New Product... What do you think??/

[CoffeeJunky]

This is one of the most safe Siphon Vacuum coffee maker.
This is electric with its own heating element and water will boil in less then 2 mins.

What do you think?

My partner and I will marketing this soon in the future to coffee houses and some of the websites.
Give me some feed back and tell me your honest opinion on this.

 

[CoffeeJunky]

more pictures....

 

[John P]

Having brewed some 6,000 cups of siphon, here are my thoughts.

Not an original idea, but then, what is these days.
The earlier Bodum permutation was not any better.

Like the older Bodum, Direct heat siphon produce a cup that has an unwanted "carbon" flavor in it. And in addition, you have at least 20%++ loss of flavor.

I am also wary of the glass. Is it Chinese made, Japanese made, or elsewhere?

It seems that maybe you don't understand the nature of siphon brewing. Siphon is not meant to be quick. Siphon, like proper pour over, is a craft brewing experience, trying to hasten the progress diminishes both the purpose and the result. It's akin to marketing a POD based espresso machine to a barista.

Just because you CAN do something, doesn't mean that you should.

 

[eldub]

John: How many siphons does it take to get through the day in your shop ?

What is clean up like?

I'd like to offer this brewing method in our shop but am unsure of the logistics.

 

[CoffeeJunky]

John,

First of all, The most of the siphon brewer have safety concerns. Many of the Siphon coffee brewer uses burner or some type of lamp that can be fire hazardous. This product solves that problem.

Second . I think boiling time could be also interesting subject if you don't have the hot water available. I have brewed about 1000 times, on different type of siphon brewer but this is actually easier to use and much more user friendly.

Third, this product have been sold over 100,000 units in past 3 years. It just have not been in US yet. Many of this siphon brewers are still in use and they are over few years old. The glass is the same glass that was made for water kettle and specially designed for siphon vacuum pressure.

This unit has temperature control, and you can control your brewing time. I think getting cold water to boil in short period time is essential for small coffee house and I believe the heating unit is very similar to Espresso boiler.

This siphon brewer is a new concept because of the way it is designed to brew tea and coffee in the same pot. Also most of the decent siphon coffee brewers will cost around 300 dollars and up and these will be distributed under 200 dollars.

Eldub: Cleaning is pretty easy if you have dish washer. And you need many extra filters are must to accommodate high demand. We are currently using Hario with Akira beam heater but they are much more expensive and cleaning is little more tricky. We will be switching all my siphon brewing to this Digou brand as soon as the shipments arrive.

I have 20 units but using only 5 so serve 50-75 cups a day.

 

[eldub]

Thanks, CJ. Do you have to wash the glass unit after each use or just rinse and change the filter?

 

[John P]

CoffeeJunky,

First of all, best of luck in your venture!

You asked for an honest assessment, and then you seem to disregard what you have asked for.

And as far as siphon brewing goes, my reputation both here and abroad is sound. If you were not seeking the opinion of an expert, you should not have posted this on a forum where the occasional expert or two may frequent.

Using a siphon brewer does not mean one is brewing siphon coffee, just as using an espresso machine certainly does not make the resultant product "espresso."

Proper siphon brewing is not simply a methodology, at its core it's the philosophical pursuit of clarity and perfection, it's about understanding nuances in the coffee and adjusting ever so slightly to coax those nuances into the cup. Just as a tea master approaches Chado, or Way of tea, is how the understanding of the siphon should be approached.

Trying to hurry, rush, or speed up the process is counter to everything the process is about.

First of all, The most of the siphon brewer have safety concerns. Many of the Siphon coffee brewer uses burner or some type of lamp that can be fire hazardous. This product solves that problem.

It's no secret we're (caffe d'bolla) the sole authorized importer and distributor for the Beam Heaters for everywhere outside of Asia. The products are apples and oranges, but my assessment is valid.

The butane burners are not meant for commercial use. I agree, inline gas burners have potential hazards, which is why the halogen Beam Heaters for siphon been around since mid 2007. Safer. Cleaner, more ambient heat. Complete control over brewing temp. Used in hundreds of shops in Japan as well as at the siphon brewing championships. So, there isn't a problem to be solved.

Second . I think boiling time could be also interesting subject if you don't have the hot water available. I have brewed about 1000 times, on different type of siphon brewer but this is actually easier to use and much more user friendly.

Siphon always starts from hot, not from cold. If you don't have the ability to produce hot water, you have much bigger problems to deal with than coffee brewing!

Third, this product have been sold over 100,000 units in past 3 years. It just have not been in US yet. Many of this siphon brewers are still in use and they are over few years old. The glass is the same glass that was made for water kettle and specially designed for siphon vacuum pressure..

Didn't answer the question. Where is the glass manufactured?

This unit has temperature control, and you can control your brewing time. I think getting cold water to boil in short period time is essential for small coffee house and I believe the heating unit is very similar to Espresso boiler..

As mentioned. Siphon is never meant to heat from cold. And what shop wouldn't have a hot water tower or ability to boil water?

This siphon brewer is a new concept because of the way it is designed to brew tea and coffee in the same pot. Also most of the decent siphon coffee brewers will cost around 300 dollars and up and these will be distributed under 200 dollars.

The siphon has no practical application for tea other than to look pretty. Yes, a good siphon set up is $400+ If people or shop owners have a goal to make excellent coffee, cost is rarely an issue.

 

[CoffeeJunky]

John,

As a siphon coffee maker myself. The points you made is valid and would think makes sense if you are trying to get the best result only. It is the same for anything in the industry. There are room for high end market. The glass is made in Korea. Heating units are made in China. The designed in US. These units will be manufactured in US soon in the future.

1. Most of the siphon coffee makers use hot water because their inability to boil the water fast. It is way cheaper and faster to start from the hot to boil. Not because of it is better for the taste.

2. Cost of the Beam heater is out of sight. 300 dollars and up. That is like saying people, only way to make siphon coffee is to invest almost 500 dollars per set up.... This product will be marketed in US at fraction of the cost.

3. Halogen light is banned in US because of fire hazardous. That goes the same for the removable halogen heater also can be fire hazardous. Electric heating kettle concept actually is the safest and easiest way to achieve once look very complicated method of brewing.
The beam heater is not UL approved thou you should be looking into getting that mark.

4. Out of 100,000 units sold outside of US, 70,000 units are being used in over 5,000 coffee houses. That should be more then 10 time of your product. It is because of the price. Even the most sophisticated coffee house is looking to provide the service at less over head. And spending 5000 dollars to serve 3-4 dollar cup of coffee just doesn't make economic sense.

5. So you know all about the tea applications? This unit can brew tea the way it should be brew because of the temperature control it has. The tea should be brewed in much cooler temp and this can achieve the temperature and also the time and filtering of the tea. Over 1000 tea house have purchased these unit.

John, I asked for honest opinion not bias opinions. I am not going to common on how crappy beam heaters are. I have been using the beam heater for 2 years and 10 units and they all turned out to be waste of money. That is the reason I came up with this design and concept. The shop owners do not have to spend 1-2,000 dollars to just start having the set up for the service that might or might not work. This is also the cheaper alternative for coffee shop owners to try and offer service that is one of the best way to brew coffee.

Eldub: These units are not being touch by mouth of hands and it should be rinsed in the hot water for quick next brewing. At the end of the day, all the top should be cleaned in the dish washer for the next day use. When you rinse the base, it should use drop of detergent to get the coffee grease out of the pot.

 

[chast]

The Yama beam heater, from what I have read, is UL approved.

 

[CoffeeJunky]

Yes they were finally UL approved but there aren't any 110 v US version.

 

[chast]

They do have 110V US Espresso Parts carries the single and triple
The Yama Beam Heater is new and improved! Internally it boasts updated control for longer life and better performance. We've designed a new sleek black top where your siphon rests, which will help prevent scratches and minimize their appearance, if any do occur. Most importantly the beam heater is now UL certified for safety. Power: AC 110V, 350W
Dimensions: 8(l) X 8.5(w) X 7(h) (inches)
Cord length: 50 inches
Weight: 4 lbs

 

[CoffeeJunky]

So they have compromised power to 350... They were 400w before and 220.

As i have said before, this will be great show piece for coffee shops.
But for home use, this would be over kill and also the price will be over $400 or close to 500 on some units.
I believe that is way too much for occasional siphon coffee users to invest.

 

[chast]

I am actually going to inquire about a triple beam 220V from Yama. Single beam heater overkill for home use? not really. depends on your needs and budget. I have a friend who purchased a Slayer for his home. 20K + for an espresso!! Blendtec blender @ 1K to make smoothies for the kids.
I am looking for the beam heaters for shop use not home. I am interested in your product for home use, my only hangup is the electronics made in China.

 

[peterjschmidt]

So they have compromised power to 350... They were 400w before and 220.

As i have said before, this will be great show piece for coffee shops.
But for home use, this would be over kill and also the price will be over $400 or close to 500 on some units.
I believe that is way too much for occasional siphon coffee users to invest.

And for home use, it still has me wondering why someone would buy a siphon with a heat source when most of us have a range and stove-top siphons are plentious.

 

[emccalla]

Just an Old School guy, It's easy, It's simple, it's just Coffee.