Coffee is not merely a drink any longer – it’s also a pastime. We spend our lives looking for the perfect cup of joe and because of it the world of coffee gadgets has expanded hugely in the last decade or so. Here is some of the coffee tech to help you achieve the perfect cup.
Cafelat Knock Out Box
When you’re serious about coffee, disposing of your used grounds can become an issue. A knock out box is specifically designed for this purpose, giving you an easy place to dispose of your grounds. These are surprisingly hard to find, but Cafelat’s does a great job. I use mine to gather up my grounds for eventual transferral to the compost pile.
Bartaza Encore
The Bartaza Encore is what is known as a conical burr coffee grinder and has over 40 grind settings – from very fine to very coarse depending on the sort of coffee you want to make. The need for a grinder with so many settings heralds from the explosion in ways we make coffee. The likes of an Aeropress will require a very different grind to a Chemex coffee maker. Normal coffee grinders aren’t ideal because of their limited settings and ability to generally make only either fine or coarse grinds. None of which is ideal for the variety of coffee makers out there. So, if you’re serious about coffee this is the machine for you.
La Cupola, by Alessi
This aesthetically-pleasing coffee machine comes to us from designer Aldo Rossi. The design cues playfully reference the classic domed cathedral of the Renaissance. Unlike some of Alessi’s design-obsessed kitchen gear (anybody remember the lemon squeezer that couldn’t hold up to lemon juice?), La Cupola is actually a great coffee machine. It has a heavy base that does a great job of absorbing and releasing heat, and it features hefty silicone seals that seal better and last longer than rubber.
The Blossom One Limited
If you’re a molecular gastronomer, you’ll love this super high-tech coffee machine that helps you keep a precise eye on both the volume and temperature of the water you use for your coffee. Who can argue with scientific precision?
Zevro Ground Coffee Dispenser
Somewhere in between storage and gadget, this dispenser will both keep ground coffee as fresh as possible and spit out a perfectly measured portion for a cup on demand. There’s nothing like a capable gadget that handles two tasks well.
Capresso Automatic Milk Frother
The eternal challenge of the at-home barista is meeting the standards of coffee excellence you get at your favorite coffee shop. Frothing milk is one of those tasks that’s surprisingly difficult to do well without specialized machinery. If your favorite coffee creations depend on frothed milk, the Capresso frother is an excellent investment.
Aeropress
The Aeropress often gets marketed to hikers or other folks who are on the go, but somehow it’s complex and compelling enough to be tempting even when you’re safely ensconced in your home kitchen. Of course, the versatility and convenience are a big part of this gadget’s tremendous appeal; for certain types of coffee lover it’s a tremendous comfort knowing you can produce a great cup of strong coffee virtually anywhere.
Mr. Coffee 20 Ounce Frappe Maker
When we’re talking about creating more advanced coffee experiences at home, a certain amount of specialized equipment becomes unavoidable. Knowing your preferences allows you to invest in the gadgets that are expressly designed to cater to them, and Mr. Coffee’s 20 ounce Frappe Maker is a prime example. This machine offers pushbutton convenience, both brewing and blending a perfect iced coffee treat. (It’s cheaper than buying a separate coffee machine and a blender, too.) You can experiment with a wide variety of different frappes and other cool coffee drinks. All you need to do is load the machine with water and coffee (it accepts both regular coffee and espresso) and prep the blending jar. You can even customize the consistency of your concoctions with the pulse button.
Rapha Chris King Espresso Tamper
Once you graduate from ordinary coffee to the world of espresso, you gladly accept a more complex brewing process in exchange for a finer cup of coffee. Tamping down your grounds to create a perfect puck before brewing is a part of the ritual that’s both fun and necessary. While your espresso machine undoubtedly came with a serviceable tamper of its own, take a look at the unbelievably cool Chris King Espresso Tamper from Rapha. It’s expensive, yes, but it’s also terrific.
