can make the same claim. Even if plastic contact in hot-water applications isn't a daily concern for you, this is a testament to how seriously Ratio has thought through the machine's construction.
A new basket that actually improves extraction
The original Eight used a Chemex-style filter, which was a reasonable choice for the time, but stepping away from that brew style has unlocked some genuine improvements to brewing outcomes.
The Series 2 uses a flat-bottom filter basket. It's the same geometry you'll find in most serious batch brewers at this price and above. Flat-bottom filters are easier to source, produce more consistent saturation, and their slightly thinner construction adds a touch more body to the cup compared to the heavier Chemex paper. For batch brewing anything above four cups, the flat-bottom format is simply the better way to go.
The practical benefits are noticeable right away, particularly for lighter roasts, which can be finicky in any batch brewer. Lighter roasts come through with better clarity and far less tendency to stall mid-brew. If you like to experiment with single-origin or specialty lots, the Series 2 handles them more gracefully. For those who prefer a heavier, sediment-forward cup, Ratio also offers an optional metal filter.
Heat retention, taken seriously
The basket itself is double-walled stainless steel and comes with a small lid. Heat loss during brewing is one of the more underappreciated variables in batch coffee, and on a chilly morning, a machine that's bleeding heat through a bare-metal basket will produce a noticeably flatter cup. The lid also catches any stray droplets from the shower screen, which sits intentionally higher than average to encourage agitation.
The carafe
The new glass carafe draws on the original's design while standing on its own. Separating the carafe from the dripper also makes cleaning more straightforward — a small win that compounds over years of daily use.
If keeping coffee warm beyond the brew time is a priority, the Series 2 is fully compatible with Ratio's thermal carafe, which maintains temperature for well over 90 minutes.
Full and half batch brewing
A long press on the Eight's single button toggles between full and half batch modes, and the machine adjusts flow rate accordingly, so you're getting a properly timed, properly extracted brew regardless of how much you're making. It's a sensible feature that most batch brewers don't bother with, and one that makes the Eight more practical for households where the coffee demand varies day to day.
Is it worth upgrading from the original Eight?
If you use lighter roasts regularly, or if you've ever had a cup from the original that felt a little flat or slow, then, yes! The brewing changes are substantive enough to matter in the cup. A plastic-free water path is highly desirable, especially for those trying to minimize long-term plastic use. Lastly, the heat retention improvements are noticeable, which, if your coffee has ever gone lukewarm, we think you'd appreciate that!
If you've been thinking about getting into batch brewing and you're looking at the Eight for the first time, the Series 2 is the version to buy. It maintains everything that made this machine worth the premium: the design, the simplicity, the quality of construction, while addressing the areas where batch brewers most commonly fall short.
The Ratio Eight was already the only batch brewer that competes with the furniture around it for attention. The Series 2 makes sure the coffee lives up to the hardware.