Dlink Senior Member Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3 Location: Atlanta Expertise: I like coffee
Posted Mon Feb 25, 2013, 11:44pm Subject: Technivorm CDGT: setup for 1/2 pot, vs Bonavita 1/2 pot , pre-infusion
I purchased a Technivorm CDGT this last week from Clive Coffee It's the new CDGTs so it has the auto-drop stop but also just the standard coffee basket so you can't adjust the flow rate. I've brewed a few full pots with good results using the basic recipe of 1 liter water, 60 grams cofffee, filtropa pre-wetted, baratza preciso @18 setting. The brewing cycle was right around 6 minutes and it the water pattern distrbution was uniform that it didn't demand that i rotate the heador stir the slurry. I have three questions:
1) what are the suggestions for brewing a 1/2 pot with the CDGT. I tried 500g of water and 30g of coffee also on the 18 setting. This took about 3 minutes to cycle through but I was also pulling the pot away a few time to get the water to soak the grinds longer. Without the pot cycling, I'm guessing it would have cycled the water in 2 minutes. I'd rather not have to futz with the coffee pot to get the longer cycle. Are there any other solutions besides going to a finer grinder? if NO, what setting woudl you suggest. If YES, what is the solution?
2) Has anybody does any done comparision testing of the Bonavita for making a half pot vs the CDGT? My wife and I often will drink a 1/2 pot so I'm looking for the solution that produces the best combination of quality with repeatability wth the least hassle. Cost is an isssue but behind everything else.
3) I think I read in the Cook's Illustrated article that Techniform's newer models had solved the overflowing pot issue with the auto-drop stop but in order to provide a pre-infusion mechanism since the flow control on the coffee basket was removed, they programmed in a 20-30 second delay in the initial water cycle to pre-infuse the grinds before letting the rest of the water to cycle through. I probably have made 4 full pots and after examing the water flow on each cycle, I don't think I've seen any delay after the first doses. Can anybody confirm either way? Also for those that have the newer CDGT, have you found there is a need for pre-fusion and if YES, have you found a solution besides pulling the pot away after the first few water doses and waiting 30 seconds?
hankg Senior Member Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 64 Location: California Expertise: I love coffee
Grinder: Saeco Titan Drip: Technivorm Thermal
Posted Wed Feb 27, 2013, 3:48pm Subject: Re: Technivorm CDGT: setup for 1/2 pot, vs Bonavita 1/2 pot , pre-infusion
Wow!, didn't know that they created a new basket/holder type. Well, I don't have this one, I have the normal KB741 thermal with all of the adjustables in place. For reference, when I make a full pot, I'm usually using 76 grams, more coarsely ground than what my grinder does when it's set at the "drip" setting. Why? Well, when I bought it back a long time ago from Boyd's Coffee, they included a pound of their coffee, already ground. It was a coarser grind. At the time, I believe they were the only importer of Technivorm. This has served me quite well. Okay, I have used as much as 85 grams. It was amazing but too much.
So, when I brew a half pot, of course, I'm able to slow the drip speed with the adjustable flow rate setting. I brew into a travel mug, about 16 ounces. I use 31 grams of coffee. If I were using your machine, I'd probably use about 42 grams of coffee and try it at your current grind size. If that doesn't do it, just grind a couple of clicks finer. That's what I would do. As a rule of thumb, I've heard and always have used more coffee grounds than just cutting the amount proportionately. Yes, I like strong coffee so 60 grams on a full pot wouldn't comes close for me.
For the record, I use Melita paper filters, not pre-wetted. I'm able to let a bit of pre-infusion happen. Don't always do that with a full pot because I do come close to overflow.
airflite1 Senior Member Joined: 6 Jan 2013 Posts: 9 Location: Greenbush Expertise: Just starting
Posted Wed Feb 27, 2013, 8:29pm Subject: Re: Technivorm CDGT: setup for 1/2 pot, vs Bonavita 1/2 pot , pre-infusion
hankg Said:
Wow!, didn't know that they created a new basket/holder type. Well, I don't have this one, I have the normal KB741 thermal with all of the adjustables in place. For reference, when I make a full pot, I'm usually using 76 grams, more coarsely ground than what my grinder does when it's set at the "drip" setting. Why? Well, when I bought it back a long time ago from Boyd's Coffee, they included a pound of their coffee, already ground. It was a coarser grind. At the time, I believe they were the only importer of Technivorm. This has served me quite well. Okay, I have used as much as 85 grams. It was amazing but too much.
So, when I brew a half pot, of course, I'm able to slow the drip speed with the adjustable flow rate setting. I brew into a travel mug, about 16 ounces. I use 31 grams of coffee. If I were using your machine, I'd probably use about 42 grams of coffee and try it at your current grind size. If that doesn't do it, just grind a couple of clicks finer. That's what I would do. As a rule of thumb, I've heard and always have used more coffee grounds than just cutting the amount proportionately. Yes, I like strong coffee so 60 grams on a full pot wouldn't comes close for me.
For the record, I use Melita paper filters, not pre-wetted. I'm able to let a bit of pre-infusion happen. Don't always do that with a full pot because I do come close to overflow.
hankg Senior Member Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 64 Location: California Expertise: I love coffee
Grinder: Saeco Titan Drip: Technivorm Thermal
Posted Thu Feb 28, 2013, 9:50am Subject: Re: Technivorm CDGT: setup for 1/2 pot, vs Bonavita 1/2 pot , pre-infusion
The mug I have has a lid that is just big enough so that, if I turn the lid the right way, it pushes in the button and also can hold my mug level. You could take a couple of tall coasters and set your mug on that. Doesn't take much.
For the original poster with the new basket, he couldn't do it because you have the pour stop mechanism when you remove the pot. If he wanted to pre-infuse his coffee, he could do that by putting something with enough weight to push on the safety button that the carafe usually pushes against and then pull it away after however long it took to get the water needed for pre-infusion. Or, he could just use it normally and not worry about all the geek stuff.
hankg Senior Member Joined: 29 Dec 2004 Posts: 64 Location: California Expertise: I love coffee
Grinder: Saeco Titan Drip: Technivorm Thermal
Posted Fri Mar 1, 2013, 8:19pm Subject: Re: Technivorm CDGT: setup for 1/2 pot, vs Bonavita 1/2 pot , pre-infusion
Can't help you on the Bonavita has I don't have it, and I'm not probably get one since I don't expect my Technivorm to die in my life time.
Thinking about how your new style version operates, you do have the "carafe is in place-let the water start" button, I would find something to push that button in for about 30-45 seconds, then remove it and place the carafe in place. Try that first. Then, if it's still not quite there, grind a notch or two finer. Also, try using the second chart from this resource and see what happens:
Have both brewers (original 230v Melitta version of the re-badged "Bonavita").
Regularly make a 500ml pot in each of them, although these days tend to use the Technivorm mainly, as I find it marginally more convenient and a bit easier to clean.
Use the same grind for both, and the same paper filters.
Brew takes about the same time in each - within a few seconds.
To my taste, the resulting brew is the same.
Unless you're a collector or need a second machine, as you have a Technivorm I'd stick with that.
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