An all-glass brewing device merges the pourover and immersion methods.
BY KATRINA YENTCH
BARISTA MAGAZINE ONLINE
Photos by Katrina Yentch
If there’s one brewing aesthetic or vessel that the coffee world loves more than handmade ceramics, it is glass. I was excited to see the Pure Over pop up on my radar recently, advertised as the ultimate “all-glass coffee making experience.” The Kickstarter-backed brewer has already well exceeded its initial fundraising goal of $10,000 by $200,000+ as of this writing—and the campaign doesn’t end until September 30. Although the Pure Over appears to cater to the brewing nerds of the tech world in its marketing approach, we thought the home-brewing nerds of the barista community would love an inside look at this aesthetically driven device.
The Pure Over is a manual brewer that combines both the pourover and immersion methods for a sleek coffee experience. The product was designed by professional glass blower Etai Rahmil out of his decked-out garage in Portland, Ore., and it consists of a simple four-piece set that includes a carafe with a built-in filter, a water diffuser, a ceramic base, and a stir stick to boost extraction. Its main selling points are simplicity, waste reduction, and “chewy” bold flavor characteristics thanks to its paper-and metal-free properties. To make a coffee, bloom your grounds before pouring the entirety of your water ratio into the carafe, which dispenses directly over the mug of your choice.
In relation to Etai’s glass-blowing background, the start-up has also partnered with The Crucible, a nonprofit that provides accessible industrial art workshops to the Oakland, Calif., community.
One thing is for sure—the Pure Over gets tons of points for style. It’s clearly (pun intended) designed by a professional glass blower, and we could see why—this sexy, polished product could easily be placed in a head shop and customers probably wouldn’t notice the difference. The setup is truly minimal, and the water diffuser makes it user-friendly to home brewers and beginning baristas. The most you would need outside of the brewer is a scale to weigh out the right amount of water. The Pure Over is also made out of borosilicate glass, which makes it sturdier and conducts noticeably less heat than other carafes. Finally, its base—which has grooves to catch drips from used grounds—eliminates the pesky chore of wiping the counter every time you make coffee. It’s something you won’t realize you need until you have it.
There were a few tweaks that went into dialing in the Pure Over to make sure it tasted like a solid brew. These tweaks pertain to its design elements and attached instructions.
In design, the holes of the built-in filter are made for a grind that is slightly finer than a French Press, but if you make it too coarse, the coffee grounds sitting at the bottom will probably not let as much water escape. However, if you make it too fine, there will be a gram or two of coffee that will end up in your mug. This filter is also located at a groove in the carafe, which may also block a consistent water flow since it creates a chokehold in the coffee grounds. I would try to find a clear mug or carafe to place the Pure Over on top of. This way, you can monitor the flow rate more efficiently, which will help you decide when to stir the grounds—it’s basically when the water is running too slowly through them.
In regards to suggested brewing specs, it helped to make sure my water was at a boiling 212 degrees Fahrenheit, not the 200 degrees that the instructions suggest. Since the brewing time could be much quicker with a glass filter, it was important to keep the extraction rate higher with hotter water. While the brewing method may be a combination of immersion and pourover, its taste is definitely more reflective of a French press for its paper-free filter. The coffee I made definitely had a heavier body.
It’s also similar to the French Press in the cleanup—you simply can’t throw coffee grounds down your sink, which is how the Pure Over advertises a minimal cleanup. I was pretty nervous while rinsing each and every gorgeous glass element of the device, but it did prove to be dishwasher-safe.
Overall, the Pure Over is a great option for someone who loves design and simplicity, both in brewing and in their style. A person on the go could easily spend a couple minutes preparing the coffee while getting ready in the morning—or just as easily 10 minutes to gawk at the beauty of coffee dripping through a glass carafe over their favorite stylized mug. Whichever kind of person you are, you’ll enjoy personalizing your cup of coffee with the Pure Over since it leaves room to play around a lot with your dial-in.
To pre-purchase a Pure Over set, you can get more info, purchase one for its release date of February 2021, or donate to their Kickstarter.
