TulsaMike Senior Member Joined: 1 Jan 2013 Posts: 4 Location: Tulsa, OK Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Fri Feb 15, 2013, 6:46pm Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)
efahl is right. Looking at the water as it comes out of the shower head is misleading. I spent a lot of time fretting over mine when I got it because the shower head didn't appear to "shower" the water, so I thought it wasn't working correctly. I brewed coffee in it anyway and was very surprised that the grounds looked perfect. The grounds were perfectly flat and had very slight divots to show where the water came out of the shower head points.
Posted Thu Feb 21, 2013, 5:13am Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)
Guys, Thanks !
I've been a lifetime FP user, and I eventually got a bit tired of the "chewy-ness" of my coffees. I wanted fresh, clean and flavorful. After reading this extensive 89 page discussion of the Brazen, This had to be the machine.
All I can say is WOW.
I got it yesterday from Roastmasters with a lb of Willoughby's House Blend. I used 1/2 cup (~40g) grind from an Capresso Infinity at a notch below mid Med for a 0.9L pot. I was surprised that this is exactly what I would use for the FP, except the water temp would be in the 190 range.
Brew conditions : 1:30 Pre-soak @ 200 F Total brew time for start ~10 min.
Seriously, this is the best cup of coffee I've ever had. With a bit of creamer : Chocolate, caramel, great body and no bitterness. Best of all, no grounds in my cup.
From set-up to brew, everything about this maker is easy. And I love the varibility of the Pre-soak to brew temp. You're guaranteed a perfect cup every time.
I would never start my day at 5:30am to join a forum and post an opinion; just wanted to say Thanks.
And perfect timing........ The kids have the day off of school, I'll have the Brazen running all day !
LIY Senior Member Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Posts: 11 Location: Baltimore, MD, USA Expertise: I live coffee
Posted Thu Feb 21, 2013, 6:45pm Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)
Mark: I'm sure that many who follow this topic, and contemplate purchasing the Brazen (as I do) would be interested in your observations with regard to the every day usability of this coffee maker, i.e. ease of pouring coffee from the carafe, condensation on and around the basket, the top of the Brazen, water left in the brew chamber, etc.
I'm convinced that you can get a really good cup of coffee from this device, but I am apprehensive about the many negatives cited by those posting to this forum! Perhaps it would be wiser to wait for version 2.0??
Many thanks!
LIY
Mfoster Said:
Guys, Thanks !
I've been a lifetime FP user, and I eventually got a bit tired of the "chewy-ness" of my coffees. I wanted fresh, clean and flavorful. After reading this extensive 89 page discussion of the Brazen, This had to be the machine.
All I can say is WOW.
I got it yesterday from Roastmasters with a lb of Willoughby's House Blend. I used 1/2 cup (~40g) grind from an Capresso Infinity at a notch below mid Med for a 0.9L pot. I was surprised that this is exactly what I would use for the FP, except the water temp would be in the 190 range.
Brew conditions : 1:30 Pre-soak @ 200 F Total brew time for start ~10 min.
Seriously, this is the best cup of coffee I've ever had. With a bit of creamer : Chocolate, caramel, great body and no bitterness. Best of all, no grounds in my cup.
From set-up to brew, everything about this maker is easy. And I love the varibility of the Pre-soak to brew temp. You're guaranteed a perfect cup every time.
I would never start my day at 5:30am to join a forum and post an opinion; just wanted to say Thanks.
And perfect timing........ The kids have the day off of school, I'll have the Brazen running all day !
Posted Thu Feb 21, 2013, 7:35pm Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)
LIY Said:
Mark: I'm sure that many who follow this topic, and contemplate purchasing the Brazen (as I do) would be interested in your observations with regard to the every day usability of this coffee maker, i.e. ease of pouring coffee from the carafe, condensation on and around the basket, the top of the Brazen, water left in the brew chamber, etc.
I'm convinced that you can get a really good cup of coffee from this device, but I am apprehensive about the many negatives cited by those posting to this forum! Perhaps it would be wiser to wait for version 2.0??
I have had the Brazen since Christmas and while it took a while to get used to it from my Krups Moka Pot, I absolutely love it now. The "negatives" that you reference are absolutely minor in my opinion. I find it just as easy to pour coffee from the carafe as I did with my glass carafe from the Krups. Yes, there are perhaps 2 oz left at the bottom, but that also contains many of the fines that make it through the metal filter (I don't use paper). As far as condensation goes, I am sure this will happen once to you and then you will learn, as have I, to hold the top perpendicular to the water container and let it drip off. Not sure there will ever be a "fix" to that. Finally, I have had no water left in the brew chamber. Every drains out as it should. I use RO water from our system here in the Desert. Even when I lived elsewhere and didn't have a RO unit, I used filtered water. Since Xmas, I used my Krups exactly ZERO times and it will be headed to Goodwill soon. The quality of the brewed coffee is outstanding and I am willing to put up with a drip or two of condensate. The hardest part of using the Brazen was trying to figure out what temps to use with what kind of coffee and the grind size but those are part of learning new technology (as is how to hold the chamber lid, etc). BTW, I am not associated in any manner with Behmor, I am just a satisfied user.
Posted Thu Feb 21, 2013, 9:03pm Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)
LIY, Great points.
As others have pointed out, pouring from the carafe works best when the spout is almost directly vertical to the cup. I have no reasonable explanation for why having the carafe pouring in slightly tilted to the cup results in a little flow down the carafe....IMO, it's a non- issue. I place the spout vertical to the cup, then trigger the opening and I don't get any spillage. Any amount that would spill over, however, is minimal.
Very little condensation is left in the brewing basket. When the brew is finished and I'm ready to clean out the basket, I rinse the basket and let it dry out in the sink. Another non-issue for me. I use a Capresso Infinity grinder set at mid-medium with the gold filter supplied with the brewer. The filter is fine so I could see how having a grind greater than med could cause poor drainage. There's not much room between the brew basket and the gold filter so I don't think there could be much water left over from there. Naturally, there's going to be some residual water left over in the brew basket as the coffee grounds cool and continue to drain, It's minimal.
There's moisture left over in the water reservoir, which doesn't bother me since I just add to the reservoir marking lines. I've only made 6 cup - 0.9L brews, and the coffee brewed seem to be the appropriate amount, although I don't care to measure it accurately..... I'd rather drink it. It ended up between 800 and 900 ml in a non- scientifically graded bottle.
Finally, I cleaned the brewer with a damp soapy cloth then followed with the calibration and 2 clean water passages. I don't taste or smell anything off, musty, medicinal, or plastic.
So far, I've brewed 2 batches - Willoughby's House (2 day old) and Starbucks French (2 months old) both 40g at the same grind 1:30 Pre-soak and at 200F. Both amazing. Wife loves it too, which is most important ! And she's a real critic. Starbucks tasted better and fresher than from the store.
I did't think this brew maker had a lot of negative comments. I bought it based on the comments on this forum.
IMO.... On a forum like this with the owner of the company being a member, I expected negative comments or - critiques. The members of this forum took interest in this brew maker because it's unique. They are interested in helping the manufacture in making a better product.
Yet, One comment did stand out - there's a lot of Brazens that have been sold, and the company is reporting less than 3% as having issues. Not everyone is going to provide positive feedback. If a product works as expected, why would you, unless your blown away with the results. But - negative issues are another matter. Members of this forum were just reporting their feedback.
And although the brew maker is new to the market, I don't see how a version 2.0 could be better. For over ten years my FP poured funny and leaked with every brew, produced unpredictable tasting coffee and left me with a mouth full of grind. The Brazen is a pleasant step-up.
But does the Brazen brew better than a cheaper maker ?, I couldn't tell you that..... It does make Starbucks French better than the local Starbucks store ! And is worlds better than the FP.
I'm new to this machine, time will tell. It works perfectly out of the box and I love it. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask !
harmolodic Senior Member Joined: 8 Aug 2006 Posts: 122 Location: DC Expertise: I love coffee
Posted Fri Feb 22, 2013, 5:09am Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)
I'll second and third what the others above me are saying. It takes about two pours to learn how to pour without dripping. There is some condensation but to me that's a non-issue--it doesn't get in my cup, and it's just a few drops of water anyway. I don't have left-over water in the reservoir; I am using a Zero Water filter, which perhaps helps.
It's a killer machine that allows you to fine-tune each pot. As a home-roaster, I experiment with a lot of different coffees, and it's amazing to be able to dial in each new bean.
LIY Senior Member Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Posts: 11 Location: Baltimore, MD, USA Expertise: I live coffee
Posted Fri Feb 22, 2013, 5:30am Subject: Re: Now we know what GORT is (Behmor BraZen Brewer)
Mfoster Said:
LIY, Great points.
As others have pointed out, pouring from the carafe works best when the spout is almost directly vertical to the cup. I have no reasonable explanation for why having the carafe pouring in slightly tilted to the cup results in a little flow down the carafe....IMO, it's a non- issue. I place the spout vertical to the cup, then trigger the opening and I don't get any spillage. Any amount that would spill over, however, is minimal.
Very little condensation is left in the brewing basket. When the brew is finished and I'm ready to clean out the basket, I rinse the basket and let it dry out in the sink. Another non-issue for me. I use a Capresso Infinity grinder set at mid-medium with the gold filter supplied with the brewer. The filter is fine so I could see how having a grind greater than med could cause poor drainage. There's not much room between the brew basket and the gold filter so I don't think there could be much water left over from there. Naturally, there's going to be some residual water left over in the brew basket as the coffee grounds cool and continue to drain, It's minimal.
There's moisture left over in the water reservoir, which doesn't bother me since I just add to the reservoir marking lines. I've only made 6 cup - 0.9L brews, and the coffee brewed seem to be the appropriate amount, although I don't care to measure it accurately..... I'd rather drink it. It ended up between 800 and 900 ml in a non- scientifically graded bottle.
Finally, I cleaned the brewer with a damp soapy cloth then followed with the calibration and 2 clean water passages. I don't taste or smell anything off, musty, medicinal, or plastic.
So far, I've brewed 2 batches - Willoughby's House (2 day old) and Starbucks French (2 months old) both 40g at the same grind 1:30 Pre-soak and at 200F. Both amazing. Wife loves it too, which is most important ! And she's a real critic. Starbucks tasted better and fresher than from the store.
I did't think this brew maker had a lot of negative comments. I bought it based on the comments on this forum.
IMO.... On a forum like this with the owner of the company being a member, I expected negative comments or - critiques. The members of this forum took interest in this brew maker because it's unique. They are interested in helping the manufacture in making a better product.
Yet, One comment did stand out - there's a lot of Brazens that have been sold, and the company is reporting less than 3% as having issues. Not everyone is going to provide positive feedback. If a product works as expected, why would you, unless your blown away with the results. But - negative issues are another matter. Members of this forum were just reporting their feedback.
And although the brew maker is new to the market, I don't see how a version 2.0 could be better. For over ten years my FP poured funny and leaked with every brew, produced unpredictable tasting coffee and left me with a mouth full of grind. The Brazen is a pleasant step-up.
But does the Brazen brew better than a cheaper maker ?, I couldn't tell you that..... It does make Starbucks French better than the local Starbucks store ! And is worlds better than the FP.
I'm new to this machine, time will tell. It works perfectly out of the box and I love it. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask !
Many thanks for the very prompt and detailed reply!
If I may, a couple of additional questions with regard to the Brazen:
(I have used a variety of brewers - all with glass pot; never thermal.) Do you preheat your carafe? If you do, how long does the coffee remain "hot"? If you don't preheat the carafe, will the coffee be reasonably hot for a couple of hours or so after brewing?
Did you encounter the plastic odor complained of by some on this forum, if so, when and how did it dissipate?
I'm certain I'm going to eventually "bite the bullet" and give the Brazen a try, but if I do so, I'm going to have all the info available - eyes wide open!
Symbols: = New Posts since your last visit = No New Posts since last visit = Newest post
Forum Rules: No profanity, illegal acts or personal attacks will be tolerated in these discussion boards. No commercial posting of any nature will be tolerated; only private sales by private individuals, in the "Buy and Sell" forum. No cross posting allowed - do not post your topic to more than one forum, nor repost a topic to the same forum. Who Can Read The Forum? Anyone can read posts in these discussion boards. Who Can Post New Topics? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post new topics. Who Can Post Replies? Any registered CoffeeGeek member can post replies. Can Photos be posted? Anyone can post photos in their new topics or replies. Who can change or delete posts? Any CoffeeGeek member can edit their own posts. Only moderators can delete posts. Probationary Period: If you are a new signup for CoffeeGeek, you cannot promote, endorse, criticise or otherwise post an unsolicited endorsement for any company, product or service in your first five postings.
= No New Posts since last visit 