Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world, loved for its flavor as well as the energy boost from caffeine. Most people hot brew coffee, but it is also possible to brew it with cold water, which is the concept behind BodyBrew’s the Bod. The unit is aimed at coffee aficionados who don’t mind the slow process it involves to get the perfect coffee extract. It is also claimed to be healthier and taste better.
The Bod is the successor to the Hourglass coffee maker and it features a few innovations and it comes with a built-in storage container called Bean Kanteen. It is also 12 percent shorter than the Hourglass, but makes more coffee.
“Overall, it is 15 percent more efficient, meaning it produces 15 percent more coffee extract overall,” BodyBrew CEO, Bob Neace, tells Gizmag.
The design of the Bod also resembles an hourglass. Besides the 24-oz (680-g) Bean Kanteen, the unit features a count-up timer and a cold brew extraction chamber that houses a stainless filter. The user just needs to mix around two cups of ground coffee and three cups of water in the extraction chamber and leave it brewing for 12 to 24 hours, depending on how strong they want their extract. After that, all they need to do is flip it over and the unit automatically decants the extract into the Bean Kanteen, which can be removed and stored away.
The process involves no paper filters, which makes it greener, besides requiring no electricity, so kudos to BodyBrew for the sustainability perks. Also, the ground used can be rebrewed without losing flavor.
One of the main design features is that the Bod is fully modular so every part has a purpose, with no wasted or unwanted parts. To make it more portable, it comes with different sized Bean Kanteens (6 oz (170 g) Mini Bean Kanteen and 3.4 oz (96 g) Baby Bean Kanteen), which are ideal for those who want good coffee on they go.
One of the advantages of cold brew is that coffee brewed this way has lower levels of oily compounds called cafestol and kahweol that are found in hot brewed coffee. BodyBrew has carried out lab tests with its patented cold brew infusion technology, which also decreases the levels of acid found in coffee made in drip and single serve methods.
As a concept, cold brew coffee is similar to slow food, a kind of antithesis to fast-paced modern life. “Cold brewing steeps the grounds and that takes time,” Bob explains. “Time replaces the need for heat. Just like great food or wine, it takes time to produce the great taste and health benefits."
The slowness of the process is made up for by the fact that the extract can be stored in the fridge for up to two weeks with no loss of flavor. It can then be consumed cold or heated up. That is not possible with coffee that's brewed with heat as it degrades very quickly and will not taste that good. After the cold brew extract process, coffee can be made in seconds.
“My grandfather cold brewed his coffee in a bucket with cheesecloth," says Bob, explaining the inspiration for the Bod. "I loved the taste of his coffee and became very interested in it. Many years passed and, back in 2005, I was looking for a cold brew coffee maker, and could not find anything but a cold brewer that was a bucket and a cork. I believed we could build something a lot better and the rest, as they say, is history."
The Bod is made with a material called Tritan, free of BPA, BPS, PVC and Phthalate. It is also shatter-proof and dishwasher-friendly. It is 6.5 in. (16.5 cm) in diameter and 12.5 in. (31.75 cm) in height, Kanteen included. It will be available in black, white, grey and blue.
BodyBew will start taking pre-orders on March 23rd with savings of US$20. Prices vary between $59 and $79 depending on the number of add-ons the customer chooses. The pre-order period will run until the product is set to become available in July or August 2015.
Source: BodyBrew
You're missing the 12-24 hour wet-aging process. smirk.
This product in no way brings value to that existing culture. I see storing in refrigerator as a big put off, it goes against the idea of freshness and shows dependency on another appliance. I do not know if cold brewing is actually healthier option, but if yes, then it needs better design thinking before the product is conceived.
Culture and emotional reasons for buying is a very important factor often overlooked in creating a new product. It is not an easy thing to crack.
I found this product quite cold and clinical in a way.
Comments that a Designer friend of mine - Dyutiman Moulik - made