I have a bit of a thing for nonelectric coffee-makers. The French press I bought a few years ago brings me endless delight — plunge! — as does the Bialetti Moka pot, whose stovetop hissing I’ll never mistake. I prefer manual brewers not just because they produce a more distinctive cup but because they’re extremely fun to use, like toys for adults. The device that most excites me lately is the Neapolitan flip coffeepot, which I acquired last month from the MoMA Design Store (though, of course, you can find it at Amazon, too). It is the weirdest coffee-maker I own. I love it.
The flip coffeepot, so named for its popularity in Naples, even though it’s a French invention, is a three-part gadget that seems implausible. Basically, you fill the bottom portion of the pot with water, add your grounds to the middle filter, screw on the top, and set the thing to a flame. When it boils, you flip the whole pot over (that little lid with the handle up top comes off), so the hot water seeps through the filter and into the empty chamber, which has a spout. Then you remove the emptied part and you’ve got yourself a little pot of hot coffee. That’s it.
I’ve been using my flip pot for a month now, and I’ve grown quite fond of it. Here’s what’s special about it: It makes the perfect amount of coffee for one person — I know it says six, but it makes about four cups’ worth max — and produces a clean but concentrated cup. The texture doesn’t get as muddy as French-press coffee, and its a little less intense than Moka coffee, which can sometimes get overwhelmingly strong. I’d recommend it to anyone who works from home or enjoys a Sunday a.m. cup. It will, I am sure, make the mornings extremely fun.
Another Strat-approved manual coffee brewer
Travel writer Andrew Parks knows all about making coffee on the road. His preferred gadget — one favored by coffee snobs the world over — is the AeroPress.
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