Review: VacOne Coffee Air Brewer

[bouncy jazz music]

[coffee pouring]

There are a zillion ways to make coffee.

And if you're a big coffee nerd,

you have probably seen most of them,

but I'm willing to bet that you haven't seen this.

It's a new machine. It's really unique.

It's called the VacOne and I wanna show it to you.

So you probably already have

your whole coffee routine figured out,

but I'm here to ruin your wallet to tell you

that I have been testing this new machine

for the last few months,

and it has been blowing my mind.

It's called the VacOne and it's two pieces.

There's this top black plastic part

where all the coffee ingredients go.

And then there's a clear carafe

made out of borosilicate glass,

where all the coffee goes into after it's brewed.

So the word vac in the name

of the machine probably gives you a hint

as to how it works.

Here's what you do.

You put your coffee grounds,

[beans clinking] [beans rattling]

[coffee machine grinding]

[container tapping]

[water boiling] And hot water into the top part.

[water pouring]

You give it a stir, you wait a minute or two,

and then you press this button on top.

That button activates a pump,

which sucks air out of the carafe.

And it creates a vacuum inside the carafe.

It's not a really strong vacuum.

It's about 7-PSI,

but it's strong enough to pull the liquid

across a metal filter

and into the carafe below.

The pump is also pretty loud.

[pump vibrating]

If you watch what's going on in the head unit

while your coffee is brewing,

this method actually makes a lot of sense.

[water pouring]

When you stir everything up and let it go,

you'll notice this tan-colored foam

forms at the top of the brewing chamber.

That's all the gases and oils

that escape from coffee grounds

when they're exposed to hot water.

[finger sucking]

Those oils are also what makes it taste bitter.

So when you press the button

and activate the vacuum pump,

the machine sucks the coffee out

of that chamber from the bottom.

Most of that bitter stuff stays

at the top and never gets mixed in

with your finished coffee.

You end up with a better-tasting cup

that's lighter, and more floral, brighter,

and all the other words that coffee people use

when they talk about coffee.

[cheerful jazz music]

That's solid.

I compared the VacOne's coffee with what I got

from my AeroPress and my Pour-Over rig.

And the VacOne definitely wins that taste test.

Also, I found it works the best

if you use really fresh beans

that are ground very fine.

Now, if you don't have a fancy grinder

like this one where you can set the grind size,

you can just look for pre-ground coffee

that's an espresso grind.

So whatever you can find in a can

or a bag that says it's espresso,

will work just fine in this machine.

The VacOne also makes excellent cold brew.

You do everything the same,

[beans clinking] [beans rattling]

[coffee machine grinding] [container tapping]

except you use cold water.

[water filling]

And after you pour it in,

you want to let it sit for about six minutes

instead of just a minute and a half

or two minutes for the hot coffee.

And when you're done, you get a really nice,

light, sparkly cold brew.

Exactly what you want on a hot summer day.

So, it's not perfect.

It's a bit harder to clean

than other coffee makers.

In order to get the grounds out,

you really have to kind of whack the sides

of the brewing chamber.

[hand tapping]

And even after you do that,

you're still going to have

to give it a rinse

and give it a wipe with a paper towel

to get it clean.

So no matter what, your hands are going

to get dirty when you're using it.

Also, this guy only makes a small amount

of coffee in one go.

The chamber only holds about 14 ounces of liquid,

which is like one big cup

or two pretty small cups.

So if you need to make more

than just a cup or so of coffee at a time,

then you probably wanna look

for a different machine.

The vacuum pump is battery powered.

So there's actually a USB rechargeable cell

inside the head unit.

The company says that each charge is good

for about 200 carafes of coffee.

And I'd say, that's just about right.

I actually haven't even charged my test unit yet.

I just pulled it out of the box

and started making coffee with it.

And I've made about 150 carafes

in my three months with it.

The VacOne comes with a 16-month warranty.

And even after that lapses,

if you happen to break

the little metal filter that's inside,

or if you accidentally drop the carafe,

and it shatters all over your kitchen,

the company will sell you replacement parts

for pretty cheap.

So 90 bucks is a lot of money

to spend on a brewing machine

if you're not particularly picky

about your coffee.

But if you are a picky coffee person

and you want a brewing method that brings out all

of the best flavors of your favorite beans,

then definitely give the VacOne a try.

Now, leave me alone because I need

to go make another cup of coffee. [laughs]

[container tapping]

[upbeat jazzy music fades]