One of my fondest memories is when my good friend discovered the Chemex pour over. I remember going to his house and watching him go through the whole routine — weighing beans, boiling water to the exact right temperature, and pouring it in concentric circles over the grounds. It seemed a little obnoxious, but moments later, I ate (or drank) my words. It was by far the most delicious cup of coffee I’d ever had in my life, and remains up there to this day. I’ve tried recreating the cup on my own, but ultimately, it’s a lot of work and a big fuss to make a cup of coffee that is rarely, if ever, as good. Or so, I thought.
I’ll start by saying that the Ratio Eight is not an espresso maker. Think of it as a machine optimized to make a perfect Chemex pour over every single time. All you have to do is fill the back up to the demarcated line with water, measure out 40g of coarse ground coffee (if you don’t have a scale, get with the program), put the carafe in and press a button. The machine takes care of the rest. The Ratio Eight will heat your water to the exact right temperature, then the stainless steel shower head will evenly distribute water over the grounds. The Ratio takes care of “blooming” your coffee, meaning it extracts CO2 to minimize bitterness, and there is even a carafe you can buy to make sure coffee stays warm. All in all, the Ratio Eight is like a Mr. Coffee—sturdy, steadfast, your go to. The only difference (and it’s a big one) is that the Ratio Eight makes an exceptional cup of coffee.
But for me, investing in a coffee machine is partially about looks. I don’t necessarily love the spaceships that espresso makers have become. But the Ratio, for all of its high-tech innovation, remains a beautifully elegant machine. Not only does it make an amazing cup of coffee every single time, it’s also a joy to look at.
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