GunHugger, being a collector, had several of these types of pots and some were duplicates packed away in storage. He was kind enough to just give me one.
At first I was too chicken to try it because I have a very clumsy knack for breaking cool stuff.
But today, I decided that it has been sitting on my counter taunting me long enough.
I filled the carafe with about 6 cups of filtered water. (Because I’m a water snob, too…and good water makes good coffee.)
Then I put the top on. The top part has a tube that extends almost to the bottom of the carafe, and there’s a gasket between the two pieces.
This glass rod acts as a filter and doesn’t allow grounds to pass into the carafe. Not one single ground! Impressive…
It just sits in the tube like so.
Being the first attempt, I know I’ll have to fiddle with the amount of coffee I use before I hit that magic perfection. This time I used a teaspoonful for every cup of water.
All ready to go…
The fire is set medium high underneath and the steamy glass is a telltale sign that something is about to happen.
The vacuum is created and starts to pull the water up the tube to mix with the grounds in the top.
**IMPORTANT EDIT FROM THE COMMENTS**
GunHugger says: "When the water is heated in the bottom section it is pressure built up there that forces the water to the top section."
Most of the water is in the top and what’s left in the bottom that couldn’t reach the tube is boiling. It makes odd “blurping” sounds like a very jacked up percolator.
I let it do that for about 4 minutes and then turned off the fire under it. All the coffee then gets “sucked” back into the carafe sans grounds.
The top came off easier than I expected, since I thought the gasket had probably created a harder seal from the heat and steam. This coffee was really good!
It wasn’t as strong as I like it, so I’ll fiddle with the amount I use next time, but it has the potential for excellence.
THANK YOU, GUNHUGGER!! :-)
11 comments:
You are very welcome.
I'm happy to see that you gave it a try. I didn't have a clue as to how they worked when I bought my first one, it scared and confused me. I only bought it because I didn't know what it was or how to use it and the price was $2. This was BE (before Internet) so I had it for a few years until I found a NIB General Electric model with instructions.
From that point on I loved the coffee brewed in a vacuum pot. It is more work but it's fun. I still use one about once or twice per week.
Vacuum pots were popular from the 1930's and up to the late '50's. They were like the Bunn Commercial drip coffee makers of today, they were used in restaurants and in the home. Cory even made a multiple burner commercial setup to brew 4 vacuum pots at once. I have one somewhere.
I have been wanting to inventory the collection, not sure how many I have. I do know it is now rare for me to find them around here, I must have bought them all. The funny thing is there were many times the person selling it didn't even know what it was. They turn up at flea markets, antique shops and garage sales. I have paid as little as a few dollars for one and up to a hundred.
I must make one small correction to your description of operation. When he water is heated in the bottom section it is pressure built up there that forces the water to the top section. When the pot is removed from the heat the bottom section cools which forms a vacuum that then sucked the coffee back through the grounds to the bottom section again. Without this vacuum the coffee would not go back to the bottom since the grounds would clog it shut. I just wanted to clarify that.
And yes...I would try at least two spoons per cup. You will find what works best after you use it more. And by the way...those things will break. I usually only break them when I'm washing them. Twice the top section slipped out of my hands while rinsing it and it hit the sink. I have more so it you break it I'll look through the parts pots for another.
Enjoy,
Rick
Thanks!! I will edit your comment about the pressure vs vacuum into the entry! :)
JG you have coffee on the brain! If it weren't for mayhem and chaos nothing else would get done. Everyone needs pasion in their life I guess. I get mine in other ways. :)
I am glad I quit drinking coffee, it has saved me approx. $1500 per year (probably more). But posts like this make me want to get off the wagon!
Come on, Dan...
Just one hit. Everybody's doing it.
You're not scared are ya?
I see 'huggy is being a bad infulence on you again. :) LOL
I like the ole tricks on making coffee, I'm just to lazy. I like waking up and hearing the beep, beep, beep that my ambrosia to the gods is done and ready for my consumption.
Nice write up. :t
Craig...
Oh sure, next thing you know you'll be setting up a "coffee stand" in front of your house selling it for $3.50 a cup ;-)
Pusher! Leave us ex addicts alone!
Well, there's no Starbucks in my podunk town...
In fact, short of the gas station, there's NO coffee place... sooooo...
:-D
And if Dan drives over... first hit is FREE. :p
That looks like something we once smoked hash with back in the 70's :)
Post a Comment