My new favorite single serve brewer
I've been using an aeropress with the metal disc for the past year. I wanted to give a chemex a try but found this BonaVita and decided to try it out. I'm very happy with the results.
Unlike a chemex it:
1) allows you to control brew time with a shut off valve rather than relying exclusively on grind and pour technique.
2) allows you to stir the coffee brew to agitate like you can with the aeropress.
Like the chemex it:
1) allows you to preheat the porcelain with hot water (no go on plastic brewers).
2) will break if you drop it.
My BonaVita included #4 Melita paper filters. You can use a #2, but the advantage of a #4 is that you can stir the coffee better without spilling grinds up and over the lip of the smaller #2.
To brew, I used apprx. 20 grams of coffee, added 200 degree water, stirred with a coffee spoon for apprx. 50 seconds, set on my mug and opened the valve. Once opened, the coffee took about...
Brews an Excellent Cup
I bought this item because I don't like how the Clever Dripper is made of plastic. I know that it is BPA free and whatnot, but I just don't like plastic in general. Plus the CD I had cracked.
I just received the unit, but am pleasantly pleased with it thus far. It was packaged well, and delivered on time. It has nice weight to it being that its made from porcelain, and the lever/mechanics seem like they were designed well. Hopefully it will last over the years.
I've brewed with it twice so far, and each cup came out perfect. I let the fresh coffee (26g) bloom for 30 seconds, let steep for 2 minutes, and let drain for 1:30. I used a grind in between espresso and drip. Ended up with a fantastic cup with very little sediment. Full bodied like a French press, without the grinds in your mouth.
I would recommend this product to anyone who likes a full bodied, French press style cup.
Like a Clever -- But Better
I used a Clever Coffee Dripper for several months, and was quite happy with the product. My biggest complaints were:
A) It's plastic, and I'm wary of letting hot foods and drinks sit in any kind of plastic for very long
B) It was unable to hold much heat. Even when using boiling water I could never get my brew temperature above 195F (as measured using a Thermapen).
The Bonavita solves both of these problems quite nicely. It's not made of plastic, so that issue is out, and the porcelain holds heat much better. I'm now able to achieve brew temperatures of 201-202F, resulting in a slightly sweeter and rounder cup.
Downsides as compared with the CCD:
A) I liked being able to see through the clear plastic of the CCD, especially when I was draining it into a cup. It's slightly more difficult to tell when the Bonavita is fully drained.
B) The design of the CCD makes it foolproof. As someone used to that design, I forgot to flip the...
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