Crew Review: Curtis G4 TP15T Twin ThermoPro Brewer
Designed for busy cafes, large office kitchens or just seriously addicted coffee lovers, Curtis’ G4 TP15T Twin ThermoPro Brewer is a serious piece of kit.
Featuring programmable brew options, an intuitive touchscreen interface and dual, large capacity thermal dispensers, this is the coffee maker you need if you’re looking to sling large amounts of java in a short period of time.
Watch Gail take us through the features and specs, then brew up up pot for us to sample the brew. Delish!
Introduction to the Curtis G4 CGC Single Cup Brewer
During Seattle’s edition of Coffee Fest, we were lucky enough to meet with Brant Curtis, who showed us the ins and outs of their new single cup brewer, the G4 CGC. Designed for gourmet brewing tailored to your roaster’s specifications, this coffee maker enables you to brew delicious drip coffee on demand — an excellent option for businesses that don’t want to brew up a full pot.
Watch as Brant leads us through the features and specs, then demonstrates functionality by brewing a cup for Gail to enjoy.
Compare: Breville YouBrew (Glass) vs. Technivorm
When Breville’s YouBrew was first released, we weren’t in love with the grinding functionality. Of course, we’re crazy when it comes to high concentrations of coffee particles suspended in our water, so a ton of people loved its grind and brew functionality without issue. With the recent release of their glass carafe version, Breville has tweaked the grinder and improved the consistency and dosage functionality to produce a stronger cup. So, of course, we had to put it to the taste test!
In this video, we brew up batches of java on the Technivorm and on the YouBrew, then ask our trusty crewmates to taste them and give us their opinion on which they prefer. Find out which coffee maker — if any — prevailed!
Compare: Technivorm vs. Behmor Brazen Brew
We love innovations in the coffee makin’ world, so when Joe Behm talked to us about his new Brazen coffee maker, we were super excited to test this baby out against our tried and true: The Technivorm!
Watch as Gail brews up batches on these two coffee makers, then our trusty crew mates give us their opinion on which they prefer. One thing’s for sure: Yummy coffee was definitely had by all.
Crew Review: Jura Ena Micro 1 – Gourmet Single Cup Coffee Maker
Brewing one delicious cup of coffee at a time is all the rage today, and Jura’s Ena Micro 1 is their take on the best way to produce a single cup of gourmet java at home.
Watch as Gail talks to us about the Micro 1′s features and functionality, how it differs from other models that Jura produces and then demonstrates a looooooooong coffee, pulled directly into her to-go cup. Awesome and delectable!
Crew Review: Chemex with Glass Handle
Hanging with Gail and Jess is always a blast, but when there’s a Chemex added to the mix, things can get a little wild.
Sure, Jess originally chose it for its looks, but she has kept it around for its high quality performance — a lot like … well, we digress. Her shoot-from-the-hip Chemex brew style has always produced a delicious cuppa, without all the precision some might assume must be involved, so we asked her to come around for a little show.
Watch as she demonstrates her ‘technique’ using the Chemex with a glass handle (as opposed to its Woodneck counterpart).
Crew Review: Behmor Brazen Brew
There is time for meekness and there is time for boldness; a time for sweetness and a time for sassiness (admittedly, we have difficulty telling these times apart). And then there are times when one should be simply brazen.
If you’re Joe Behm, the creator of the incredibly popular Behmor home roaster, you’ve been working hard on brazenness for the past couple of years. With a goal of creating the most accurate drip coffee maker available, he has developed this new brewer that features temperature control, pre-infusion, brew time and even altitude adjustments. You can use it with the included thermal carafe, or manually to easily craft a pour over at a flat line brew temperature. Plus, its simple interface was so much so, Gail didn’t even take a look at the manual before brewing her first pot!
Watch Gail take us through the features of the new Brazen brewer, then test it out by brewing up a batch o’ java.
The Sun Will Come Out With Cold Brew!
In follow-up to our test video that we posted yesterday, we thought we’d break down and compare the different cold brew options we have — including the Sowden / Hario / Bodum variety and more!
 French Press |
Dual purpose for hot and cool drinks, making cold brew in your french press will give you that kick in your pants all summer long. Whether you make it as a coffee concentrate to dilute or if you drink it STRONG like the SCG crew, all it takes is your desired amount of coffee, cold water and 12 hours in the fridge. This is great for making a big batch and stocking it up so it’s available whenever you need a cup o’ cold joe. |
 Sowden Soft Brew Coffee Maker |
While you can use it to make cold coffee similar to that from a french press, the Sowden Soft Brew gives you more flexibility in that you can use different grind consistencies. The microfilter features over a million tiny holes that enable you to brew with even the finest grind, producing a richer cup or more concentrated coffee in a similar amount of time. This can also be used for make hot coffee, as well. |
 Chemex |
It may look like a science experiment, but the science of the Chemex is easier than it looks. Unlike the french press and Sowden, you’re going to start your coffee out hot and as it brews it’ll cool down in the second chamber. All it takes is placing a good amount of ice in the bottom chamber, placing a paper filter in the top chamber, filling it up with your desired amount of coffee, pouring hot water over the coffee and watch as the coffee is extracted on to the ice giving you a smooth, cold and refreshing cup o’ java. |
 Hario Cold Brew/Mini Pot |
Made specially for cold brewing, the Hario Cold Brew and Mini Pots come in a sleek glass pitcher that will guarantee you will extract the most flavor out of your coffee. No need to heat up your water, whether it be cold or room temperature, fill up your pot’s nylon filter basket with coarse grounds, pour the water and brew it in the fridge for about 12 to 24 hours. You won’t need to finish your brew all in one sitting as it can keep for up to one month in a sealed container. |
 Hario Cold Brew Dripper |
If you’re fancy and have a lot of time on your hands, the the Hario Cold Water Dripper is what you need. A unique way of making your average cup of coffee or coffee concentrate, this dripper uses the classic cold-drip method. With every drop of water per second it saturates your coffee and drip by drip it will extract 26 oz. of coffee concentrate in about 5 hours. With a little more patience and learning curve, once you get the hang of it you’ll be sipping on some non-oily and acidic-free java. |
Compare: Cold Brew Coffee Preps
Summertime and the living is easy, right? Right! Especially if living involves a smooth cup of cold brewed coffee. We offer a few different ways to make it — from Sowden to Hario to Bodum — and wondered: Is one of them better than the others?
So we did what we usually do when faced with a tough question such as this: We put Gail to the test. Watch as she crafts three batches of cold brew, lets them hang out over night and then we perform a taste test. Find out if any of our cold brewers produces a better cup.
Camping Gail’s Gear Recommendations
In follow-up to our recent post on gear you can easily take on the open trail, Gail gives us her recommendations for what coffee accoutrement she recommends for back country excursions.