09.21.10
Michael Szyliowicz

Most people associate coffee with the roasted beans you take home to make a daily cup. At the Caffe Culture show in London, however, the Coffeebrewer bag system on display is completely different. Developed by an inventor in Denmark, the Coffeebrewer bag system is a large pouch that holds ground coffee in a filter within the pouch. The user then adds 3 liters of hot water to the pouch and allows it to steep before cutting open the bag and pouring out the hot coffee. The bag is available with a number of high-quality single-origin coffees, including Kenya, Ethiopia and Rwanda. The cup I tried was good, and I loved the innovative solution to preparing coffee anywhere and with only hot water. Unlike many of the single-cup options available, this is an easy method to make a number of cups all at once, and using real coffee grounds is certainly a better-tasting alternative to instant. Making high-quality coffee that is easy to prepare and accessible everywhere is definitely the way to encourage...

05.21.10
Michael Szyliowicz

 

 

When the unusual becomes mainstream, does it lose its luster? I’ve been noticing the prevalence of single-brewed cups of coffee available at specialty coffee houses. Different coffees – combined with multiple brewing methods – are increasingly available. And in the cafés that I have visited, people seem to be purchasing the cups made one at a time.

There are many reasons for the trend. Offering a menu of single-cup choices allows retailers to price coffees differently. There is less waste when making a single cup of coffee than having a large pot made and being forced to throw out most of it if sales are slow. Making a single cup at a time paradoxically requires less coffee. And showcasing different brewing methods allows consumers to sample and experience how the same coffee can taste very different depending on whether it was made by a pour-over, in a siphon or as a French press.

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