****** - Verified Buyer
4.5
I'll start by saying I'm an a real coffee enthusiast. Having works in countries around the world who prepare some of the finest coffees in the world, I've developed a taste for excellent coffee. Years ago I used the Bodum electric Santos, but Bodum discontinued that product. More recently I've been using the Techovorm Moccamaster, the highest-rated electric drip coffee maker. It's an excellent product and makes very good coffee. For variety, I recently ordered the Bodum Santos Vacuum Coffee Maker.I read previous reviews where folks were saying that their pot exploded, etc - my personal opinion is that, if used as directed, this will never happen. The coffee maker works off of water vapor pressure, so if you're mindful when making your coffee I don't think you'll have problems. I've been using mine for about 3 weeks and I have zero doubts that my unit will malfunction.I've experimented with the process and the chronological steps and will share it here - it works well for me. I will add that I like very strong coffee.1. First, fill the decanter with purified or spring water with the number of ounces of water of your choice. Place the decanter on the heat source and turn the heat on to medium.2. Grind the coffee using the coarsest "French Roast" grind. My favorite full-bodied coffee is Peet's Major Dickason's Blend, a dark roast. It and other coffees can be ordered online from Peet's Coffee. I like Peet's because they roast, package and vacuum-seal your coffee and send it out the same day. You receive very fresh coffee in about 4 days. Fresh coffee is critical in this process.3. Insert and secure the upper bowl to the lower decanter using a small amount of pressure to make sure the fit is good. Make sure you have already inserted the plastic filter into the upper bowl before securing the upper bowl to the decanter.4. Add the ground coffee to the upper bowl. I use 1 tablespoon of coffee for every 3 ounces of water; sometimes I add a scoop more. For 24 oz. of water, I add 8 scoops (24 divided by 3), then I add one more scoop.5. Turn the heat source to high. Since the water has already been heating, the vacuum process should occur in just a couple of minutes.6. When the water heats to a certain temperature, all of the water will have risen to the upper bowl. It appears to be boiling, but it is not - it is just additional steam coming from the decanter to the upper bowl. Stir the coffee grounds to make sure they're evenly distributed.7. This is where my process differs from most others. Others will advise you to now take the coffee maker off of the heat source which means the coffee in the upper bowl will almost immediately flow back down into the decanter. I prefer a stronger cup that tastes more like French Press, so I do not eliminate the heat source right away. I turn the heat down to low or med-low and continue to let the vapor rise into the upper bowl. I let the coffee brew for about 5 minutes...THEN I turn off the heat source and then the coffee flows down into the decanter.8. Once all of the liquid has gone back down into the decanter (this takes only a few seconds), gently twist the upper bowl and lift it off the decanter. Place the upper bowl into the provided plastic "stem".9. That's it. You should now have strong but clean-tasting coffee. A final note: I prefer this coffee over my Technovorm MochaMaster.Summary: I know this process sounds tedious and time-consuming. It is not at all - I have merely described the steps in detail. After only a couple of times, you will be able to prepare the coffee very quickly - only the steep time adds minutes to the process.Good luck, and enjoy your delicious coffee!!
