Nice looking, functional, novel brewer capable of smooth coffee
Positive Product Points
Capable of smooth full bodied coffee No electricity required Fun to watch Simple, few parts
Negative Product Points
Glass Burner requires fuel Slow to boil with cold water, works faster with hot Involved process to brew- not suited for those who are looking for a simple cup of coffee
Detailed Commentary
After having my eye on one for a while I took advantage of an Espresso Parts sale and picked one up. I started my coffee journey with a Bodum e Santos, the electric vacuum brewer, and enjoyed fresh vacuum press for a while. The Bodum was shelved in favour of french press and espresso.
I very much like the control of totally manual brewing methods now. The Bodum e Santos was very unrelaible out of the box an basically had to be tricked into making a good cup of vacuum brew. The Yama pot allows for complete brewing control and I like that very much.
The burner model is novel and convenient if you don't want to use your stovetop and the burner works well to heat the water to boiling. A little slow but not exceedingly. Absolutely heed the directions to use fuel type alcohol. I tried it with parfin wax and the soot formed a skin on the bottom of the carafe.
Since I had experience with vacuum brewing in the past it was very easy to get a good cup of coffee out of the Yama. 5 cups is just right for two mugs of coffee. The 3 cup measure works well for a single mug. The glass is very clear and you it looks to be of high quality. I was a little reluctant to pull the filter chain tight and hook it onto the bottom of the funnel for fear of breaking or chipping the glass but I trust tha it's designed to take the stress. Handling glass and heating it with a burner makes me nervous but the fear of breaking or exploding glass is quickly passing with time.
Very good vacuum brewer I'd recommend for those who want total brewing process control and a smooth cup of coffee.
Buying Experience
Order was promptly filled, shipped and arrived without incident or damage.
Three Month Followup
No problems with glass. Very sturdy and heat resistant. Methyl Hydrate works well as an inexpensive, clean fuel and can be purchased in gallon containers. Cloth filter ensures reliable draw down with no stalling. Very smooth coffee. Yama has become our preferred brewer for morning coffee.
