Which vac pot for Christmas?!

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Which vac pot for Christmas?!

Postby Lambo » Thu Dec 13, 2007 9:40 pm

I'm afraid I'm feeling lazy tonight (especially after taking 3.5 hours to drive 65 miles home from work :cry: ) and I can't be bovvered to trawl through the archives for threads on this.

Which vac pot do I get myself for Christmas? I probably don't want anything tooooo fiddly

Polite suggestions/advice please!
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RE: Which vac pot for Christmas?!

Postby lukas » Thu Dec 13, 2007 9:52 pm

I do have a Bodum Santos, but that has a plastic filter disc that easily cloggs (especially if the grinder is not top-notch and produces slight amounts of fines as my Gaggia MDF, not so the Cimbali), but I hear that the Cona Vacpots are better (and probably more expensive?).
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Postby Lambo » Thu Dec 13, 2007 9:58 pm

Thanks Lukas.
I was/am toying with the idea of the Cona Bijou kitchen model that I can stick on the cooker. Is one that uses meths or a similar fluid easier to control than a kitchen model?
I suppose with a fluid-powered one you could always take advantage of it. Do you drink the meths or the coffee first?
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Postby bruceb » Thu Dec 13, 2007 11:24 pm

Lambo wrote:I suppose with a fluid-powered one you could always take advantage of it. Do you drink the meths or the coffee first?


This is a chicken/egg problem. If you make the coffee and drink it first you won't have any alcohol left. If you drink the alcohol you won't have any left to make the coffee...and you'll probably be blind. Oh woe is me, I think I shall go to bed on that. :roll:
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Postby zapty » Fri Dec 14, 2007 7:06 am

I love my Cona's, all glass parts, no contact with plastics..... or a nice balance brewer of course....
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Postby Lambo » Fri Dec 14, 2007 7:30 pm

Balance brewer? Wot's one of them?!? Oh no, I shall have to do some research now!!!
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Postby phil » Fri Dec 14, 2007 8:10 pm

The Conas are great but can be tricky.

I'd get a Bodum Santos as a good half-way house between a press pot and a pukka Cona or whatever. I had one a few years ago and it was much easier to use than any of my Conas. Not as clean a brew, but far better than from a press pot.

They're a tad fragile though. That's what happened to mine. Sigh.

Balance brewers. Yes Patrick, I agree, I've always fancied one - the Americans on the SM list raved about them a few years back - but I've never got round to bothering (especially as they can be a bit pricey).

Summary: if you don't want fiddly and are prepared to slightly compromise quality, get a Santos. Otherwise get a Cona or a Hario.

Plus point for Conas: the bits can be replaced piecemeal, which is more than can be said for the Bodum. Dunno about the Hario - ask the retailer.
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Postby CakeBoy » Fri Dec 14, 2007 8:47 pm

I'm with Phil on the Santos. It does a good job without any hassle and not much compromise. A nice clean cup altogether :)
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Postby Steve » Sat Dec 15, 2007 6:23 pm

For me its like everything in life, you get what you pay for, the conas are expensive but you can tell with the final quality.
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Postby zix » Sat Dec 15, 2007 10:49 pm

abso-vacu-lutely.
My parents have a predecessor of the Bodum Santos. Same shape, same materials. I bought a used but very fresh Cona about a year ago. The Cona´s coffee taste is cleaner, and it looks nicer. The difference in handling is that I need to stir the Cona pot (taking care not to touch the glass rod while doing so), but usually the pre Bodum doesn't need that.
All Conas should withstand use on a gas stove "plate", yes?
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Postby lukas » Mon Dec 17, 2007 2:33 pm

I used the santos on a kitchen gas stove as well as an electrical one, I thought that's what vac pots are designed for? I also found that stirring does help to get nicer coffee.
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This week I like my coffee luke-warm.
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Postby Lambo » Mon Dec 17, 2007 8:53 pm

Oh decisions, decisions...
At this rate it'll be next Christmas before I make my mind up :?
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Postby Lambo » Fri Jan 25, 2008 6:36 pm

Guess what - I still haven't decided... :?

But in the meantime I've gone for a Hario Bloom. The next question is, how do I actually prepare and use it?!? How fine should I grind (using a Rocky)? The instructions are in Japanese of course...

Any help/advice gratefully received, as always!
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Hario Bloom, various cafetières, Mellita filter machine, 4 hand-operated grinders, Aeropress
Citroën DS
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Postby Lambo » Tue Jan 29, 2008 7:34 pm

Sigh, does this site need to be renamed "Toomuchespresso"? :twisted:
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Hario Bloom, various cafetières, Mellita filter machine, 4 hand-operated grinders, Aeropress
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Postby lukas » Tue Jan 29, 2008 9:10 pm

ononononon! brewed coffee's great!
It's just not that useful when preparing for barista competitions ... *sigh*. I believe there was some talk on the hario devices in american forums/blogs, but I don't remember specifics.
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