If the design of the VacOne seems in any respect acquainted, it is as a result of the identical firm bought a almost equivalent product in 2019 and 2020 known as the FrankOne. I additionally examined that brewer and located it had a few quirks—the round filter got here unfastened too typically, and the ring gasket did not at all times kind an hermetic seal contained in the carafe. Those issues have been fastened in a redesign, and the machine has been relaunched beneath this new model. It’s out there immediately from the Vac Coffee web site beginning this week and will probably be at different e-retailers in June.
The lead designer and firm founder, Eduardo Umaña, has been on WIRED’s radar for a whereas. He’s designed beautiful analog watches that we have featured earlier than, and he invented a cute and enjoyable desk lamp that turns on when you whistle. Umaña is Colombian, and his cofounder Otto Becker comes from a Guatemalan household that is been rising espresso for 5 generations. The duo has additionally partnered with the previous World Barista Champion Raul Rodas, additionally from Guatemala, to begin a mail-order coffee subscription service for high-end roasts that may launch later this yr.
I requested Umaña to give me the recipe he makes use of to brew espresso within the VacOne so I may attempt it myself: 20 grams of espresso grounds, 250 milliliters of water heated to 203 levels Fahrenheit, steeped for 75 seconds.
He additionally recommends utilizing a very high quality grind setting for the beans: the quantity 6 setting on the Baratza Encore grinder (WIRED’s favorite grinder), which could be very shut to what you set into an espresso machine. If you do not grind your personal beans, or when you have a grinder that does not allow you to regulate the grind measurement, you should utilize any bagged or canned “espresso grind” on the VacOne, which work effectively.
Curiously, utilizing a finer grind actually cleans up the brew. I had been utilizing a bigger grind (the quantity 20 setting on my Encore) like the dimensions you’d sometimes use in a pour-over dripper, and I observed the espresso popping out of the VacOne was a bit cloudy with sediment. I used to be stunned to see that shifting to the smaller grind resulted in a completely clear cup of espresso that—extra importantly—tasted higher.
The machine additionally makes chilly brew. I had problem getting a satisfying glass of chilly brew out of the VacOne, however after fidgeting with the grind-to-water ratio and the steep time (once more, with Umaña’s steering) I arrived at a higher drink. I attempted 30 grams of espresso with 200 ml of water and let it steep for about six minutes. It got here out gentle and shiny; a number of notches away from the kind of syrupy blasting agent you get from an in a single day cold brewer, however nonetheless scrumptious and prepared in minutes.
Well Grounded
My largest criticism in regards to the VacOne is the cleanup concerned. After a brew cycle, there are two items to wash, and one among them (the VacOne head unit) has a bundt-cake-like ring of finely floor espresso on the backside. You can flip it the wrong way up over the compost pail and gently whack the edges till the clumps of grounds come out, however you are still left with sufficient residue to require a few wipes with a paper towel and a run beneath the tap. Your fingers are going to get soiled it doesn’t matter what. A smaller criticism is that the utmost quantity of espresso you can also make in a single brew cycle is 14 ounces. This is not a problem for me, since that is my every day restrict. But when you have two or three espresso drinkers in your house, you may have to work extra time.
At $89, the value feels proper—particularly with a beneficiant 16-month guarantee towards defects. If the carafe breaks or the filter rips, you should buy replacements ($25 for a carafe and $8 for a filter), which is a pleasant contact.
Every espresso fanatic with a brewing setup—significantly a fancy espresso grinder and a good kettle with temperature management—ought to think about including a VacOne to their arsenal. It’s good, it is easy to use, and it makes a rattling nice cup.