On the SCA business display this yr, there was once somewhat sumthin sumthin against the again of Hario’s sales space that many other people will have ignored (Jay Caragay, alternatively, didn’t pass over it!). It’s the new variant of the Hario V60, known as the Hario V60 Suiren Espresso Dripper.
The Suiren isn’t to be had formally but in North The us, however bet what: you’ll be able to order one, with 0 delivery fees (it’s coming from Japan), direct from the USA Amazon web page, at the moment for less than $24! And you’ll be able to additionally order a suite of six spare ribs in one in all six other colors (8 will in the end be to be had) to actually customise your brewer. I don’t know the way lengthy this availability will closing, but when you need one, you’ll be able to order one, these days.
What Precisely Is It?
The Hario Suiren is an open-air kinda pour over brewer, in accordance with the similar rib construction, and angles that the unique V60 has inside of all of the clear out holders in that collection. However one thing’s lacking: any floor house between the ones ribs! Its mainly the polar reverse of a no-bypass brewer.
Now this sort of brewer – one who exposes the primary filtering subject material to complete airflow round it – isn’t new. Fabric pourover programs all the time labored this fashion, and over time we’ve been despatched more than a few “out within the open” clear out holders for Melitta cone filters, flat backside clear out papers, or even aftermarket designs for the V60 clear out papers.
What does make this new and engaging is solely how stunning Hario’s execution is of this brewing software. They’re promoting the Suiren in numerous variants, together with elementary black, elementary white, and unmarried colors. They’re additionally promoting it in “restricted version” combined colors. And the give much more creativity, you’ll be able to purchase six colored ribs to actually customise your Suiren and make it fully your personal.
The Suiren ships in a flat-pack field, IKEA taste, as a result of it’s important to compile it when it arrives. Throughout the field is the clear out holder / carafe relaxation, the clear out’s major hub, and two containers every containing six detachable ribs. Click on the ribs into the slots within the round hub (12 ribs in keeping with brewer), after which click on the assembled ribs and hub into the clear out holder.
The fabric is all plastic, and looks to start with look to be a unique form of plastic than what Hario is the use of of their plastic V60s. It sort of feels a bit of extra pliable, “softer” if that’s a factor. Don’t misconstrue regardless that – the plastics are very prime quality and as soon as assembled the brewer may be very strong.
We purchased 3 brewers and two units of spare ribs, direct from Hario Japan. One set featured alternating black and white ribs. The second one set had 3 colors, in 4 ribs: pink, white and blue (easiest for the 4th of July!). The 3rd set was once simply black ribs, and in addition the most affordable choice, costing about $6 not up to the multi color variations. We additionally purchased inexperienced and pink rib units.
That’s every other factor that makes this brewer so implausible: you’ll be able to regulate it visually to actually make it your personal. Make a selection the rib colors that fit your temper, your paintings house, or your kitchen. I firmly imagine the extra you are feeling your espresso software is supposed particularly for you, the extra you’ll get out of it.
Brewing with the Suiren
We’ve experimented so much with outdoor clear out designs up to now, and one thing all the time perceived to occur that went in opposition to expectancies and assumptions: you assume the espresso would brew sooner with extra float via, however that isn’t the case; if anything else, the brews decelerate a tad in comparison to commonplace, enclosed (and ribbed) clear out holders. It took me a very long time to determine why this was once going down. Ultimately I figured it out by means of experiments we did within the CoffeeGeek Lab again in 2011.
Nevertheless it was once time to peer if the Suiren did the similar factor.
And certain sufficient, the brew occasions with the Suiren, face to face with a regular V60 brew, have been only a tad slower to complete. Magic? Naw. There’s a purpose. However first, right here’s what I did for each brews.
I arrange my first brews with the Suiren aspect by means of aspect with #2 V60 ceramic brewer. Identical espresso, identical dose, identical grind. Identical clear out paper. Identical prewet process. Each at the scale, each geting a bloom pour of 2x the espresso quantity (21g brewed, 42g bloom pour). Pause 30 seconds. Then pour water at round 2-3g a 2d to 150g general water weight. Pause 30 seconds. End to 300g water weight.
Each pours have been finished at round 3:10 mark. The usual V60 completed brewing by means of 4:10. The Suiren? 4:15. Bizarre, proper?
Temperature is the purpose. The outdoor idea of the Suiren does one thing a closed porcelain or plastic V60 does much less of: it lets in warmth to flee the brewing slurry sooner. Issues settle down sooner within the slurry. The completed brew temperature within the cup is decrease, with the Suiren. That’s what can decelerate the brew and extraction: the warmer the water is, the extra environment friendly it’s going to commute via floor espresso.
You’ll see this visually with the Suiren: moisture collects at the ribs, appearing the dissipation of warmth from the clear out paper and brewing slurry.
Measuring each brews after with a DiFluid R2 refractometer, they have been virtually equivalent, at round 1.32-1.34%
Without reference to all this, the Suiren was once generating cups that gave the impression a bit of extra “mellow” than the usual V60; a bit of softer, however on no account bitter or missing in frame or intensity. If I needed to get a hold of one phrase, it could be “much less sharp” (I assume that’s two phrases). And for my palate, that’s a excellent factor.
Principally, if you’re keen on tremendous shiny coffees, you could now not like this brewer. Additionally, I used to be in a position to visualise the bypass going down out of the edges of the paper clear out (regardless that it proved inconceivable to {photograph}); you indisputably need to use a 14:1 ratio with this brewer to get a correctly extracted cup. In case your pursuit is getting 300ml of brew from 15g of floor espresso, this brewer ain’t gonna do it. Cross no-bypass.
Positive is Lovely
Glance: I recognize stunning design engineering in espresso (to the purpose the place I’m lovely vital of “engineer-designed UI”) and wow, did Hario ever hit a house run right here. For $23 or much less, this can be a strikingly stunning brewer. And you’ll be able to totally customise it!
My spouse in lifestyles is lovely blasé about all issues espresso and coffee, given our space is filled with the stuff. However she loves the glance of the Hario Suiren such a lot, she in reality posted a photograph to her personal Instagram account, which is pronouncing one thing: I believe the closing time she posted one thing espresso comparable was once part a decade in the past!
Truthfully, for $23 or much less, this can be a no brainer. Who is aware of how a lot it’s going to be as soon as the middlemen and importers get started stocking it over right here in Canada and the United States. I’d almost definitely pay up to $35 or extra for this, given its distinctive glance and talent to ship a extra mellow, much less sharp cup of espresso.
However for now, you’ll be able to purchase this by means of Amazon in the USA, with it being shipped direct from Japan. There’s just one color selection to be had at the present time (black), however you’ll be able to additionally order units of the ribs to customise your personal.
And if you happen to made it this some distance, right here’s a gallery of a few different footage I took of this beautiful brewer.