simonp wrote:I've been drinking a reasonable ammount of caffetiere coffee recently, as I've been working late, so no access to an espresso machine. I quite like coffee this way, but it can be a littele muddy, so I've been thinking about a vac pot. They are a little costly, so wondering if I should or not.
I know the Cona is the best, but I'm wondering if I should start with something cheaper in case I'm not keen on this method. I have seen Hario Technica ones on ebay going cheap, but I'm not sure what they are like.
Ok, since my name was mentioned in the context -
First off, I agree with Phil. Vac pots are popular because
1. the improved filtration leaves less sediment than in a cafetière;
2. extraction is better than in drip brewers, due to improved agitation and more stable temperatures;
3. the whole show of the brewing process is just way cool.
Which vac pot to chose? Here's my take:
* Cona's: very worth the money, very high quality glass, excellent filter - haven't found these to be finicky in any way, just be careful not to touch the drainer when stirring;
* Bodum Santos et. al.: inexpensive and does the job, glass is indeed much thinner, and the filter tends to clog when using the pot on a higher flame (which you shouldn't do anway);
* Hario: somewhere between Bodum and Cona wrt quality - good stuff for on the table, but can't be used on a stove;
* Hellem: as sturdy as the Cona's, but, like the Hario's, a bit of a hassle to clean due to the cloth filter - note: spare parts are near-impossible to find as the factory closed down a few years ago;
* Patrick's (Coffee4you) Royal and Cafetino: excellence in construction, visual appeal, and coffee quality, but that's included in the price tag - buy if you can afford it, lust for it if you can't;
* Sintrax: don't buy unless for collectability, glass is top-notch, but the filter sucks - otoh, you'd buy these for bragging rights only, not for use;
* Miscellaneous 'merican vac pots: usu. decent quality glass, some (Cory) actually have good filters - here too finding spare parts is very, very difficult.
I've left out a few old models that occasionally show up on ebay - again, the unavailability of replacement parts may be an issue.
To sum up: if you want a vac pot for daily use, it's best to go for one still in production. If you want to use it on a stove, the Cona and Santos are the prime suspects. My personal pref is for the Cona, because the glass drainer is probably one of the better filters around. 'Course, you can easily use the Santos with a Cona drainer...
For use on the table, Hario is a third alternative. Note, as said in another thread, Hario is most forecoming, and certainly willing to ship to Europe. The brewers are not overly expensive either - IIRC, most models sell for around 6000 Yen (= 42 EUR = 29 UKP) The Nouveau, and Deco cost only a bit more. Spare parts are available from the mfr.
Want even more choice? Check out
this section
Re Kaarina - AdCraft makes a decent stainless steel vac pot with a very good filter, should do the trick aboard a boat & won't break. Oh, who mentioned the Velox? Forget it anyway, looks nice, but it's hard to persuade it to make a decent cup of coffee. Better try a normal moka.
Cheers,
HV