Once upon a time (actually, it was a little over three years ago), I got the most wonderful present from takaza: a Bodum Santos electric vacuum press coffee maker. I was pleased as punch with it, and it was a truly wonderful gift. Many of you have seen it in action at various parties since then, and it has served us well. Alas, the years have not been kind to it. First, there was a failure in the electronics, which Bodum repaired under warranty (eventually).
Over the years, though, the electronics have gotten worse even after being replaced, and on top of that since the unit is difficult to clean it has developed a coffee-colored coating that just won’t come off, and has started to affect the taste of my morning coffee. (I will note that these problems are well-documented by other Bodum Santos Electric owners). I looked into replacing the unit, but it appears Bodum doesn’t even offer it anymore; in fact, no one offers an electric vacuum press coffee maker on the consumer market right now, as near as I can tell.
So what to do? Well, I’m going to give the unit a thorough scrubbing from top to bottom and then I’m going to retire it, using it only for when we have company or at parties (because sometimes you need 12+ cups of coffee, stat!). In its place, I’ll be going back to the method which served me so well for years: my trusty French press coffee maker.
Next up: replacing the Mr. Coffee burr grinder which is unfortunately starting to show wear and tear as well (it tends to stop grinding at random intervals, leaving me with no clue how much more coffee I might need to grind). I’ve got my eye on a lovely Capresso burr grinder that will probably be heading my way sooner than later…
We could take a trip to American Science and Surplus and find enough parts to make a new one.
I like the Krups burr grinder Michael gave me a couple birthdays back.
Sorry to post twice, I was googling and found a couple sites that seems to still have your model in stock, or at least looks like yours.
http://www.klinq.com/details.asp?mtcpromotion=sellcast_googlebase_Coffee-Espresso-Tea_Coffee-Makers&prodID=111353&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=111353
http://store.pittsburghcuppa.com/saelvacoma50.html
http://www.eastviewtraders.com/bodum-300010usa-clear-santos-electric-vacuum-coffee-m.html
http://www.shop.com/Santos_3001_10_Electric_Vacuum_Coffee_Maker_By_Bodum-49193335-63918882-p!.shtml?sourceid=298
After my experiences with this unit and the general reviews for it, I don’t think I’m going to pursue buying another one. I think that Bodum put something on the market that wasn’t particularly ready for prime time, which is probably why they’ve stopped production. Maybe they’ll come out with a suitable replacement eventually, but in the meantime the French press will more that fit the bill.
And while the idea of building one is amusing, I’m afraid when it come to coffee, I want something that Just Plain Works, no fiddling required. I’m thinking a homebrewed (heh) system wouldn’t quite work that way 🙂
on the subject of coffee grinder:
I did a lot of research into these for this past christmas. I think you may find the Breville BCG450XL Ikon Conical Burr Grinder interesting as well. I purchased one for my sister as a gift, and still hear about how much they love it. coffeegeek.com has ratings of various grinders, and the Breville had the highest rating there of any of the sub $400 grinders. I had my paws on the unit, and it was quite nice, and very quiet for the task it was preforming. Worth checking out 🙂
Oooh, good reviews for a grinder at that price. Alas, Amazon is out of stock, but I’ve found a place that has a comparable price with free shipping. I may have found my next grinder 🙂 Thanks!