Siphon Coffee: Stovetop vs Standalone

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If you’re the type that appreciate gadgets that look as if extracted from the laboratory of a mad scientist, siphon coffee could be right up your street. To catch sight of a siphon coffee maker for the first time is to wonder what on earth it is you are actually looking at.

Comprising glistening glass with shiny metal components and a naked flame, you’re immediately transported back to your first chemistry class. Though rather than donning goggles and playing around with dangerous chemicals, you’re actually just brewing a fantastic cup of coffee!

Understandably, there are those who claim that the siphon coffee brewing method is unnecessarily complicated. That’s it’s more about show than substance, preferred by those who appreciate the theatre of it.

In reality, siphon brewing has the capacity to create some of the smoothing and most decadently delicious coffee on the face of the Earth. It’s a complex method indeed, but there’s a method to its madness.

Not to mention, a reason why it has a tendency to pack a punch price-wise in the average coffee shop.

Stovetop VS Standalone Designs

If looking to pick up your own coffee siphon, you’ll find yourself with two broad categories to choose from. One being the standalone siphon that works independently, the other being the stovetop version that requires a stove.

With a stovetop siphon, the brewing method is reliant on an external heat source. Stovetop models are typically compatible with the vast majority of stoves, and in some cases can be slightly cheaper than their standalone counterparts. Plus, if you have a fairly decent cooker, you get a good amount of control over the level of heat.

On the downside, the device cannot be used unless you have a stove at your disposal. This doesn’t necessarily confine you to the kitchen, but does mean you need to plan carefully to be able to use your siphon coffee.

Elsewhere, standalone siphon coffee makers feature their own in-built heat source. This will usually be a gas or alcohol burner, though in some instances can be a high-tech halogen lamp.  Either way, the stand can be raised or lowered to adjust the heat level, and the device can be used just about anywhere.

Standalone siphon coffee makers are the preferred choice for those looking to embrace (and show off) the ceremony of the whole thing. Unveil a beautifully presented siphon coffee maker on the dining table and the end of a meal and watch your guests’ jaws drop. The only negative being that they do tend to be significantly more expensive, and in some instances can make it difficult to control the temperature with pinpoint precision.

All Choice, No Compromise

Frankly, there’s no right or wrong way to go when choosing a siphon coffee maker. Just as long as the device is of decent enough quality, it will have the same capacity to brew exquisite coffee as any other.

It’s therefore up to you whether portability and presentation matter most, in which case a standalone siphon coffee maker takes some beating.

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