The siphon is a visually exciting brew method with unique characteristics. This system was first used by German scientists around 1830, but was first patented by a French inventor twenty years later. Mastered by the Taiwanese and Japanese.

Vacuum (siphon) brewers were originally designed to pull water through much finer ground coffee by using the force of vacuum in the final phase of the brewing process. It was believed those days that finer ground coffee produced a tastier cup.

The classic cloth filter allows a portion of the oils into the bottom chamber while preventing fine particles from going through. You get is the positive attributes of the oils in the coffee – heightened body and aroma level, and a very clean cup without the negative inputs of the bean fibers (solids) which have the potential for over-extraction.
Cotton filters are the best but need to be kept incredibly clean. Superfine metal mesh filters are good too (much easier to clean) but microscopic fines still find their way into the bottom chamber (over-extracting and creating astringency in the cup.

• Resulting brew: good balance between body, aroma and acidity
• Body: medium
• Acidity: medium
• Effort: high
• Grind: medium-fine
• Best with: complex or balanced coffees, e.g. Africa and Central America

Yama Glass is one of the top manufacturers of top quality, borosilicate (medical grade) glassware. Yama is imported into South Africa exclusively by Nigiro Tea Merchants. We have even had the owners of Yama come visit us in Cape Town!