Coffee Syphons - let coffee fill the void...

[sathid]

Now, I'm a bit of a coffee freak during winter. At peak study times 8 cups a day is pretty normal.
It's gotten to the point where five of my local coffee shops recognise me, and at two of them they know what I'm going to order before I do.

But one thing has eluded me. Decent coffee, at home.
Right now I don't have the benchspace, or slushfund to go and pick up one of those nice machined alloy and stainless steel esspresso machines in the shops. I've tried a percolator, and a plunger, and it just doesn't do it for me.

I've come across the kind of coffee maker that I'm sure Ernest Hemmingway probably had, (for the morning after) - the coffee syphon.

It seems that even the flash ones are nowhere near the cost of a decent esspresso machine, and from what I've read on the coffee afficionado websites, they make coffee that is at least as good as an espresso machine, if not better.

So I'm thinking that this will satisfy both the love of gadgets and the love of coffee. But has anyone here tried one, or got one? Whats it like? Where did you get it?

Check out youtube and search for Vacuum coffee for vids on how these work. Also look at "latte art" for some cool videos.

Piccies:

[Lunatic]

that is so cool, where can you get them.
didnt understand how it worked at first very ingenious (sp?)

[Bendito]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1AXmzF1f2s]YouTube - Vintage Cory Vacuum Coffee Pot Brewing Demo[/ame]

[Gryphen]

Hang on just got to go and make another coffee

[Lunatic]

i want one of them counterweight ones

[Captain Starfish]

bah!



amirite, spajet?

[Ambian]

The syphon looked interesting ... until I watched the video. Too damn slow...
Definitely easy to use though, so it has its perks.

[sathid]

They say you can make a coffee in under a minute.

Quick enough for me.

Edit: Besides, how quickly can you make 5-8 cups of coffee using an esspresso machine? Not that fast...

[Crumpetman]

The syphon looked interesting ... until I watched the video. Too damn slow...
Definitely easy to use though, so it has its perks.

gotta love unintentional puns

Jack Nicholson uses one of these thingies in the Bucket List. They look pretty funky.

[Desmo]

Jack Nicholson uses one of these thingies in the Bucket List. They look pretty funky.

So I'm not the only one who thinks it looks like an elaborate drug smoking device then...

[Crumpetman]

multi chamber ftw

[IPIT]

I bought one of them from Taiwan (pretty sure it was Japanese). They look great as a decorative item and a talking point when mates come around but I didn't find the coffee to be anything special. Too cumbersome for what it is. My $200 espresso machine makes better tasting coffee by far.

[DaveR6]

it looks to me like its just going to give u the same style coffee as using a moka pot, except this has the extra stage of sucking the coffee back down to the lower chamber. cant see any benefit to this. seems the only reason is the coffee isnt in a basket, like with a moka pot.

as for being better than espresso...well thats up to someones taste. it certainly isnt going to mimic espresso coffee. whats unique about espresso is the fact the water is forced through the coffee under pressure, giving the yummy crema.

for good home coffee the biggest thing people get wrong is not using good, fresh coffee beans. if u start with crap beans, no matter how u make it, your coffee isnt going to be good.

coffee made with good beans using a the drip method can actually be really good. that and a moka pot (make sure its stainless steel, not aluminium) are the cheapest ways to get decent coffee as long as u use decent beans.

which leads me to beans. u often see in markets beans that are sitting out in the open. they are going to be stale. beans remain fresh if kept in a sealed container for about 2 to 3 weeks after roasting.

i get my coffee from Welcome to 5 Senses - Five Senses Coffee - Premium Coffee Roasters in Australia where they roast the coffee once u have placed your order, so u know its fresh.

[mekon]

Yep what Dave said. I like grabbing some bags from Yahava when down Margs way. I also like the Ethiopian beans you can get from Kakhulas brothers in Northbridge. Unsure of freshness, I dig deep into the hesian sack for those though.

Love my coffee, keep trying to buy a nice old 2 group industrial unit. I picked up an old beast of a La Cimbali looked like this


Unfortunately too large depth wise for what I was after, got it for $50 from an old coffee shop and sold it for $550. Still looking though.

[Fozzy]

i would LOVE something like that ^^^^

[mekon]

Well I got mine from the coffee merchant or whatever it's called at Harbour town near the water fountain. I saw it in the corner with a pot plant on top of it and I asked the young waitress if her boss would sell it. She laughed and replied, "I don't think so"

She came back with our coffees and she said, "he said make an offer"
I said, "$50"
She laughed again and went off. Came back, done deal!

[Fozzy]

Nice score.

[Professor Redfern]

So I'm not the only one who thinks it looks like an elaborate drug smoking device then...

Nope I though the exact same thing.....

" why officer I dont know what your talking about thats not a meth lab thats just to make coffee"




Plus 8 cups of coffee a day. you must spend half your life in the dunny.

[shmoo]

I just use one of these at home:

[cowasaki]

Gives praise to her coffee machine every morning.