iCoffee Multi-cup Brewer

[Nucer]

I was at Bed, Bath, and Beyond yesterday and saw an interesting new brewer.  Yeah I know BB&B is not the place to be shopping for a coffee brewer.  With that said, I saw an iCoffee multi-cup brewer.  I have read the reviews and was wondering if anyone here has heard about it, seen it in action or otherwise knows something about this brewer. 

The idea of using steam as a mixing agent intrigues me.  So.....

(always on the look out for a new coffee maker)

[ScareYourPassenger]

I am not sure why they say it is like a french press when it uses steam. Steam also can be quite hot as 212 degrees and so I wonder how it reduces bitterness.

[Nucer]

I suspect they use the French press since most people know what that is.  It is like the Bunn in that it induces turbulence and the mixing of the grinds.  The temperature would probably not be 212 when mixed with the water.  Again I would love to hear from someone who has tried this machine.

(curious in Benbrook, Texas)

[peter]

I have a coffee customer with a palate I respect, who uses an ICoffee (purchased from the same place) and he likes the results.  It's not fun to clean, but seems to work well.

[Nucer]

I have gone out and bought one.  I will report back on the coffee and its brewing.  So far I have had two pots and the coffee is truly good.  It is like a pourover but it swirls the coffee grinds.  The coffee, a Harrar, is very smooth and tasteful.  I will next try a Sumatra and post my results.

(happy with the purchase so far in Benbrook, Texas)

[Nucer]

Okay here is my review:

Appearance:  It is pretty futuristic in appearance but it fits under my counter.  You can see from the picture below it has a window (viewing port) for watching the coffee brew.  I think that is a good way to make sure the water and steam ports are not clogged.  So no complaints here.

Brew Cycle:  As you can see in the picture it has a LED to light the brew potion up.  The brew time was not appreciately long and will depend on you grind.  The finer the grind the longer it takes.  Finding the correct grind is not hard especially if you already use a pour over.  I think this is basically a pour over with a method to stir the grinds.

The Cup:  The coffee comes out hot but not to the point that it is scolding.  I haven't put a thermometer in it but I suspect the temperature to be around 200 when all is said and done.  The coffee in the cup is very good but than I like a pour over brew.  The coffee tested was a Harrar (serengeti) and Mandheling.  The Harrar was very smooth and it had the blueberry aftertaste.  The Mandheling was smooth and had the chocolate, and nuts which is what I expected.  The difference between this brew and a pour over were that the taste was more accented.  The blueberry after taste of the Harrar was much more evident than my Meletti pour over.  The same was true of the Mandheling, the chocolate and nuts were just more tasteful.

Cleanup:  One of the major compalints about this machine is that it is hard to clean.  I just guess the other reviewers have never used a pourover.  It is just like any other pour over that doesn't use a paper filter.  It take a bit of effort (not much) to clean the filter and there is a bit of sludge in the bottom of the pot.  Again this is all typical at least for me to have in my pour over.

Conclusion:  This is a keeper.  It does has a timer and keeps the coffee warm for 2 hours (which for me is still too long).  The results are excellent and will probably put my pour over in the closet.  So I am pleased with this machine and glad I bought it.  BTW it won't break the bank either.  At Bed, Bath, and Beyond with the 20% coupon it cost $80.

(enjoying my new coffee maker in Benbrook, Texas)

[jano]

The "i" prefix makes things sound so puny.

Vote for "z" or "r" prefix.  Then we'll know it's awesome and manly.

zCoffee.  See? Awesome.

[Nucer]

"I" stands for innovative and yes it does sound cheesy but the brewer is good.

(smiling in Benbrook, Texas)

ps The manufacturer is Remington so there you go.....

[mp]

Thank you for the review Nucer. It sounds like this will displace a lot of pourover equpment.

 

[Nucer]

Here are some pictures of the brewer in action.

(enjoying this toys in Benbrook, Texas)

[Nucer]

One more picture and I am done.

(enjoying a great cup of coffee in Benbrook, Texas)