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Vacuum pots or syphons
Vacuum pots or syphons are regaining favour after having been in
obscurity for many years. They can be very elegant items made of glass
through which the whole brewing process can be viewed. Some even
provide the opportunity for brewing on the dining room table - a great
conversation piece for your guests. The process is very similar to the
stove-pot, with the exception that the brewed coffee ends up in the
bottom chamber having first migrated up through the ground coffee into
the top chamber. The pot should only be left on the heat until the
water stops flowing upwards, at that point place the pot on a heatproof
mat and as the bottom chamber cools the coffee will be sucked downwards
resulting in a pot of coffee ready for the cup. Getting the right grind
is particularly important as the filter mechanism varies amongst the
different models. If the grind is too coarse, little flavour is
generated. If the grind too fine, the coffee grounds clog the filter
and prevent the coffee returning to the bottom chamber.
Espresso machines
Finally we come to espresso machines. These can vary in price from
as little as $150 up to $000s. It is important to note that some of the
cheaper models don't generate enough pressure to properly complete the
espresso process. A minimum requirement is 9 bar of pressure, this is
available only in models that have a pump. Check the specifications
before you buy. There are a whole range of features available but the
basics are the full pressure pump, a water boiler, a steam wand with
its own switch, a tamping pad to compress the ground coffee and a
quality group handle to hold the coffee filter whilst the water is
forced through the ground coffee.
The process is;
- first heat up the unit for at least five minutes,
including allowing hot water to flow through the brewing head for 10
seconds or so;
- fill the coffee filter in the group handle (7
grams of fine ground coffee per 180 ml cup), compress the grounds in
the group handle using the tamp,
- insert the group handle, tightening fully, and then
- switch on the pump.
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