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Permalink Reply by Stewart Hime on April 20, 2009 at 5:59pm

Hi Paul,
I'm not trying to advertize me product, but incase you do not know my product, called "Donut Dripper",
I just want to introduce it. You may check my page for the picture.
This dripper has been well received among coffee professionals as well as specialty coffee lovers.
Simple form, but there is 3 secret.
Stewart

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Permalink Reply by Kirsten Smith on April 20, 2009 at 6:35pm

I'm not too familiar with the Bialetti, as I've never actually used one, but I use a Chemex at home and LOVE it. Very clean cup of coffee that leaves all the flavors. About the same price as a french press and looks really classy.

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Permalink Reply by David Stellwagen on April 20, 2009 at 9:57pm

Hi Paul,

Although not as stylish as the Bodum presses, the Aerobie Aeropress is one cool brewer!
Sturdy, economical, and proven over time, the design meets both promise and expectation.
With the form and function of a a Press, the microfilter at the bottom of the extraction
chamber effectively eliminates the "grounds problem."

Most regular French Presseds know that you sacrfice that
One last sip, but they also know this method produces one fine cup.

Go ahead and recommend the Aerobie. Because this neat little contraption
Gives all new meaning to "Great to the last drop"

Enjoy,

David Stellwagen, Founder and Roastmaster
The Buckhead Coffee Company - Atlanta

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Permalink Reply by David Stellwagen on April 20, 2009 at 9:59pm

Hi Paul,

Although not as stylish as the Bodum presses, the Aerobie Aeropress is one cool brewer!
Sturdy, economical, and proven over time, the design meets both promise and expectation.
With the form and function of a French Press, the microfilter at the bottom of the extraction
chamber effectively eliminates the "grounds problem."

Most regular French Pressers know that you sacrfice that
One last sip, but they also know this method produces one fine cup.

Go ahead and recommend the Aerobie. Because this neat little contraption
Gives all new meaning to "Great to the last drop"

Enjoy,

David Stellwagen, Founder and Roastmaster
The Buckhead Coffee Company - Atlanta

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Permalink Reply by Chad Maslanka on April 21, 2009 at 5:28am

I agree with David, I have a couple vacuum pots and french presses and I always go back to the aeropress when it comes to taste. The best part about it is that it is made of plastic, so you can travel with it and not have to worry about smashing an antique in your luggage.

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Permalink Reply by Jesse -D-> on April 21, 2009 at 6:57am

I own an aeropress as well, it makes an interesting cup, but I don't think that it is a good device for a cafe setting. If you are getting excessive grinds in your FP you may have a grinding or screen filter issue. Although you may be making it just fine and have picky friends. For a cafe I would go with pourover/chemex, french press or vac pot. The aero press just isn't quite cafe friendly.

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Permalink Reply by Brady on April 21, 2009 at 11:48am

Hi Paul.

In terms of alternative brew devices that you might stock in your store in addition to a french press, I'd say the Aeropress and a straight-up drip cone.

The Aeropress is kind of a love-hate thing for me. I find my results very inconsistent... sometimes awesome, sometimes disappointing. I rarely reach for it any more for that reason. But, like the moka pot, it will do a coffee concentrate for a latte-like drink. They also sell well, in my experience. We carry them, get lots of questions, and it seems like every demo sells a unit. We've now run out at the shop and are reordering.

To me, you really can't beat the drip cone. Not a real moneymaker for you, though I suppose you could stock one of the Bodum ones - like the Kona or Bistro Drippers, or the ceramic ones at a higher price point. This or french press is the way I brew now when I really want it to be good. A real attractive aspect to this as a retailer is that you can pair it with a $25 whirley-blade grinder (and paper filters) and make an ass-kicking cup for about 30 bucks investment.

Honestly, I have very little love for the moka pot. Maybe I'm just not using it correctly, but I have difficulty getting good results. Yeah they're traditional, sure they look nifty, but of all my brew apparati this gets the least use...

My 2 cents.

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Permalink Reply by Jesse -D-> on April 21, 2009 at 11:54am

Moka = Hardest to clean of all the options
Random knowledge: aero press is made by Aerobie the company that makes those hot pink Frisbee rings. How did they decide to get into coffee?

Brady said:

Hi Paul.

In terms of alternative brew devices that you might stock in your store in addition to a french press, I'd say the Aeropress and a straight-up drip cone.

The Aeropress is kind of a love-hate thing for me. I find my results very inconsistent... sometimes awesome, sometimes disappointing. I rarely reach for it any more for that reason. But, like the moka pot, it will do a coffee concentrate for a latte-like drink. They also sell well, in my experience. We carry them, get lots of questions, and it seems like every demo sells a unit. We've now run out at the shop and are reordering.

To me, you really can't beat the drip cone. Not a real moneymaker for you, though I suppose you could stock one of the Bodum ones - like the Kona or Bistro Drippers, or the ceramic ones at a higher price point. This or french press is the way I brew now when I really want it to be good. A real attractive aspect to this as a retailer is that you can pair it with a $25 whirley-blade grinder (and paper filters) and make an ass-kicking cup for about 30 bucks investment.

Honestly, I have very little love for the moka pot. Maybe I'm just not using it correctly, but I have difficulty getting good results. Yeah they're traditional, sure they look nifty, but of all my brew apparati this gets the least use...

My 2 cents.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Cannon on April 21, 2009 at 4:01pm

Vac pots produce a nice clarity in the cup and are fascinating to watch brew.

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Permalink Reply by Stephanie Hitchcock on April 29, 2009 at 6:35am

How do drip stations work? How do they compare in quality?

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Permalink Reply by Brady on April 29, 2009 at 8:09am

Its just a row of manual pourover dripcones on a rack. You pour in hot water in a specific pattern, sacrifice a chicken, stand on one foot, and get good coffee.

Quality can be very, very good... I'd say comparable or better than other means.

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Permalink Reply by Ryan Knapp on April 29, 2009 at 4:07pm

I'd suggest the chemex as an option. At our shop we brew the Chemex as a slow brew option. Many customers have been very impressed/intrigued by them. In just 3 months of being open we've gone through a couple orders already on the retail side. We are also going to be doing vac-pots at the shop here soon. Behind the bar we've got one set up and occasionally will play with one during slow parts of the day. Customers are already asking about getting there hands on those.

Regardless of what options you choose or suggest to your customers, it is important to be incredibly helpful when telling them how they should brew at home. Any coffee brewing method can easily be screwed up and in return the quality of the coffee your selling distorted. I would suggest trying to put together informative classes on home brewing. Classes like this are great. Customers typically love learning how to do things well at home and then it also builds a deeper relationship with them where they will want to continually support your business but also stop by for tips when things aren't brewing right at home.

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