Green Coffee Buying Club
Vendor Discussion Boards => old Traveling road shows => Topic started by: BoldJava on February 17, 2013, 03:10:59 PM
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Saw one at a local shop today. Extremely well made. It needs a traveling road show for some exposure. I snagged one.
Rules:
1. Post here; send $6.00 (edit) when I send you a PM when we hit 7 (edit) entrants.
2. Get in line.
3. I will have JSpain ask his wife to pick a random number.
4. The picked number goes to the end of the line and is the winner. Gets to keep the item.
5. Play with it for it a week, provide a "1st Look" for us and then send it on.
Who is in? Post to the thread.
Entrants
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2. Headchange, pd
3. Richdel, pd
4. JJ Roaster
5. BekelD
6. Jimbo, pd
7. Fffolks, pd
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Winner:
1. BoldJava
Infusion coffee method is a simple process in which you pour hot water in the "double-wall infuser" filled with ground coffee- Lead-free high-fired ceramic coffee maker pot with basket handled stainless infuser and push-on-lid
- Pot-high-fired ceramic; baked infuser-stainless steel/polypropylene; lid-silicone rubber, stainless steel and abs
- Heat resistant up to 120-degree Celsius/248-degree Fahrenheit; dishwasher-safe
- Super-fine perforated liner to minimize the passage of coarse particles
- Heat resistant up to 120-Degree Celsius/248-Degree F; Dishwasher-safe
- Lead-free High-fired Ceremic Coffee Maker pot with Basket Handled Stainless Infuser and Push-on-Lid
- Pot-High-fired Ceramic; Basket Infuser-Stainless steel/Polypropylene; Lid-Silicone rubber, Stainless steel and ABS
- (http://beanthere.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/forlife-caf-style-ceramic-infusion-coffee-maker-58-ounce1715ml-white-photo-001.jpg)
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Why is my name not already on the list? :p
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Go ahead and throw me on the list.
Thanks!
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count me in...
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Usually I wear polypropylene, not drink beverages made in it... add me in, please.
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Sign me up. It's too small to be my everyday go to, but I'd like to give this a shot to see how well it works.
One cannot have too many toys.
Jimbo
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Sign me up. It's too small to be my everyday go to, but I'd like to give this a shot to see how well it works.
One cannot have too many toys.
Jimbo
Jim, got it. They also make a 58-oz unit. This will let you know if it delivers the cup/quality you are after.
B|Java
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I will give it a go.
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Gotcha. You folks are preserving my 43-year marriage.
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Saw one at a local shop today. Extremely well made. It needs a traveling road show for some exposure. I snagged one.
...
Entrants
1. BoldJava
2. Headchange
3. Richdel
4. JJ Roaster
5. BekelD
6. Jimbo
7. Fffolks...
We chose to close the drawing at 7. I have asked Jim Spain to have Patti do the drawing honors. 1st look pending.
B|Java
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Time for the unveiling. Double wall infuser. Heavy ceramic; attractive rig.
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Looksee.
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Washed and ready.
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Infuser capsule.
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OK, showtime.
1st look.
1st, I measured the volume without any coffee. 28 oz - and that is without the volume that would be displaced by the coffee. Advertised to make 30 oz. No way.
Process:
^ Measured 50 grams of coffee with a press pot grind.
^ Preheated the porcelain chamber with hot tap water.
^ Boiled water.
^ Placed coffee into the filter chamber (and a couple of grams onto the counter -- narrow opening).
^ Put 3.30 on the timer (since it will take me 30 seconds to putz with the pour)
^ Poured boiled water into the chamber.
Trouble - Coffee is 5 days off roast and it is bellowing its C02 out the top and now on the counter.
^ Stirred down the coffee, twice now, with a grapefruit spoon. Become a Laurel and Hardy flick without Hardy.
^ Capped.
^ Opened and lifted coffee at 2.00 min to agitate.
^ Pulled the coffee at 4.0 min.
^ Poured 24 oz of the weakest coffee I have made in year.
1st look verdict? Sink pot.
2nd Look:
^ 48 gram
^ Pourover grind
^ Same pour, stir-down.
^ Same counter mess.
^ Lifted every minute to assist with agitation.
Result: Stronger cup but a bit sharp, as if overextracted.
Initial thoughts:
1. Love the design, the concept.
2. Well made.
3. Design may be aesthetically nice but the narrow channel design of the coffee well might be design issue.
I will futz with grind and times this week and weigh back in.
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If this response is not too late, the number is 1.
That came in an email from Jim Spain this morning. I won! I better get busy and perfect the process -- it is in it, just a matter of grind. Will find it this week, I am sure.
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Score, found the secret mix.
1. Used a grind 20% above the pourover, towards press pot. A setting of 5 is my normal pour-over grind; 6.25 is my press pot. Grinder was set at 5.25 for this successful pot.
2. 48 grams
3. Slow two minute pour with stir downs (slim spoon works).
4. Total steep, with pour, 3:15 minutes.
Lift grounds capsule. Pour coffee into preheated decanter. 24 ounces finished coffee. Enjoy.
Cup is very similar to a press pot. Very good cup for press pot fans.
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1st Look Summary
1. Clean looks; well made.
2. Poor design. Grounds capsule is too narrow.
3. Fastidious pour required with stir-downs, resulting in a pour-over press pot effort.
4. Good cup
Buy again? No. The manufacturer clearly didn't understand "coffee bloom" and was probably working with stale coffee the entire design-time. This could easily be remedied with a stouter pot and a wider diameter grounds capsule. They would have a winner.
On to HeadChange tomorrow.
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Just out of curiosity, why transfer to a preheated decanter?
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I wonder if the larger models have the same design flaw?
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If this response is not too late, the number is 1.
That came in an email from Jim Spain this morning. I won! I better get busy and perfect the process -- it is in it, just a matter of grind. Will find it this week, I am sure.
Well I just walked in the door from Daytona. Patti shared with me that she had given B/Winner the number one. Never would have happened if I was home when the request came!!!!!! ;)
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Just out of curiosity, why transfer to a preheated decanter?
As in thermos. We drink from the 7 oz Buffalo china cups and the thermos keeps it warm.
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Any update?
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Any update?
Brewer arrived earlier this week. I'll have some impressions up soon.
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This brewer really reminds me of the Snowden Softbrew (http://www.greencoffeebuyingclub.com/index.php?topic=11421). It works in much the same way and produces a very similar cup. At first I thought the holes in this brewer were quite a bit larger than the holes in the Snowden:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/headchange4u/IMG_2080.jpg)
I was afraid that this was going to lead to a cup with a lot of fines, but upon closer inspection it seems that each one of the larger holes is comprised of several smaller holes:
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/headchange4u/IMG_2085.jpg)
This produced a fairly clean cup with a flavor similar to a French Press. There were some fines, but the amount was not excessive. The cup was oily with the big body you might expect. The Forlife Coffee Infuser also makes an excellent cup of tea.
I'm a big fan of the Snowden, but I think this coffee infuser takes that design and improves on it a bit. I especially like the rubberized lid that securely attaches to the pot. One of my main gripes about the Snowden is that the lid tends to rattle around and could potentially fall off if the pot is tipped too far forward. No chance of this with the Forlife. It also a very attractive setup. I actually had 2 coworkers comment on how nice the brewer looked.
The only negative thing I can say about this brewer is that the little plastic handle on the brew basket seems flimsy and might easily break. Only time will tell.
Overall, thumbs up.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v704/headchange4u/seal-of-approval_0.gif)
A headchange4u recommended product.
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Preliminary report ... I like it
the handle and balance is better then the Sowden.. the lid and silicon top are more secure then Sowden.. I think it is a cleaner cup (less grit at the bottom) but then grit at the bottom is the price we pay for the taste we get when keeping the oils in the cup...
it is harder to clean then the Sowden, at least for my big hands.. but that is the only problem I can find and its not a show stopper
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If there is a happy middle between this thing and the Sowden I would be tempted to get it...
this one has been sent on its merry way...
Bill
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Anyone know the status of this show? Just curious, as there hasn't been any response since Bill's on 4/11.
Inquiring minds and all that ...
Jimbo
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8)
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I will follow up with Bekeld offline and see what is up.
B|Java
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And I was thinking that Bold was next, and I was waiting for him to have a good address to send it on to. My bad.
Jimbo, message me your address and I'll put it in the post.
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Review:
I like it, but it's too big for daily use for me. I have a Piao 1 (500ml) that I use at school, and this creates the same cup, just more of it. But that is too small--it makes an European cup and midday it's nice to have an American-sized cup.
I saw the 2 cup Sowdon SoftBrew at CoffeeCon for @50% off, grabbed that and a demo 4 cupper. Getting them home was *interesting*, but it was worth it. I found that I prefer the Sowdon precisely because of the lid. I kept on forgetting that the roadshow lid could come off. The itty-bitty plastic handle was problematic as well since I have some arthritis. The 2 cup is the right size to stay under the radar, cleans very quickly, and doesn't have any moving parts. The Piao has the ball in the middle of the mesh that acts as the stopper; I have had that silly plastic stick that activates the stopper fall out and try to go down the drain when I'm rinsing the upper unit. Faugh. Knowing me, I'll break the plastic handle on the roadshow basket or I'll grab the lid and forget to hold on to the carafe.
Three parts. Simple. Sowdon for the win.
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Arrived today. As expected similar to the Sowden. The metal and rubber lid is different - the Sowden has a porcelain lid that just sits on top of the pot, and has to be held when pouring.
I'll give it a go tomorrow and see how the results compare.
Jimbo
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Brought this with me on the road this week. Company meeting in Chicago. Funny how I get the looks when I tell my co-workers that, yes of course I bring my own coffee beans, grinder, kettle, and other assorted equipment. And yes, even when I fly. Heeelllllooooo. Where else am I going to get a drinkable cup of coffee.
Yes, I can get drinkable coffee in Chicago, but usually I find myself in places that you would have to look very hard to find on a map.
Oh yea, about the Coffee Infuser. (I knew there was a reason I came here ...)
It has been a good partner on the road this week. I have a Bonmac pour over that I normally use, but I find that this makes an equally good cup of coffee, and is a bit easier/less time consuming. So I can multi-task in the morning. I think, though I have not done any very scientific studies, that there are fewer fines in the cup compared to the Sowden. It may have a little to do with the grind though, since I use my Hario Skerton on the road, and my Grindmaster at home. Anyway, I think this would make a decent addition to the collection, and would make a good pot for any travel kit.
Jimbo
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Oh, yea. I forgot. On to Fffolks this weekend.
Jimbo
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I got the brewer today and I am impressed with the look. I will give it a try tomorrow.
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I really didn't care for this brewer, in part because it came to me at a time when I did not have the time or patience for it. I couldn't get more than 30 grams of coffee in it without having to putz around and treat it like a pour over. I am so happy with my current brew methods (Vac pot and Kone/Chemex) that I gave up quickly and sent it away.