Hiro Lesmana: Suprima Instruments, Locally Designed and Crafted in Indonesia with Exceptional Quality

In the ever-evolving world of coffee, innovation often stems from a deep passion for the craft and a desire to enhance the brewing experience. 

Hiro Lesmana, a two-time Indonesia Brewers Cup Champion and founder of Suprima Instruments, exemplifies this spirit. 

His journey from national champion to World Brewers Cup semi-finalist in 2023 and his role at NKG Indonesia Imports highlight his dedication to the art of coffee.

HUDES | Worldwide Digital Magazine for Manual Coffee Brewers

Hiro's latest endeavor, the Suprima Instruments, is a testament to his commitment to thoughtful coffee products. Designed to bridge the gap between professionals and beginners, the Suprima Instruments aims to simplify manual brewing while ensuring high-quality results. 

This innovative tool introduces a semi-immersion brewing method, combining the complexities of percolation with the intensity of immersion, offering a consistent and rich coffee experience.

Hiro Lesmana | photo by Hiro doc.

HUDES: Can you tell us about the main vision behind the Suprima Instruments? In your opinion, how can this tool impact the global manual brew scene?

Hiro Lesmana: Suprima Instruments is derived from the words "Supreme" and "Prima," reflecting our hope to create high-quality products with top-tier technical performance. 

We chose the word "Instruments" because we want our tools to be used by brewers just as musical instruments are used by musicians— as reliable tools of the trade that can be used daily without much thought while still delivering consistent output. Our vision is simple: Thoughtful Coffee Products.

Suprima Dripper One (SD1) was born from my reflections on the challenges of manual brewing. 

Brewing once isn’t difficult, as long as we understand the brewing fundamentals. However, the biggest challenge is achieving repeatable results (repeatability). Even in espresso, consistency is a challenge, let alone in a fully manual process.

SUPRIMA DRIPPER | photo by Suprima Instrument doc.

I studied two main methods in manual brewing: percolation and immersion.

• Percolation: Water never stays with the coffee for long; it simply passes through and drips down as the final brew. This method creates complex flavors but lacks intensity in aspects like acidity, sweetness, mouthfeel, and aftertaste. Consistency is also harder to maintain since each pouring phase uses fresh water, which is highly effective at extracting coffee compounds. Examples include the Hario V60 and Kalita Wave.
• Immersion: Water and coffee remain in one container for an extended period. This method enhances sweetness, mouthfeel, and aftertaste but is less complex than percolation. Examples include the French Press and cupping. Immersion is more stable in consistency since extraction occurs more evenly.

Some brewers have created hybrid tools combining both methods, such as the Hario Switch and Clever Dripper, which use an on-off mechanism to switch between percolation and immersion. 

However, I wondered: what if both methods could work simultaneously rather than just alternately?

After four years of R&D (2018-2023), the SD1 was born. I call this mechanism semi-immersion, where percolation and immersion occur harmoniously. The result is a balance between percolation’s complexity and immersion’s intensity. With this design, brewing becomes more consistent, and the risk of over-extraction is reduced due to the built-in immersion system.

HUDES: Are there any plans to create a smaller version of the Suprima Dripper, like a V60 01, with a more affordable price?

Hiro Lesmana: We launched the Suprima Dripper One Rapid (SD1R) in October 2024, not as a replacement for the SD1 but as a new iteration— not just a smaller version of SD1.

The SD1 has two main drawbacks: a longer brewing time and a larger capacity than standard 02-sized drippers. SD1 was designed for consistency, but as a trade-off, it lacks flexibility in adjusting brewing variables.

As the name suggests, Rapid, the SD1R was created to address these drawbacks. The semi-immersion mechanism remains, but with a faster flow rate and a smaller size. This allows for a lower coffee dose and a shorter brewing time.

HUDES: In your opinion, how does the Indonesian market perceive brewing tools that prioritize convenience? Does the Suprima Dripper fit into this segment?

Hiro Lesmana: I believe that convenience is not the only factor sought by manual brew enthusiasts, both in Indonesia and globally. Of course, the more convenient, the better, but what truly matters is innovation that significantly impacts the final brew.

HUDES: Are there any plans to organize a competition, such as the Suprima Brewers Cup?

Hiro Lesmana: We haven’t organized any competitions ourselves, as our time is consumed by our main work and R&D at Suprima Instruments. However, fortunately, our partners in the UAE, The Espresso Lab, have hosted competitions like the SD1 Battle in 2023 and the SD1R Championship in 2024.

HUDES: What has been the biggest challenge in developing the Suprima Dripper? How did you overcome it?

Hiro Lesmana: The biggest challenge was the long R&D process, which required significant funding. 

Fortunately, I have two partners, Don Blanc (Product Design) and Ronald Malone (Production & Sales), who share the same vision. 

Although it was tough, we pushed through together, step by step.

HUDES: Looking ahead, what are your hopes for the Suprima Dripper? Are you optimistic that it could become a new standard for manual brew enthusiasts globally?

Hiro Lesmana: We certainly want to develop other products beyond the SD1 and SD1R. However, we firmly believe in the principle don’t fix if it’s not broken. We don’t want to create products just for the sake of sales.

Our vision remains: Thoughtful Coffee Products. We will continue designing tools that have a true reason for existence and make a real impact on brewing results. We are coffee brewers first, inventors second, and businessmen third.

The Suprima Dripper has introduced a new approach to manual brewing with its semi-immersion concept. This innovation not only enhances brewing consistency but also addresses the weaknesses of both percolation and immersion methods. 

With a commitment to meaningful innovation, Suprima Instruments is poised to remain a key player in the future evolution of manual brewing.