Making Coffee by the Pool
Last weekend, the World of Coffee trade show took place at the RAI in Amsterdam. Alongside the barista world championships, there were competitions for, among other things, the best coffee innovation. One of the winners, the Asobu cold brew coffee maker for on the go, arrives just in time for the summer holidays.
Coffee people are rather nerdy. The more complicated and inscrutable the brewing system, the more serious they are. Because that allows them to showcase their skills. At least, that was the case for a very long time. And that is why ordinary mortals often stuck with machines that had just an on/off button.
What is the difference between white and black pepper?
Cold brew
Now there is a new generation of coffee geeks who are making all brewing methods accessible, very often financed through Kickstarter. After years of espresso machines that had to be adjusted manually down to the second, degree and milligram, fully automatic machines have been developed that actually do an even better job than the artisanal ones (or so it is whispered). At World of Coffee a new cold brew (English for cold brewed) device for on the go was presented that is so simple that it can come on holiday with me this summer (sorry, moka pot…).
While you are on the go, your coffee develops its flavor
The Asobu, also financed through Kickstarter, is an insulated portable coffee maker. Simple to use and very handy for travelling: put fairly coarsely ground coffee in the top, pour in spring water, and leave it for 12–18 hours at room temperature. Press a button to let the steeped coffee flow into the travel carafe at the bottom. Put on the lid and your cold brew coffee is ready. In fact, you can put the coffee and water in the pot before boarding your bus/train/car/boat/bicycle, and by the time you arrive, your cold brew is ready to drink. Or you can make yourself a cup at the edge of the pool.
Better than a can
You can add ice cubes and dairy or plant-based milk, as you wish. This iced coffee stays cold for 24 hours and tastes considerably better than canned cold brew. You can also put hot coffee in the pot. It stays hot for twelve hours. The Asobu costs around 60 euros. You can find more information here.
