A vacuum coffee maker makes an excellent, rich, smooth cup of coffee. The coffee maker makes use of vacuum pressure caused by the heating and cooling of water. It results in coffee brewed at an optimal temperature. Vacuum coffee makers are basically made up of four parts. There are two pots that sit on top of each other. The upper pot is where you put your freshly ground coffee. In the bottom pot you pour the water. The two pots have a siphon tube that runs between them and then some type of seal, like a rubber gasket, to seal the two pots together.

There are two types of vacuum coffee makers, either stove top or table top. With a stove top model you heat the bottom pot on top of the stove, and with a table top maker the pot with the water is heated on a butane burner or an alcohol-based burner that comes with the vacuum coffee maker.

After you place the pot containing the water on your heating source, as the water heats up water vapor is created inside the sealed pot. Once the water is close to a boiling point, you seal the upper pot containing the coffee onto the top of the bottom pot. The water vapor pushes the water up through the siphon tube up to the upper pot where the coffee grounds are. The water and coffee are combined at an optimal temperature for coffee brewing. The longer you let this part of the process occur the stronger your coffee will be.

Once you remove the vacuum coffee maker from the heating source, the pressure from the vacuum is released and the coffee is forced down to the bottom pot, with the grounds staying at the top. You now have a fresh pot of perfectly brewed, delicous coffee to serve.

The vacuum coffee maker fell out of favor in North America after the invention of the electric coffee maker, but it is making a strong comeback. They are very popular in Europe and Japan, and this is where most of the top models are manufactured.

Bodum Santos Vacuum Coffee Maker

The Bodum Santos Stovetop Glass Vacuum 34-Ounce Coffee Maker is manufactured by the Swiss-based company Bodum. It is a very popular coffee maker found in many Scandinavian homes. The Bodum Santos is a stovetop vacuum coffee maker. It brews six 5-ounce cups of coffee and features a large graspable handle and is made of heat resistant glass and nylon. There are many positive reviews by happy customers who love the rich, smooth coffee and easy cleanup.

Yama Vacuum Coffee Makers

Yama vacuum coffee makers are from Japan. They offer both table top and stove top models. The Yama Tabletop 3 Cup Vacpot comes with a alcohol burner that you place the pots on. You can brew the coffee right at the table. The Yama 8 Cup Vac-Pot is a stovetop model. Yama is also a very popular brand of vacuum coffee makers with many satisfied customers.