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Vac Pot Brewing with the Starbucks Utopiaby Lura Lee Whether you love Starbucks or hate 'em, you have to acknowledge their prowess for distributing and marketing coffee-related products. Well, they've done it again. On Tuesday October 17th 2000, Starbucks officially released a "new" coffee brewing system: the Barista Utopia. This is vacuum brewing method, so it really isn't new. What is new is the fact that this is an electric vacuum system. Most vacuum pots require a gas or electric stove top or separate burner. This system was actually developed by Bodum and has been available in Europe for a couple of years. The styling is stereotypically "euro" in that it is both angular and sleek. Taking a cue from the popularity of the iMac, it exposes much of the inner workings of the machine and is available in two colors: clear and a see-through "graphite," which is kind of a blue-gray color. It retails for $170 in the U.S.A. Brewing coffee is pretty easy with this system. It is certainly easier than any other vacuum system that I've ever experienced, but it is a little more challenging than the average drip brewing machine. In my opinion, the stylish look, easy clean up and programmable features of this brewing system make it a really good investment for any serious coffee fan. Vacuum pot brewing creates a coffee that is a real treat: it preserves many of the oils that one gets with the French Press, without as much of the sediment. Thus, you get a cup of coffee that is as clean as drip brewed coffee, with as much of the oils and richness as French Pressed coffee. The ProcessWhen you first get the machine, you'll probably watch the video. The included video will only tell you half the story, and is surrounded by a lot of marketing frou-frou talk. If you make the coffee right away, you might end up with a bitterly brewed first cup. So let me walk you through the process in a more step-by-step fashion.
Clean and SeasonRemove all the pieces from the box. Identify the coffee filter basket, filter and basket cover (the parts that sit on top of the carafe). Rinse these pieces with water and set them to the side. Identify the carafe and rinse it out with water, but never submerge the carafe in water. Plug in the base and set the clock. Fill the carafe with 6-10 cups of clean, cold water. Do not add coffee to the coffee filter basket yet. Before putting the filter basket on top of the carafe, use both hands to put the filter in place, creating a good seal; then put on the top of the filter basket. Place the assembled coffee filter basket on top of the carafe and place the carafe on the heating/power base. Turn on the machine and let it go through a "brewing" cycle without wasting your coffee grounds. Doing this will "season" the pot and remove most of the odd plastic tastes associated with manufacturing and shipping. If you skip this step, you will probably be less than thrilled with your first pot of coffee. If you want to make a pot of coffee immediately after seasoning the Utopia, empty the carafe and turn the Utopia off. It is important that you allow the appliance to cool slightly before you attempt move on to the next step. |
