In practice, the Bistro is a breeze, brewing a full pot of coffee in about eight minutes.
Bodum redesigns the drab drip machine from the grounds up. But does it produce a worthy brew?
by Matt Berical
For all their innovations, most drip coffee machines are bulbous, countertop-crowding gadgets that often produce bitter brews from fine beans. The Bodum Pour Over, with its warm colors and hourglass shape, is both a smarter and more aesthetically pleasing machine. The Pour Over heats water to a near-boil and delivers it through a glass pipe, which it then evenly showers over the grounds. The best way to think of it is as an automatic Chemex (remember this brilliantly designed 60s-era coffee maker?), one that pours piping hot water over the grounds for you. The resulting brew drips into a 40-ounce plastic thermos featuring a double-walled stainless steel interior. The thermos is cool to the touch but keeps its contents warm, nixing the need for hot plate (the main cause of bitterness).
LOVE IT: In practice, the Pour Over is a breeze. Once the water vat is filled (and you’ve dumped grounds into the reusable filter), just press the button and the machine gurgles to a start, brewing a full pot in about eight minutes. Although a few grounds snuck their way into the pots we made, the machine produced a consistently well-balanced brew. Plus, the carafe kept the coffee warm hours after it brewed.
LEAVE IT: A few key problems exist here: one, the Pour Over isn’t programmable, a big issue for those who want to wake up to that fresh-coffee aroma. Two, it spills. Pull the thermos out and the machine ceases dripping. However, place the thermos back in and accidentally hit the small cap below the filter, and a shower of hot coffee will cover your hands and countertop.
BOTTOM LINE: The Pour Over is a machine for a very specific user — someone for whom a cup of well-made coffee is more important than conveniences like a programmable pot or built-in grinder. The small footprint and pleasing design are an added bonus.
[$250; bodum.com]
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