Hario Woodneck: First Impressions

The Hario Woodneck drip brewer is of most intrigue due to it's simple elegance, reusable cloth filter, and ability to produce one of the most defined cups, yet truly exemplifies body without the loss of crispness (which is something that can be difficult to achieve). Jose and I have already had a fair share of Woodneck brews, but we were certain we needed one in possession. Out of the box it was fairly simplistic to get up and going. It provided a nifty Hario branded spoon for that oh so perfect volume measurement, and the device itself looking quite dashing with it's wooden accents (quite similar to that of a chemex). On the down side the glass seemed a bit flimsy, although maybe thats because we are so used to the hardy chemex build. The cloth filter slides around a ring attached to a wooden handle, and is then placed on top of the wood neck for brewing. We poured a solid liter of hot water through the brand new filter just for good measure and fear of a cloth-like tang.

The cloth filter really brings a lucid body out of the coffee, and preserves the sweet acidity that we simply crave. An interesting aspect of the Woodneck is the absence of any directly guiding support along the filter, it's essentially hanging from the metal ring. It's also quite a bit more narrow and long compared to your average dripper. This could be of assist because of a smaller surface area to assure an even extraction (perhaps anyway). It's interesting because a lot of the time when I order a Woodneck brew form a cafe, they pour directly down the center for the last hundred or so grams of water. They also fill the filter up just shy of the metal ring, which as far as I'm concerned is doing nothing but unevenly extracting, and under-extracting the pour coffee grounds stuck high and dry. I originally thought on behalf of the diminutive surface area of the slurry, and with account of it's length that it might be less significant to worry about these things.

Since then I've made my fair share of drips, and with solid coffee to begin with it's a difficult dripper to really screw up, but the cups I've made - according to the cafe's I've gone to - always turn out with something slightly unpleasant or less interesting. After the initial bloom, what I've found to really bring out those sweet and acidic notes is to then do two more slow continuous pours (fast enough to retain constant flow, but slow enough so that the drip rate is around 1/3 the rate of pouring). Once you hit your mark on the second pour, I like to give it a gentile one rotation swirl to assure uniformity while extracting. It generally should sit around two minutes and thirty seconds, which is a trusty was to assure your pouring speed is on time. Also for proper storage and reuse of the cloth filter, make sure it's slightly damp, seal it inside of a zip-lock bag, and then store it inside of the fridge or freezer. Then when you are ready to use it again, revive it with a dose of hot water. I've probably made a solid thirty+ cups and still rocking the same filter. So let us know if you have a faithful procedure for brewing one of these puppies, and I'll certainly give it a go.  

Los Angeles Coffee Tour

Road trips. A quintessential American pastime consisting of greasy food, cramped spaces, and of course gas station coffee. Two out of those last three points were surely true on our most recent trip to the beautifully sunny city of Los Angeles, but it certainly wasn't gas station coffee. Like our coffee tour of San Francisco, we decided to focus our attention to coffee bars and cafes that truly accentuated the coffee atmosphere of southern California.

Our List:

1. The French Press - Santa Barbara, Ca
2. Intelligentsia Coffee Bar - Silverlake, Ca
3. Handsome Coffee Roasters - Los Angeles, Ca
4. G & B Coffee - Grand Central Market Los Angeles, Ca
5. Go get em tiger - Los Angeles, Ca
6. Cognoscenti Coffee - Culver City, Ca
7. Intelligentsia Coffee Bar - Venice, Ca

Reviewing all of these establishments in a single review would do justice to no one as each of these places constantly breaks barriers on how coffee should be made.  Too many cold brews, pourovers, and espressos to really just lump it all into one review so in fairness to the hardworking baristas that supplied deliciousness, here is a personal review of each cafe.

THE FRENCH PRESS - SANTA BARBARA, CA

Cruising in just before sunrise and 4 hours of traveling, the first stop on the trip was The French Press located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara. The French Press first caught our eyes as it came up in the research of southern California cafes. With an easy exit off highway 101, it was clear that it had to the our first stop of the trip. 

Click to visit The French Press's Facebook.

Simple, elegant and beautiful, The French Press offers a certain kind of warm comfort and perhaps it was the foggy morning but it was reminiscent of the coldest of winter mornings. Its location, layout and presence were certainly stunning, no detail overlooked, something that can also be said about the city where this cafe is located. 

Verve Coffee Roasters supplies the coffee to this beautiful cafe, something that Cole and I know and love. With Streetlevel espresso, on the La Marzocco Strada and french press coffee on tap, it was certainly a good sight to see after early morning travels. The barista, friendly and attentive quickly served Cole his french pressed coffee, and pulled a shot of espresso for myself.

Streetlevel, citrusy, sweet and with a smooth finish, a coffee like no other, The French Press went beyond my expectation in recreating my profile of this coffee. To my delight it was certainly became one of my favorite espressos on the trip.

Cole on the other hand, with a cup of french pressed coffee, felt that his coffee lacked something special, perhaps attributed to the fact that the coffee was on tap, and not made directly after ordering. Sad and a little lonely, Cole concluded that it was certainly a good cup of cup, but just short of stellar.

Delicious pasteries and other bagels were on sight and available for purchase, as well as coffee gear for home brewers wanting to replicate perfection the french pressed seems like a well rounded coffee shop appealing to different types of customers. 

It has been a long time since I have actually felt comfortable in a coffee shop, not in the sense that I don't felt like I belong, but more with a comfort compared to a childhood memory. Its decor, layout, the hardwood flooring maybe it was everything about this place certainly captivated my memories. One day, I shall return to The French Press, but until that day, I will keep it close to my heart.