Bodum Santos Stovetop Glass Vacuum 34-Ounce Coffee Maker

by Bodum

• Theatrical, entertaining method of brewing six 5-ounce cups of coffee
• Made of heat-resistant glass and durable, gleaming nylon
• Carafe with stay-cool handle and a stopper keeps coffee warm
• Dishwasher-safe; includes coffee scoop and resting stand
• Measures 9-1/4 by 6 by 11-1/2 inches

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 12.5 x 10.3 x 7.8 inches ; 1.6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00005NCX5
• Item model number: 1208-01
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (200 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #30,738 in Kitchen & Dining (See Top 100 in Kitchen & Dining)
  • #82 in Home & Kitchen > Kitchen & Dining > Coffee, Tea & Espresso > Single-Serve Brewers

Product Description

Amazon.com

As beautiful as sculpture, as fascinating as chemistry, and as entertaining as theater, this coffeemaker from Switzerland converts the ordinary process of brewing coffee into an artful performance. And it makes six 5-ounce cups of full-flavored coffee while it entrances. The coffeemaker fits together like this: water goes into the carafe, a filter fits into the mouth of a tube in the top globe, ground coffee goes into the globe (a scoop is included), the globe fits atop the carafe with the tube extending into the carafe, and the carafe goes onto the stovetop with a trivet or heat diffuser between it and electric or gas heat. (This is all much simpler and quicker than it sounds.)

Water boils up through the tube into the globe and brews the coffee. When brewing is complete and the carafe has been taken off the stovetop and set into its accompanying sculpted trivet, the coffee drains through the filter into the carafe. The globe can then be lifted off the carafe and set on its stand, and coffee can be poured from the carafe, which has a stay-cool handle. A stopper for the carafe keeps second cups warm while the first cups are sipped. Fully assembled, the coffee maker stands 11-1/2 inches high. It's made of heat-resistant glass and durable, gleaming nylon, and all parts are dishwasher-safe. --Fred Brack

Product Description

There is a good reason you can find a SANTOS coffeemaker in nearly every Scandinavian home, this vacuum brewing system has been fascinating coffee lovers for over sixty years. In the fifties, Peter Bodum, the father of today's owner, Jorgen Bodum, imported an French vacuum coffee maker and sold it on the Danish Market. Although he found it both unsatisfactory and expensive, he was convinced that the vacuum brewing system was an excellent way to brew an exquisite cup of coffee. Thus, the first Bodum Santos vacuum coffee maker was born. In collaboration with Danish designer Kaas Klaeson, Peter Bodum developed what we know today as the SANTOS, establishing the credo: ‘good design doesn’t have to be expensive’. The magic of the Santos holds both adults and children spellbound as they watch the boiling water rush from the bottom glass jug to the upper one where it gets mixed with freshly ground coffee. After a few minutes off the stovetop, a vacuum forms in the base which pulls rich black coffee through a filter and back into the bottom jug. This captivating process combines the ideal water temperature with just the right brewing time and makes for superb results. Whatever your preferred coffee and roast, the Santos vacuum system brings out the very best aromas in your cup.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

131 of 133 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful coffee is the reward for patience ... November 28, 2004

By JT

The Bodum Santos Vacuum Coffeemaker makes excellent coffee. Smooth, full flavored, hot. This model requires more interaction than a percolator or drip coffeemaker. If you're not willing to participate in the coffee making process, don't purchase this coffeemaker. However, the end result is well worth the few extra minutes required. Some tips that may be useful:

1.) Use coarse grinds to avoid clogging the filter;

2.) When placing the upper chamber on the lower carafe, make sure there is a good seal between the two globes, as this will help in the vacuum process;

3.) Always make sure there is at least a centimeter or two of water remaining in the lower carafe, otherwise the carafe will crack;

4.) Allow the water and grinds to mix together in the upper chamber for a minute or two before removing from heat source (coarse grinds produce a weaker flavor compared to finer grinds, so allow a bit more time for the water to extract the flavor of the beans while in the upper chamber);

5.) Remove the entire coffeemaker from the heat source and carefully place on a cool surface, keeping in mind that the coffeemaker will be top heavy and hot;

6.) If the coffee remains in the upper chamber and doesn't completely drain to the bottom carafe, return the entire coffeemaker to the heat source again for a minute, then remove again to a cool surface;

7.) Purchase a good thermos or insulated carafe to transfer your remaining coffee to (Nissan Thermos is a good brand, check out reviews on Amazon.com).

8.) Coffeegeek.com and Coffeekid.com have additional information on vacuum brewing.

Pros: Coffee is hot, full-flavored, and not bitter. The process is fun. Clean up is easy, if done soon after brewing.... Affordable from Amazon.com when on sale. Reusable filter. Coffee is hot, full-flavored, and not bitter. (It's worth mentioning twice.)

Cons: Capacity is only 8 cups (32 oz.). Filter can sometimes be unreliable. Uses more grinds than average peculator or drip models. Extra caution needed when using, as most of the coffeemaker is made of glass. Instructions are scant.

Five stars for a wonderful product. Read more ›

95 of 97 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Over the learning curve. August 25, 2004

By larrygcmob

Amazon Verified Purchase

I purchased my unit about a year ago from Amazon.com and after about a month of frustration with the filter constantly clogging, I put it out of sight (out of sight = out of mind). When I could get it to work properly, it was great because the coffee tasted the way it smelled - wonderful. But, it was simply not worth the time and effort to get one pot out of 15 to brew properly. I tried burr grinders and the inexpensive type grinders. I tried coarse grind, medium grind, fine grind and everything in between with no success.

About two-months ago I remembered I had the Bodum Coffeemaker and so I decided to revisit the task of trying to make a 'perfect cup of coffee - and it worked perfectly!

I use the Bodum Coffeemaker almost every day now and it works as advertised 100% of the time. I have developed a system that works for me by taking suggestions from several of the reviews from Amazon.com and from some helpful advice from a Barnies' sales representative about how to store and use coffee beans.

The one thing that I was probably doing wrong the first time was that I listened to a friend who thought he knew about how to store coffee beans. If you want to go from coffee beans to coffee dust, freeze the beans or keep them in the refrigerator - I guarantee you that this will work. It does not matter what your grind setting is on your burr grinder because you will get so much dust that the Bodum filter will clog and coffee cannot get sucked back into the lower chamber.

I now keep my coffee beans in an airtight container in the pantry, grind them as needed and then follow these additional procedures to get great tasting coffee - every time.

Make sure the seal is clean and dry and the top is pressed firmly down onto the lower unit.... I use a gas burner at a medium-high setting and do not use a diffuser. I think that the diffuser may be recommended to help keep the handle cooler in case you do not center the pot over the flame. Also, be sure you put the lid on top of the upper unit. And, do use caution, because the handle does get very warm.

I keep the burner on the same heat setting for 30 seconds after all of the water (except what is below the tube) goes into the upper chamber. There is still a little water left below the tube in the bottom chamber that will continue to boil. Turn the burner off after about 30 seconds, remove the upper chamber lid, and you can do one of two things at this point. If you do not want to move the coffeemaker while the top is full, just leave it on the burner and in a couple of minutes, the burner grate will cool enough to create the vacumm in the lower unit. If you want to cut a minute or two off of the procedure, use a oven mitt to hold the handle with one hand while you use the other hand to 'stablize' the top and move the coffeemaker to an adjacent cold burner.

I can actually hear air being sucked into the lower chamber after all of the liquid has been removed from the upper chamber, which takes less than 10-15 seconds once it starts. I then use an oven mitt to hold the handle, remove the top chamber and put it in its neat holder, and pour my eight cups of great tasting coffee into my twenty-five year old Stanley stainless steel thermos. I now have great tasting coffee - all day long.

After the top and bottom units have cooled, I remove the filter and clean both chambers being careful to not bang them against anything hard. The glass is thin, which it has to be, but seems pretty durable.

I give the unit five stars because I am the one who caused most, if not all, of the original problems by improperly storing the coffee beans which resulted in a lot of dust when they were ground. The taste of the coffee made by this unit warrants five stars. Read more ›

70 of 74 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars EXCELLENT coffee when it works correctly October 3, 2003

By GEORGE PORTER

This is really the way to make the best cup of coffee on a machine that costs less than $1000 dollars. I'm not kidding. When this device works correctly, it give you the best tasting, clearest (no sediment) and prettiest cup of coffee you have ever tasted Even Using The CHEAPEST Beans or Grinds!
PROBLEMS:
1. The spring loaded filtering device, although increadibly simple and easy to use and maintain did not work consistantly for me. Sometimes I would get a lot of sediment, sometimes crystal clear rich brown red coffee (perfect). Sometimes the top globe would drain completely (as it should) and sometimes only half way. I tried various grind coursness, filter adjustment, etc and never could get consistancy.
2. The handle needs to be longer and rounder. It is too short for the weight and feels awkward in the hand because of the way the bottom is cut out and shaped in general.
3. Glass broke on the bottom of the 2 pots. I left it on the stove and boiled out all of the water. 2 pots of coffee later a thin long crack developed leaking the coffee out on to my burner. Would like to see a little thicker glass.
4. Instruction book too skimpy especially for a coffee making technique that few have been exposed to.
5. The plastic stand for the upper glass globe should have a wider base to prohibit tipping.
GOOD THINGS:
1. The glass, although thin is pretty durable (in spite of it cracking on me after leaving it on the burner too long). It is really beautiful glass, even rings when you dry it with a microfibre cloth! Has a high clarity and shine.
2. It is easy to clean. Comes apart in seconds, rinse out, dry (works best with a microfibre cloth I found) and your done. I leave it out because I like the looks of it and people always ask what the heck it is!
3.... It is easy and fast to use. Takes a few minutes to dump in the coffee and water (in separate glass globes/pots) and put together and start the coffee making process. It takes a few more minutes to have the coffee sucked into the lower pot and be ready to pour. Probably a 10 minute process total.
4.It's inexpensive! 40 bucks!
5. Makes the one of the best cup of coffee you've ever had even using the cheapest beans or grinds! In fact, I made better coffee at times using cheap grind over using custom roasted fresh expensive beans ground right before I put them in the pot. My suggestion, buy Kroger's brand standard beans (right from the grocery store at about $2.50 a pound), grind them right before you're ready to make your coffee and enjoy.
Summary, Bodum needs to tweak this product a bit. I'm searching on-line for another brand of vacuum pot today to replace my broken $40.00 bodum so I can compare. Read more ›