This is my new coffee maker and it rocks the hizzy. My old Grind-n-Brew bit the dust and so I dropped some Christmas cash on it. What’s the big deal?

Well it was designed by a chemist to defeat the following problems that plague regular filter-type (infusion) coffee machines.
Water temp – The idea temperature for the brewing water is 195-205 F. Most coffee makers don’t hit this. Since you boil the water for this yourself you’re guaranteed to hit the mark.
Filtration rate – Most coffee makers let the water through too quickly. The filters that these use (most of the “magic” is in the Chemex filter really) extend brew time to the optimal 4 minutes. And as an added bonus these don’t let the smaller particles through which means no grounds in the bottom.
Cleanliness – Given that it’s one piece and made entirely from glass it’s easier to keep clean. Thus you avoid the oil buildup that can lead to off flavors.
Truly the best thing about this process though is that it’s so manual. You have to pre-wet the filter, measure the water, grind the beans, boil the water and pour it in gradually. In a world where we’re inundated with things that beep, need to be programmed, or serve so many purposes that they don’t do one thing well, this piece of low-tech is a nice change of pace. Perhaps the only drawback that one might see is that it doesn’t keep the coffee warm. For those people I say, drink faster. That or use the microwave.
Buy it here.