The principle of the geyser coffee machine and the secrets of making delicious coffee

Perhaps the first question that puzzles the person in whose house a geyser coffee maker appeared is how to brew coffee. But because of the complexity of the device, it is at the very bottom of the hierarchy of coffee machines. It’s simpler to install only a Turk, but due to the nuances in the operation of the Turks, working with a geyser coffee machine will be even easier!

Principle of operation

In fact, a geyser coffee machine is the same filtering of hot water through ground grains, just the opposite. If you used a drip machine or even ground coffee in the filter boxes that are installed on the cup, then you know how it works. It’s just that water does not pass through the filter from top to bottom, but vice versa.

Why so sophisticated? Perhaps, when choosing a coffee maker, you saw that the drip machine owners complain of an insufficiently saturated, watery taste. And gravity must be blamed for this: under its action, water passes too quickly through the coffee filter, not having time to absorb the taste and aroma. Back in the 30s, coffee connoisseurs decided that it was time to change something: for example, the direction of water flow through the filter. The technology was patented by Alfonso Bialetti, who opened a company for the production of the most popular geyser coffee makers at the moment. So what did he think of?

The principle of operation of a geyser coffee machine is a little more complicated than a drip for a person far from physics: and really, how to make water flow in the opposite direction?

1. Let's take three containers: at the very bottom one for water, a little higher another for ground coffee and one more for the finished drink at the very top.
2. We connect the filter container with tubes to the lower and upper vessels.
3. Now heat the water in the lower vessel, causing it to convert to steam.
4. Steam due to lack of volume will begin to put pressure on the water, forcing it to look for ways to escape. They will be the tube to the filter.
5. The more steam will form, the higher it will “push” the water through the pipe: first it will go through the filter, then it will rise above the pipe and splash out into the upper tank.

It is important that the speed with which water rises under steam pressure is lower than that with which it flows through the filter under the influence of gravity, which means it will have more time to absorb taste and aroma.

By the way

A great advantage of geysers over Turk is that you can hardly follow the process of making coffee.

It seems to have become more or less clear how the system works, but what is required for making coffee from the person himself?

How to brew coffee?

Now that you know what it is, a geyser coffee maker seems very easy to operate: poured water, filled coffee - and wait for the laws of physics to do their job. This is partly true: many people buy geysers in addition to the Turk, precisely because they are easier and faster to manage.

• Pour cold water into the lower tank to the mark. Pouring no longer makes sense: excess water turning into steam will exit through the emergency steam outlet valve, and at the exit you will still receive the same volume of drink. But pouring less is not recommended: the pressure that your model is designed for may not form, which will affect the brewing process. And remember that the final result depends on the quality of the water.
• Pour coffee in a filter of coarse or medium grinding: fine grinding will greatly impede the passage of water through the filter, and it is also likely to provide sediment in the upper tank. For the same reason, tamping any ground coffee in the filter is a bad idea. Naturally, coffee is recommended to be ground just before brewing, but it depends on the degree of your coffee gourmand.
• Put the coffee maker on fire: it should be medium in the beginning and slow in the middle of the process, so as not to delay the preparation, but also not to overheat the coffee. When the finished drink begins to pour into the upper container, you can even remove the coffee maker from the stove: so you will avoid the taste of burnt and unnecessary bitterness in the taste.

Important!

The geyser coffee maker does not provide for the pouring of liquids other than water, and the falling asleep of other dry components except coffee. As experience shows, experiments of such a plan do not lead to breakage, but they also fail to produce delicious coffee. It is better to add milk and sugar after cooking, although you can still add a pinch of spices to ground coffee.

There are not so many subtleties in working with such coffee makers, and all of them will come to you during operation: somewhere earlier, remove the lower capacity from the heat or cool under the stream of water, change the grind in some situations, but experiment somewhere with amount of water and coffee.

Advantages and disadvantages

You just can’t understand if a geyser coffee machine is right for you or not? Then answer a few questions.

• Do you like strong coffee? If so, it is better not to change the Turk, because it is difficult to make it so strong in a geyser.
• Are you used to making coffee with sugar? Caramel taste is achieved during cooking, in our case it will be possible to brew only espresso, and only then create variations on its basis.
• Do you want to save? The simplest geysers can be found for 500-600 rubles, but it is better to take a coffee maker a little better.
• Are you afraid to break the device? It is hard to imagine that something will go wrong in this system. If you have never broken an ordinary kettle, then everything will be fine.
• Are you tired of the sediment from the Turks? With a geyser in the finished drink, you will not see it.
• Are you too lazy to stand by the Turks while coffee is brewing? With a geyser coffee machine, you can go away without fear for the cleanliness of the stove and without sacrificing the quality of the drink.

By the way

Washing a geyser coffee machine is no more difficult than ordinary dishes. In terms of care and maintenance, it is extremely convenient!

Which one to choose?

It is not necessary to make coffee with gas with a geyser coffee maker: there are electric models that are as easy to use as electric kettles. That's just they cost from 5 thousand and above, and if so, it is better to overpay and buy a more advanced coffee machine.

Choosing from the usual options, take a look at stainless steel if you are looking for the best combination of price and quality. Aluminum models are cheaper and simpler, but for most people they are enough to enjoy delicious coffee.

There are also expensive glass and ceramic variations that will appeal primarily to those who care about how the coffee maker fits into the interior of the kitchen.

Responsibly choose the volume of the coffee maker, this is very important. The amount of the finished drink can vary from 40 to 400 ml, and since it is not recommended to deviate from the amount of water and ground coffee, think twice before taking the coffee maker “with a margin”. In this case, it is better to brew coffee twice if a friend comes to visit than to drink a weak coffee, pouring water and coffee in one cup instead of the calculated two.

Important!

When washing an aluminum geyser, do not use metal sponges and abrasive products: this will scratch the protective layer and constantly feel the taste of metal in coffee.

Of course, the Turk remains an unchanged classic, but as a more convenient addition to it, a geyser coffee machine has a right to exist. The main thing is to take her choice wisely, follow the recommendations and, of course, feel the process of making the most delicious drink on earth.