In the nearly year and a half we've been doing coffee-related writing here on SFist, we've taken a number of pictures that we've heretofore been unable to shoehorn into one of our "Trimethyldioxypurist" episodes. So, hey, it's time for a few leftovers.
New Toy
Our place of residence is currently undergoing significant construction -- it's a lot of stress, and we weren't able to make coffee at home for several weeks. While we love going to cafes and having other people make amazing beverages for us, our favorite coffee is still that which we make for ourselves. As we alluded to when we reviewed some of Taylor Maid Farms' offerings, there's a real "I can't believe I can do that" wow factor. Like the first time you tie your shoes by yourself (ahh, fond memories of April 2004).
In any case, the implement pictured above is what's known as a vacuum brewer, and it's our new favorite coffee toy (pic taken during our winter holiday in Massachusetts -- thus the Dunkin' Donuts coffee -- and check out that awesome hand-crank grinder! We seriously love that thing.)
Water starts in the bottom chamber, creeps into the upper chamber through a tube, where it encounters the ground coffee you've left there. It bubbles a little, steeps for a few minutes, then releases the coffee back into the lower chamber in a highly theatrical manner. It's very cool.
Only problem? The brew wasn't very good. And it wasn't the beans; when our precious Blue Bottle went into it and we still had sub-par coffee, we knew it must be the brewer. After a bit of 'net research (mostly on CoffeeGeek.com), we decided to try cutting the internal tube with a hacksaw to be about a quarter inch shorter. Voila -- shorter tube led to hotter water in the upper chamber, which led to richer coffee. Don't ask us why. Also, as our enthusiasm often outpaces our skill, we may not have made the cut very, er, straight or something, as the brew cycle is not to dramatic to watch as it was before. Nonetheless, we're much happier with the quality of the coffee.
Yes, taking a hacksaw to our brewer -- we now truly feel like a coffee geek. And we are proud.
Nightmarish Choice
This next one came during our coverage of the San Diego Comic-Con for SFist last July:
The only coffee at the con -- and the line's a friggin' mile long. We can't call it "Our Worst Nightmare," but it's certainly up there. Our choice was wait in this line for fresh Starbucks vs. wait in a shorter line at a Mrs. Field's kiosk for coffee that'd been sitting around in a dispenser for who knows how long.
Modern Technology?
We were in New York in October for work, staying at the uber-posh Tribeca Grand. Each floor had one of these contraptions:
Yeah, it makes "coffee" for you. All we can say is we were glad for the hot beverage due to the cold weather outside. But, seriously, folks -- this is science? This is advancement? We suppose it depends on how desperate you are.
Any new--or old--coffee toys you are enjoying? Any cafes you want us to check out? Feel free to e-mail us or tell us about it in the comments below.
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I can tell u why it works ;)
The bodum electric santos has two thermostats in the bottom of it. The one that concerns you and me is the middle one, the one that measures 105C.
When it is covered by water in that slanted base of the kettle / vac pot, it's reading 100C. So the water boils, and since its giving of massive amounts of its gaseous format (vapour), it all travels up the spout. If the spout is closer to the bottom (before you mod), less water would remain in the bottom, and it would "boil off" the 105C therm faster. Once that 105C therm is triggered, it shuts the heater off.
So, shorten the tube = more water left in the bottom = longer boiling time before enough dissapates and triggers the 105C thermostat.
Wallah. ;)
Mark
You could just buy an espresso machine. :) A sweet, sweet one like this one that my spouse graced me with for my 40th b'day. It's the best thing that ever happened to my coffee drinking. Doesn't matter if you like espresso or not, you can make Americanos and be a happy camper. I won't say it ain't fickle, but I will say that when it's great, it's amazing.
The best coffee I've ever made came from an old fashioned chemex pot. It looks hippy-dippy with the wood trim and leather strap, but oh my it tastes good. No plastic, no nothing to get in the way but a filter (spring for the chemex ones, melitas are too weak to hold up all the water/coffee at first).