Everytime I post of photo brewing with a Hario Halogen Beam heater and a siphon, people ask a) what I am using, and b) where can they buy one. I tell them what it is, how Hario discontinued it, and that it was over $400. Still, many are more disappointed at it no longer being available, than shocked at the price.

Well now, two importers in North America are bringing in a better, lower priced, more powerful, and most importantly -- wired for N. American power (110V) halogen beam heater from another manufacturer: Akira. Where the Hario Beam Heater was 100V (Japan) only and $425 from N. American sources when it was available, this model from Akira is only $310 from the US vendor, and $328 from the Canadian source.

With this heater, you can brew siphon coffee using light: light from a powerful 350W halogen bulb. The bulb is so bright, if you didn't have the red quartz filter in place on the heater, you'd probably go blind from the brightness. The lamp is also infinitely adjustable, allowing you to jack up or tone down the light (and resulting heat). I put the bulb to max to heat up water, then lower it to maybe 60% power to maintain the brew for 1 or 2 minutes. Unlike Hario's model, the front of this unit is slanted. And did I mention it is 110V powered?

For many, this is the ultimate heating source for siphon brewed coffee. It is designed to work with most stand-equipped siphon brewers, and will also work with stovetop models. For more detailed photos, check out this (Korean) blog.

Product Link (Northwest Glass, US, $310)
Product Link (Avenue18, Canada, $328)