Corey Vacuum Coffeemaker

[lordkenmore]

I wonder why vacuum coffeepots left the mainstream

I've wondered that, too.

An article about vacuum coffee makers has some ideas. Article is at the link below. Scroll down to: "Vacuum Brewer Era, Its Ending, and My Theories on Why"

http://www.coffeekid.com/coffee/vacpots/vacpotheyday

 

[launderess]

Cleaning my stove top Silx vac pot is no more effort than washing anything else. Neither was doing the same for the Sunbeam C50.

Coffee Kid (great website by the way, know him from old via alt.coffee newsgroups), pretty much nails it down when he states automatic drip coffee pots and to an extent percolators did in vac pots. Housewives and others liked the ease and grace of "setting and forgetting" when it came to making coffee. I mean who wants all the bother of a vac pot early in the morning? Especially when one has to get breakfast for hubby and several children, not to mention get them out the door for work/school.

Early adoption by the wealthy or trend setters for automatic coffee machines probably also helped them take hold. Imagine the first housewive on the cul-de-sac to serve coffee the girls at the weekly card game from "Mr. Coffee".

 

[tomturbomatic]

Actually, it was automatic percolators that displaced vacuum brewers. They were far cheaper to make. And instant coffee was making its appearance, too. Most people could not afford the automatic electric vacuum brewers and most of the stove top models were easily breakable glass; the stainless steel stove top models were quite expensive and they required watching, just like the glass models. The Sunbeam's bowls were made of copper before being nickel-chrome plated. As the price of copper rose and fewer people were interested in vacuum brewers, Sunbeam, the last of the three makers of the electric brewers quit production in the late-mid 60s. Incidentally, the plating inside the C-50 was far thinner than on previous models and often came off in a short time while the plating on older models is still intact if they were properly cared for.

 

[whirlcool]

I find that using the Cory vac pot is no more difficult than our Cuisinart drip machine is. You just put the water in, then the glass rod & coffee and then plug it in. That's all there is to it. No meesing with fabric filters, filter holders, etc.
Wat I do find kind of strange is that the top half into the lower half is not nearly as tight a fit as the Sunbeams have. But it still works, and fast too!

On the bottom is the model number, our machine is a Cory Model EAU. I hope it lasts as long as the Sunbeams did.

 

[tomturbomatic]

The narrower opening into the lower bowl of the Cory did not require the spring to hold the gasket in shape and require the twisting of the upper bowl into position although a gentle twist to position the upper bowl will avoid the geyser up through the bowl you can get if you just push it down. It is always best to wet the rubber before putting the bowls together.

Part of the reason that the Cory does not need such a tight fitting gasket can be explained by the lack of a hole in the tube that runs down from the upper bowl. In the Sunbeam, this hole allows the expanding air over the heating water to escape before the water comes just to a boil meaning the water rises all at once under pressure. That is why it rumbles and roars as it goes up. If the gasket were not held in place by the spring and flange, the pressure could force the lower bowl out of position. In the Cory, the water rises gradually as it is pushed up by the expansion of heating water and air in the lower bowl and only comes to a boil near the end of the process. Not only is there less pressure, but the weight of the upper bowl increases gradually as the water rises into it, making it less likely to be forced out of position. I learned about this with a glass Cory of the "rubberless" design that uses ground glass surfaces at the mouth of the lower bowl and the area around the tube on the upper bowl to make the seal. Steam condenses on the ground glass to make an airtight seal for the vacuum return. You can't put the upper bowl on the lower bowl while the water is boiling. The steam pressure will lift the upper bowl and spray boiling water out before it will force it through the tube and up into the upper bowl. Steam power rules.

 

[launderess]

Knew There Was Another Reason Why I Didn't Like Cory Pot

Automatic that is:

As the water in lower chamber beings to heat it rises and expands up the tube. This occurs long before the proper temperature is reached for extracting good "hot" coffee and can lead to over brewed coffee. This is because of the coffee becoming "wet" before it's time.

As mentioned the Sunbeam C50 (and one assumes others) avoided this by adding that little hole in the upper chamber stem. This allows the "cooler" water to drain off before the final Woosh up. Sunbeam's also claimed that this system eliminated the need to stir coffee once it reached the upper chamber, a process common to all vac pot brewing, stove and or automatic.

When making coffee with my glass Silex stove top units, I don't slip the upper chamber onto the lower pot until the is a hair away from boiling. This allows water of the proper temperature at once zoom up and start the brewing process.