The Bodum series of french presses has been a staple in many coffee lovers’ kitchens for years. These “press pots”, as they are often called, brew coffee without the aid of a paper filter, resulting in a brew that has more coffee oils and more flavor (and more sediment) than coffee brewed with paper or cloth filters. These brewing devices are wellknown and information on them can be found in many places on the web. Bodum’s vacuum pot brewers however remain fairly obscure but highly regarded. The Bodum Santos vacuum coffee maker has been in production since the 1950s and is still a great home brewing system after all these years. By combining a re-usable nylon filter into a traditional vacuum pot design, Bodum has created a brewing method they claim is nearly sediment-free and the Santos’ vacuum brewing process is entirely sealed off, so no aroma escapes. Depending on the amount of water used, the Santos can brew coffee within 5 to 11 minutes, serving anywhere from 4 to 12 cups. Bodum’s classic design has decades of use behind its guiding principles and the stovetop Santos is inexpensive at only $60.00 U.S. There is also an electric version of the Santos available with it’s own internal heating element for about $20.00 more… cool!
