| |
Main
Date: 12 Nov 2006 06:31:15
From: shareyourknowledge@hotmail.com
Subject: Vacuum coffee makers
|
I would like to buy a vacuum cofee maker. Can someone suggest a decent
one under $100.00? I've read some of them are fragile and some don't
brew too well if you grind beans which i like to do. Thanks.
|
|
| |
Date: 12 Nov 2006 10:10:17
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
Look for a stainless steel vintage Nicro on ebay. They are indestructible.
You'll miss the show though.
As for not brewing well if you grind, I'm not sure what you mean. Some do
have a tendency to get "stuck" if you grind too fine or if you have a lousy
grinder (whirly blade type).
For a good all round starter pot, you could do worse than a Yama. Relatively
inexpensive and a cloth filter which is forgiving of grind. Of course it is
glass so you can't toss it around and never boil it dry.
http://fantes.com/vacuum_coffeemaker.htm
<shareyourknowledge@hotmail.com > wrote in message
news:1163341875.856165.267890@h54g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>I would like to buy a vacuum cofee maker. Can someone suggest a decent
> one under $100.00? I've read some of them are fragile and some don't
> brew too well if you grind beans which i like to do. Thanks.
>
|
| |
Date: 12 Nov 2006 20:59:30
From: shareyourknowledge@hotmail.com
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
Thanks to all for your replies, but keep them comimg! I'd like to get
some more input. Sounds like i should dich my whirly blade bean grinder
and get a better one or just buy coffee already ground. Regards.
Harry Moos wrote:
> I paid around $25 for my Cory on e-Bay. It makes great coffee from home
> roasted, burr ground beans. I, too, had trouble with coffee ground in my
> whirly blade -- too much powder and it took way too long to come down past
> the glass filter rod. My Cory was new in box. Ask the condition of the
> rubber gasket if buying one on e-Bay. Many have dried out through the
> years. Or get one that did not use a rubber gasket. It's a fun process for
> when you have enough time to use it.
>
> <shareyourknowledge@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1163341875.856165.267890@h54g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> >I would like to buy a vacuum cofee maker. Can someone suggest a decent
> > one under $100.00? I've read some of them are fragile and some don't
> > brew too well if you grind beans which i like to do. Thanks.
> >
|
| | |
Date: 13 Nov 2006 08:06:44
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
<shareyourknowledge@hotmail.com > wrote in message
news:1163393970.292177.259580@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Thanks to all for your replies, but keep them comimg! I'd like to get
> some more input. Sounds like i should dich my whirly blade bean grinder
> and get a better one
Yes, a high quality burr grinder. Unfortunately, worthwhile ones start
around $100 (e.g Capresso Infinity). The $30 or $40 kind are worthless.
or just buy coffee already ground.
No, no, no. Coffee goes stale within a few hours after grinding. Stick with
paper filter drip and your whirly before you take that step backwards.
|
| |
Date: 12 Nov 2006 15:52:11
From: Harry Moos
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
I paid around $25 for my Cory on e-Bay. It makes great coffee from home
roasted, burr ground beans. I, too, had trouble with coffee ground in my
whirly blade -- too much powder and it took way too long to come down past
the glass filter rod. My Cory was new in box. Ask the condition of the
rubber gasket if buying one on e-Bay. Many have dried out through the
years. Or get one that did not use a rubber gasket. It's a fun process for
when you have enough time to use it.
<shareyourknowledge@hotmail.com > wrote in message
news:1163341875.856165.267890@h54g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>I would like to buy a vacuum cofee maker. Can someone suggest a decent
> one under $100.00? I've read some of them are fragile and some don't
> brew too well if you grind beans which i like to do. Thanks.
>
|
| |
Date: 12 Nov 2006 12:49:26
From:
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
On 12 Nov 2006 06:31:15 -0800, "shareyourknowledge@hotmail.com"
<shareyourknowledge@hotmail.com > wrote:
>I would like to buy a vacuum cofee maker. Can someone suggest a decent
>one under $100.00? I've read some of them are fragile and some don't
>brew too well if you grind beans which i like to do. Thanks.
I have the electric Bodum Santos (big one) and the "manual". Both do a
fine job when used with a decent burr grinder. If by "some don't brew
too well if you grind beans which i like to do." you mean you use a
whirly blade grinder, expect less than stellar results unless you're
very careful about how you grind and even then you'll have frequent
stuck pots. The whirly grinder creates a lot of very fine particle
size grinds. These clog the filter.
_______________________________________
Please Note: If you find a posting or message from me
offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive, please ignore it.
If you don't know how to ignore a posting, complain to
me and I will be only too happy to demonstrate.
|
| |
Date: 12 Nov 2006 10:50:54
From: Mike White
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
>
>
> <shareyourknowledge@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:1163341875.856165.267890@h54g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
> >I would like to buy a vacuum cofee maker. Can someone suggest a decent
> > one under $100.00? I've read some of them are fragile and some don't
> > brew too well if you grind beans which i like to do. Thanks.
> >
I've always had good experiences with my Mini E-Santos from Bodum.
It's electric and less than $100. I've heard some stories of the large
one not working so well, but the mini has always performed well in my
kitchen.
|
| | |
Date: 12 Nov 2006 19:10:43
From: Marshall
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
On 12 Nov 2006 10:50:54 -0800, "Mike White" <Fajitapot@gmail.com >
wrote:
>
>>
>>
>> <shareyourknowledge@hotmail.com> wrote in message
>> news:1163341875.856165.267890@h54g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>> >I would like to buy a vacuum cofee maker. Can someone suggest a decent
>> > one under $100.00? I've read some of them are fragile and some don't
>> > brew too well if you grind beans which i like to do. Thanks.
>> >
>
>
>I've always had good experiences with my Mini E-Santos from Bodum.
>It's electric and less than $100. I've heard some stories of the large
>one not working so well, but the mini has always performed well in my
>kit
I love mine, too. Take good care of it. The Minis are discontinued.
Marshall
|
| |
Date: 13 Nov 2006 10:20:39
From: Mike White
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
shareyourknowledge@hotmail.com wrote:
> Thanks to all for your replies, but keep them comimg! I'd like to get
> some more input. Sounds like i should dich my whirly blade bean grinder
> and get a better one or just buy coffee already ground. Regards.
get the new grinder! you will have to spend slightly more than you will
for the vac pot but it's worth it. now for a flood of grinder
recommendations....
|
| |
Date: 13 Nov 2006 09:35:52
From: Omniryx@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
The Nicro is a workhorse, for sure. But, for me at least, the visual
aspect of making coffee with a vac pot is a big part of the reason to
do so. Unless you have vision like Superman, you miss that with the
Nicro.
I use my grandmother's Silex from the '30s and it is still going
gangbusters. Original heating element; original gasket. And if/when I
break something, replacements are as near as ebay.
|
| |
Date: 13 Nov 2006 07:41:39
From:
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
Jack Denver wrote:
> Look for a stainless steel vintage Nicro on ebay. They are indestructible.
> You'll miss the show though.
>
> As for not brewing well if you grind, I'm not sure what you mean. Some do
> have a tendency to get "stuck" if you grind too fine or if you have a lousy
> grinder (whirly blade type).
>
> For a good all round starter pot, you could do worse than a Yama. Relatively
> inexpensive and a cloth filter which is forgiving of grind. Of course it is
> glass so you can't toss it around and never boil it dry.
>
> http://fantes.com/vacuum_coffeemaker.htm
>
I'll second the recommendation for the Nicro. I found mine in a thrift
store two years ago and it has been my primary brewer ever since. It
was missing the original metal filter so I made one from some SS
hardware. I also bought a Cory rod off of e-bay to go with it; the
Cory rod works, but I like my homemade metal one better.
The one problem I had with the Nicro was the heavy stainless can store
a lot of heat and take a lot of abuse at the same time. This combo
means that you can get the bottom pot too hot and then burn the coffee
when it drops. Electric ranges are easy to get around this, but with a
gas burner it can be tricky to get the low heat without having the
flame go out completely.
The heavy gauge SS is nice as you don't need to worry about having it
break from over heating or rough handling. Every road trip I make I
stuff baggies of beans and the filter in the bottom pot, put the funnel
on to keep that together and toss the whole thing and my zass in the
trunk - no worries!
Matthew
|
| | |
Date: 13 Nov 2006 12:59:00
From: Jack Denver
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
There are workarounds for gas - you can get a "flame tamer" which is sort
of a trivet that goes in between the pot and the flame, . Some modern stoves
have "simmer burners" that are designed to go low. But usually turning the
heat way down is enough - close windows so there is no breeze to blow out
the flame. Also, don't leave the coffee in the pot once it is done
brewing. Whatever you don't serve immediately, decant to a thermal carafe or
thermos.
The good news is that you can boil a Nicro dry without destroying it. The
first time you boil a glass pot dry is the last because it will crack .
<mandtprice@gmail.com > wrote in message
news:1163432499.258574.201390@k70g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> The one problem I had with the Nicro was the heavy stainless can store
> a lot of heat and take a lot of abuse at the same time. This combo
> means that you can get the bottom pot too hot and then burn the coffee
> when it drops. Electric ranges are easy to get around this, but with a
> gas burner it can be tricky to get the low heat without having the
> flame go out completely.
>
> The heavy gauge SS is nice as you don't need to worry about having it
> break from over heating or rough handling. Every road trip I make I
> stuff baggies of beans and the filter in the bottom pot, put the funnel
> on to keep that together and toss the whole thing and my zass in the
> trunk - no worries!
>
> Matthew
>
|
| | | |
Date: 13 Nov 2006 14:09:04
From: Moka Java
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
Jack Denver wrote:
>
> The good news is that you can boil a Nicro dry without destroying it. The
> first time you boil a glass pot dry is the last because it will crack .
>
Agreed, but for me the whole joy of a vac pot is the show! For my
tastes, vac pot coffee is too clean.
R "gimme a press pot any day!" TF
|
| | | | |
Date: 15 Nov 2006 19:52:22
From:
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
In alt.coffee, Moka Java <rtwatches@yahoo.com > wrote:
> Agreed, but for me the whole joy of a vac pot is the show! For my
> tastes, vac pot coffee is too clean.
> R "gimme a press pot any day!" TF
I like them both. I use a vacpot in the mornings, but when I want
something in the afternoon, I grab my press pot more often than any other.
It is amazing how different the results are, despite the beans and grinder
and everythng else being the same.
--
A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.
--Edward R. Murrow
|
| | |
Date: 15 Nov 2006 19:48:46
From:
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
In alt.coffee, mandtprice@gmail.com wrote:
> It
> was missing the original metal filter so I made one from some SS
> hardware. I also bought a Cory rod off of e-bay to go with it; the
> Cory rod works, but I like my homemade metal one better.
Good for you! What does your homemade filter look like?
> The one problem I had with the Nicro was the heavy stainless can store
> a lot of heat and take a lot of abuse at the same time. This combo
> means that you can get the bottom pot too hot and then burn the coffee
> when it drops.
There should be water in the bottom at all times. This should keep the
stainless at 212, or not much higher. I use Silex pots which are made out
of thick borosilicate glass. They are much heavier than my Nicro. Not
only that, but glass conducts heat much better than stainless. So I
wonder what the reason is for your problem with overheating.
Is the tube in your Nicro too long, leaving insufficient water in the
bottom?
If you leave the top off until the bottom is boiling, you can turn off the
flame while you grind the coffee. Then, while the grinder is doing its
thing, you can swirl the water in the bottom pot, which cools it off
boiling, and cools the walls of the pot to 212. I usually do this with my
glass pots. It is very cool to see the water boil as it hits the hot, dry
glass. This might make a differce for you if the stainless is getting too
hot.
Electric ranges are easy to get around this, but with a
> gas burner it can be tricky to get the low heat without having the
> flame go out completely.
A moderate flame, just low enough that the water doesn't splash out is
best.
> The heavy gauge SS is nice as you don't need to worry about having it
> break from over heating or rough handling. Every road trip I make I
> stuff baggies of beans and the filter in the bottom pot, put the funnel
> on to keep that together and toss the whole thing and my zass in the
> trunk - no worries!
I use my Nicro for road trips, and especially, camping. It is SO nice
to have a heavy-duty pot that makes great coffee. I used to take my press
pot on the road, but the Nicro works so much better and is so much more
durable.
--
A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.
--Edward R. Murrow
|
| |
Date: 13 Nov 2006 14:16:48
From:
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
Moka Java wrote:
> Interesting. I stir to make sure all the coffee grounds are in contact
> with the water. Perhaps the stirring variation your getting has
> something to do with the filter. What type of filter does the Nicro
> have? A Nicro vac pot is on my want list of coffee equipment. I
> recall a modern version of the Nicro available not too long ago but
> can't find it with a Google search. Does anyone recall the new Nicro?
>
> R "like I don't have enough crap already!" TF
The Nicro has a pair of metal cups nesting together and covering the
drain in the funnel. Each disk/cup has stamped perferations and they
are assembled so the holes are not alligned. Mine was incomplete, so I
built something similar from a bolt, fender washer, lock washer and
finish washer.
I'll usually give it a light 'top' stir at the beginning to bring the
clumps of grounds in contact with the escaping gas and the boiling
action does the rest as far as agitation. The stirring I mentioned
earlier at the /end/ of the brew cycle, right after I take the pot off
of the range, and is a 'bottom' stir where I scrape around the base of
inside of the funnel to sweep the grounds that are at the bottom. In
the Nicro it is the grounds that do the actual filtering and the deeper
the bed at the bottom, the cleaner the brew. The filter itself has
rather large openings that cause a grounds logjam to form. A few
grounds will get through in the first moments that the coffee is going
down, but after that they are stuck. The longer the 'bottom' stir, the
more the grounds pile up and are attracted to the suction action.
I hope this explains it, but I am not sure I have been clear enough.
Matthew
|
| | |
Date: 13 Nov 2006 19:23:25
From: Moka Java
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
mandtprice@gmail.com wrote:
>
> The Nicro has a pair of metal cups nesting together and covering the
> drain in the funnel. Each disk/cup has stamped perferations and they
> are assembled so the holes are not alligned. Mine was incomplete, so I
> built something similar from a bolt, fender washer, lock washer and
> finish washer.
>
> I'll usually give it a light 'top' stir at the beginning to bring the
> clumps of grounds in contact with the escaping gas and the boiling
> action does the rest as far as agitation. The stirring I mentioned
> earlier at the /end/ of the brew cycle, right after I take the pot off
> of the range, and is a 'bottom' stir where I scrape around the base of
> inside of the funnel to sweep the grounds that are at the bottom. In
> the Nicro it is the grounds that do the actual filtering and the deeper
> the bed at the bottom, the cleaner the brew. The filter itself has
> rather large openings that cause a grounds logjam to form. A few
> grounds will get through in the first moments that the coffee is going
> down, but after that they are stuck. The longer the 'bottom' stir, the
> more the grounds pile up and are attracted to the suction action.
>
> I hope this explains it, but I am not sure I have been clear enough.
>
> Matthew
>
OK, now I have a better understanding of what you're doing. I would
think all vac pots have the same coffee as filter effect. The glass
Bodum has a finely ridged plastic disk the probably works very similarly
to the Nicro. The cotton filters found in some vac pots will have much
the same effect once the fines fill the fibers. I don't have much
experience with glass rod type filters so can't comment on them.
R "the vac pot is a great show for dinner guests" TF
|
| | | |
Date: 15 Nov 2006 19:58:27
From:
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
In alt.coffee, Moka Java <rtwatches@fishyahoo.com > wrote:
> OK, now I have a better understanding of what you're doing. I would
> think all vac pots have the same coffee as filter effect.
Yes, but the grounds distribution is mysterious, at best.
I know one guy who maintains that his best results are when the
grounds form a raised clump in the middle, rather tan being evenly
distributed across the bottom.
The glass
> Bodum has a finely ridged plastic disk the probably works very similarly
> to the Nicro. The cotton filters found in some vac pots will have much
> the same effect once the fines fill the fibers. I don't have much
> experience with glass rod type filters so can't comment on them.
They work by using little bumps in the glass, big eough for the liquid to
pass, but small enough to block the grounds.
--
A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves.
--Edward R. Murrow
|
| |
Date: 13 Nov 2006 12:31:01
From:
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
Moka Java wrote:
> Jack Denver wrote:
> >
> > The good news is that you can boil a Nicro dry without destroying it. The
> > first time you boil a glass pot dry is the last because it will crack .
> >
>
> Agreed, but for me the whole joy of a vac pot is the show! For my
> tastes, vac pot coffee is too clean.
>
> R "gimme a press pot any day!" TF
That's one of the things I love about the Nicro. As the lower pot
boils, the grounds are shoved out of the way at the high spot where
most of the gas escapes. When I cut the flame, I give the grounds a
stir with a bamboo skewer to make sure that the grounds are evenly
distributed at the bottom. I can control the thickness of the brew
based on how much I stir: once around slowly gives a little less than a
press; three to five stirs makes a crystal clear brew the envy of any
paper filter; no stir gives a little more than what I get from my press
and worn out zass - almost too much.
I don't know if this is possible with the daintier vac pots, but it is
something I am currently exploring the boundaries of with the Nicro.
Matthew
|
| | |
Date: 13 Nov 2006 17:01:21
From: Moka Java
Subject: Re: Vacuum coffee makers
|
mandtprice@gmail.com wrote:
> Moka Java wrote:
>
>>Jack Denver wrote:
>>
>>>The good news is that you can boil a Nicro dry without destroying it. The
>>>first time you boil a glass pot dry is the last because it will crack .
>>>
>>
>>Agreed, but for me the whole joy of a vac pot is the show! For my
>>tastes, vac pot coffee is too clean.
>>
>>R "gimme a press pot any day!" TF
>
>
> That's one of the things I love about the Nicro. As the lower pot
> boils, the grounds are shoved out of the way at the high spot where
> most of the gas escapes. When I cut the flame, I give the grounds a
> stir with a bamboo skewer to make sure that the grounds are evenly
> distributed at the bottom. I can control the thickness of the brew
> based on how much I stir: once around slowly gives a little less than a
> press; three to five stirs makes a crystal clear brew the envy of any
> paper filter; no stir gives a little more than what I get from my press
> and worn out zass - almost too much.
>
> I don't know if this is possible with the daintier vac pots, but it is
> something I am currently exploring the boundaries of with the Nicro.
>
> Matthew
>
Interesting. I stir to make sure all the coffee grounds are in contact
with the water. Perhaps the stirring variation your getting has
something to do with the filter. What type of filter does the Nicro
have? A Nicro vac pot is on my want list of coffee equipment. I
recall a modern version of the Nicro available not too long ago but
can't find it with a Google search. Does anyone recall the new Nicro?
R "like I don't have enough crap already!" TF
|
|
