Equipment Review: Kaffeologie K165 Syphon Filter
Late last year my attention was drawn to Kaffeologie, a Washington company doing some very cool things for coffee brewing. I caught their blog post about a new product they were developing: A metal mesh filter for Hario and Yama coffee syphons. In inquired about a review sample and received one in the mail a couple weeks ago.
Since that time I’ve had the chance to use the filter for several brews on my five cup Yama syphon.
Syphon brewing is a lost art that seems to be catching on once again in North America. At one point, the coffee syphon was the brewing device of choice in many a kitchen. In recent years the syphon has staged a comeback of sorts in cafes, and is now a mainstay in some cafes in cities like Vancouver and Portland. However,it seems like home syphon brewing is still consigned to the lunatic fringe of coffee lovers. After all, considerable effort is required, as the process is a bit labour intensive and has the reputation of being pretty finicky. The rewards of a well made syphon however, are well worth the effort. These include intense aromatics and crystal clear flavour definition that have much in common with the delicate notes of a finely brewed tea.
I hadn’t used my syphon in some time, as I was frustrated with maintaining the cloth filters usually used with the device. While the filters help produce a sediment free brew with the aformentioned terrific clarity, they are also very hard to keep clean over an extended period. A dirty filter, even one that does not look dirty, will completely ruin a pot of coffee. I’ve heard it recommended that a cloth filter not be used more than a few times. Even cleaning the filters leaves them susceptible to contamination from mildew or mould as they dry.
When I saw Kaffeologie’s design i was really intrigued. The filter is a fine metal mesh cut and crimped around a standard Yama filter assembly (frame and spring), fastened with metal wire. The web site describes it thus:
“The filter is folded tightly and stitched with non-tarnish Argentium silver around the frame. As a final step, we crimped the edges of the mesh to ensure a perfect seal against the glass lip of the siphon.”
After receiving the filter I proceeded to use it for several brews over the course of the last couple weeks, using a variety of coffees including a Kenya, a New Guinea, and a Guatemala. As I expected, the Kenya was the best, with terrific flavour definition and all the promised notes of fruit and citrus. What surprised me was in fact the clarity. I expected more of a heavy press pot style brew, but this was very close to what I was used to with a cloth syphon filter.
The following brews were similarly terrific. Another benefit for me was a speedier and more predictable drawdown, something I had been frustrated with in the past.
What had originally gotten me so excited about the filter was the potential ease of cleaning. A simple rinse would do the do the job with metal mesh, or so I thought. This is in my mind the sole problem with this filter: It isn’t really easy to thoroughly clean. At first I thought I had cleaned it well with a simple rinse under the tap, but on closer inspection I saw many grounds trapped between the mesh and the filter frame. I worked the mesh and rinsed several more times to get rid of them, but a few always persisted. I didn’t wish to remove the mesh, as it was carefully sewn onto the frame, so I just resigned myself to having a few maverick grounds in there. I have no idea whether or not those grounds affected the taste of subsequent brews. Of course, this is no cloth filter. I didn’t have to scrub or soak or wring it out. I don’t have to worry about mould or mildew. I can reuse this filter indefinitely.
The ideal would be for the design to be modified so that the mesh can easily be removed from the frame, then the whole thing rinsed and cleaned in a matter of seconds. Whether this is easy to accomplish or not is a question I don’t know the answer to.
Overall, I was really impressed with this filter. It is an innovative device at a very good price. In fact I think it’s a real step forward for syphon brewing and deserves to find a home in any cafe that frequently brews syphon coffee. The cleaning issue is the only flaw, but one that shouldn’t be tough to address and won’t even likely be a big deal for anyone who is not a bit obsessive compulsive about their syphon.
