If you’re not familiar with Vacuum coffee makers then a written description of how they work may have you a little lost. How ever, to those that own or use vacuum coffee brewers you know what a great cup they make, and what a joy they are to watch.
If you’re a fan of using a French Press to brew your coffee each day, then you’ll love the coffee made in a Vacuum maker. It works on a similar principle of boiling water flowing over freshly ground coffee beans then filtering the grounds out of the water leaving behind a wonderful tasting and smelling cup of coffee.
There’s something to be said when a paper filter isn’t used with coffee grounds, it allows all the acids and aromas from the beans to transfer into the water and create a very special tasting cup of coffee. One that can’t really be compared to what your regular drip coffee maker makes.
So how does a Vacuum coffee maker work?
Well unlike some of my friends who thought a vacuum coffee maker was a combo vacuum coffee brewing machine it’s actually quite a small glass or sometimes plastic appliance. There are both electric and stove top models available (For a great electric or non electric vacuum coffee maker check out the Bodum Santos).
There are two compartments an upper and lower. The lower one has fresh water added to it, and the upper fresh coffee grounds. The two are connected with a plastic or glass tube which has a filter in the center. Once heat is applied to the lower area either via stove top or an electric element the water begins to boil. Once boiling that water travels up to the upper chamber where the coffee grounds are stored. The two then mix together and the brewing process begins.
It’s really quite amazing to watch the water move up and spill over the coffee, it’s a lot more interesting then watching the drips come from your regular old peculator. Now this is the real amazing part, after a short period of time the mixed coffee then beings to transfer back to the bottom chamber once all the water has boiled away. The coffee grounds are separated from the coffee via the filter that is in the tube connecting the two chambers.
Depending on the size of the holes in your filter and the coarseness of your coffee grounds you may get a bit of sediment in your coffee. Once all of the coffee has transferred to the lower chamber again you’re done and ready to enjoy. Sounds like quite the process to brew a pot doesn’t it? In real time all of this happens quite quickly, and it isn’t any longer to make then what a French press would be.
If you’re a real coffee enthusiast I highly recommend you either try out the coffee made in a vacuum maker, or consider purchasing one for your own kitchen. While it may not take the place on weekday mornings of your regular drip coffee maker, I’m sure it’ll be the treat for weekends, and you won’t be disappointed.