Coffee, brewed.

A week or two ago we went for lunch (one of those legendary ones where you arrive for lunch and only go home after dark) at our friends Jan en Janneke’s house. The two of them are quite the aficionados when it comes to their coffee and, as one should, coffee time is always taken seriously in their house. Jan’s latest toy is a bit scientific-looking, but also so beautiful and elegant that I just had to take a photo.

It is called a Cona Vacuum Brewer. It works on the principle of suction caused by the expansion and contractions of water vapour, and it basically still works pretty much the exact same way that was originally discovered back in 1840! There is no contact with metal or plastic components and the coffee is entirely prepared in glass. The coffee is always infused at precisely the correct temperature and over-extraction is not possible.

The results are worth the effort! The coffee was perfect and the bonus is the bit of theatre that turned the everyday task of making coffee into a gentler, slower, more drawn-out affair.

"A man may be a pessimistic determinist before lunch and an optimistic believer in the will's freedom after it."
~Aldous Huxley 

“Only one thing is certain about coffee.... Wherever it is grown, sold, brewed, and consumed, there will be lively controversy, strong opinions, and good conversation.” 
~Mark Pendergrast