Apply These 10 Secret Techniques To Improve Espresso Maker

Building an Excellent drip coffee machine is not easy, especially one that meets the


SCAA's grueling brewing standards.
Manages to do just that. Even more impressive, though, is the amount of control
Over the coffee making process the Brazen Plus supplies, from choosing the
Exact water temperature you need to choosing how long you want to presoak
Your grounds before full brewing begins.
But for all its outstanding abilities, the expensive $229 Brazen Plus is far from perfect.
It takes a while to brew compared with other kitchen coffee machines and the
pots it makes are smaller than average. To get the same caliber of coffee from
The Brazen Plus, you will also end up using more grounds. That's why even though
The Brazen Plus is compelling, particularly to people who love to have fun with
Their coffee, more affordable gadgets like the $190 Bonavita BV1900TSand
$170 Bunn Velocity Brew BT are shrewder alternatives.
Design
With its cylindrical top, circular stainless-steel base and three-legged body, the
Indeed, the
Contraption's odd tripodal frame reminds me of some type of alien device of war,
Or maybe an advanced fusion reactor. The bulk of the gadget positively towers

coffee machine's 40-ounce metal pitcher is on the petite side. In fact it holds less

45 ounces (approx 1.3 L).

Another clue to this machine's unusual qualities is a large LCD panel placed in
The middle of its front face. Backlit by a bright blue LED and surrounded by a
Phalanx of square buttons (eight in all), this screen is difficult not to notice. While
not as futuristic as the Breville YouBrew's almost robotic control surfaces, the
Brazen's console definitely conveys complexity and electronic smarts.
Beneath the display you'll find a wide (at least in relation to the small carafe)
plastic filter basket. It either accepts the bundled gold permanent filter or optional
Paper filters of the flat-bottomed 10-cup variety.
Standing at 15.5 inches tall and 8.5 inches wide, the Brazen Plus isn't small,
Either, looming over shorter coffee makers like the compact Bonavita
BV1900TS (11.5x10x6.75 inches). That said, the Brazen's 8.1-inch depth
translates to a smaller overall footprint than true countertop monsters such as
the Bunn Velocity Brew BT and Cuisinart Burr Grind and Brew.
Much of the Brazen Plus' girth stems from its top-mounted water reservoir.
Contained underneath a flat lid, unlike the clear or black plastic water tanks you'll
find in most automatic coffee makers, the Brazen boasts one crafted from shiny
stainless steel. It definitely adds a touch of class to an otherwise mostly plastic
appliance.
The Brazen Plus uses a stainless-steel water tank.
Usability and features
As you might expect from such a complicated facade, using the Brazen Plus for
The first few times is no walk in the park. This is definitely a machine with a
Learning curve and where reading the manual isn't just a shrewd move but a
downright necessity. That's doubly so if you want to harness some of the
Brazen's more unique abilities.
Actually the first thing Behmor advises new owners to do after unpacking the
coffee maker is calibrate the device. Specifically the Brazen Plus will boil a set
sample volume of water and simultaneously compare readings from its internal
thermometer. Frankly it's the only machine I know which asks users to perform
such a task. The same goes for entering your current elevation (in feet) since
Altitude (and because of this atmospheric pressure) will change the boiling point of
water.
You're greeted by a complex array of buttons and an LCD.
Furthermore, within the Brazen Plus' menu screens is the option to Choose the
Brewing temperature -- i.e., how hot the water inside the tank will get before
hitting the grounds (190 to 210 degrees Fahrenheit). Likewise you can set a timer
For how long to presoak the coffee grounds before the full-blown brewing
process.