This has to be my favorite (non-espresso) method of producing good coffee. Vacuum brewing (often called siphon brewing) was very popular before convenience assumed more importance than the quality of coffee produced.While lacking quite the grace and style (and "coffee-table theatre") of the Cona version, the Yama brewer carries a much smaller price tag. Though it is made of glass, the Yama feels quite sturdy and should be quite serviceable given suitable care. If it breaks, the cost of replacement is reasonable.
The Cona has a glass rod/filter which is very effective, zero cost, and low maintenance. I do not like the idea of brewing through re-used, laundered cotton filters as provided with the Yama, so I use an old Cory glass rod filter (check out eBay) which works perfectly with my 40 oz unit. A simple wire grid is provided and works well with my electric smooth-top. The whole process soon becomes very quick and easy with practice.
Maybe I'll buy a small butane burner to achieve the Cona's "coffee-table theatre".
Now about the cleaning. I find that it takes roughly 5 minutes to clean this device. The vacuum action of the brewer basically sucks much of the moisture out of the grounds. After brewing my coffee I remove the top portion and set it on the provided stand. Later on in the day when I get around to it I take the top portion outside and use the provided plastic scoop/spoon to scoop/scrape out the dry grounds into my garden area out front. Coffee grounds make a good compost for lawn or garden. I could have scooped out the grounds over the trash bag inside the house but I like using the grounds in the garden. I then go back inside and put some Dawn dish soap into the bowl, add water and take my round nylon brisle brush and swish around the sudsy water and clean the sides and filter. I then dump the water, remove the filter and give the filter and bowl a good rinsing and set them off to dry. It's a piece of cake to clean in my opinion.
Buy Northwest Glass Yama Stovetop Coffee Siphon, 1-Unit Now
Was in the market for a coffee maker as my Hamilton Beach drip was on it's last leg. I had decided I wanted to move away from drip and ended up settling on a stainless percolator after reading many reviews. My motivation was to get away from plastic and stainless seemed like a cleaner way to go.I won't go into great detail about the percolator except to say it seemed cheaply made ((the way the lid fits seems downright dangerous)) and it made a very so so cup of coffee with little or no control to change that. Back to the drawing board and read further reviews.
The siphon coffee brewers came into the radar and the more I read about them the more interested I became. I'm not a coffee snob but do know a good cup of coffee when I taste it and usually grind my own beans........well always actually :)
The Northwest Glass Yama got good reviews and was readily available at Amazon so still on the quest for a better cup of coffee I place the order for the reasonably priced glass siphon coffee maker.
As I awaited it's arrival I did further research finding out what I could about it's use ,finding several videos on you-tube to watch. I was really looking forward to it's arrival!
The day it arrived I eagerly unpacked .giving it a good initial cleaning and setting it up for my first brew test. I decided to heat the water from a cold state and this takes quite awhile on medium heat atop an electric stove.as the water seemed to approach the proper temperature I ground my coffee adding it to the top section then onto the bottom section on the stove. As watched as the hot water from the bottom pot was pushed through the tube into the top when ample water flooded the grounds I gave a few gentle stirs. When the bubbling action started when all the water that will evacuate reaches the top chamber I began timing.my initial brew for 1 min and 30 seconds ...............adding 7 level tablespoons of dry grounds to my 8 cups marked on the pot ((these equate to 8 5 0z servings according to literature that came with the Yama)) Once the timing was over I simply moved off the burner onto a waiting wooden board and watched as the cooling commenced and the kickdown took place.
Now for the true test........I poured into a cup adding some sugar as is my custom and let cool slightly as it makes a very hot brew. Oh my it was good and my initial foray into this magnificent form of coffee brewing from our past has me hooked. The control you have is remarkable especially compared to most of the more modern brewing methods. If you don't mind a little extra effort with the brewing and cleanup and feel a better of cup of coffee is worth the effort you can't go wrong with this method.
I have a Brunn stainless water kettle that I have used also to heat the water before hand this makes the process very fast, preheating water adding to pot then transferring to stove and beginning the siphon process.
This is the way coffee used to be made at home in our country, sometimes the old ways are just plain better!
Read Best Reviews of Northwest Glass Yama Stovetop Coffee Siphon, 1-Unit Here
This coffee siphon works great, the coffee tastes great, and it's just really, really cool. But don't put it in the microwave, even though it says you can, because the handle really doesn't seem to withstand it -the plastic gets very hot and smells bad. Otherwise, we love it. The really great part is if the power goes out, we can still make coffee on the wood-burning stove using the included metal trivet!Want Northwest Glass Yama Stovetop Coffee Siphon, 1-Unit Discount?
If you are using gas stove top, you must use hot water as instructed to prepare your coffee; otherwise you may risk your chance of melting the carafe's plastic handle. Here is my experience, in summer, room temperature is 82 F, with hot water it takes about 2 minute 45 seconds to complete the vacuum process, and takes about 5 minutes 50 seconds if uses tap water and you can see the lower portion of the plastic handle is melting and dripping like wax in 5 minutes.
