Forget reading the paper at breakfast—watching the Bodum Electric 12-Cup Coffeemaker brew up your morning java is much more entertaining. During the unique 11-min. vacuum brewing process, water is heated in the jug, and the resulting steam forces water up through the riser tube and into the funnel. The water mixes with the grounds, and is gently heated to develop the coffee’s full aroma and flavor. Features a 24-hr. programmable timer, keep-warm function, auto shutoff, slide-out funnel holder and a built-in nylon filter for fresher-tasting coffee. Constructed of durable polycarbonate and stainless steel, the machine is simple to assemble and quick to clean. 1200 watts. Imported. 12Hx8Wx10L”.Many products are touted for their uniqueness, or how they’re revolutionizing this or that, but few live up the hype. Bodum’s Santos coffeemaker is different, as it really is unlike other coffeemakers on the market. First off, it uses an electric vacuum brewing process, and secondly it lets you watch the whole thing. Fill the jug with cold filtered water, and place it on the power base. Then twist the funnel onto the jug. Next, add fresh coffee (a handy scoop is included) to the funnel and press the start button. As the water heats up to boiling, the vacuum created between the two parts moves water up the funnel, where the hot water and coffee mix together. Once the correct brewing time has elapsed, the heat turns off and the coffee drains back into the carafe through a nylon filter (nylon doesn’t affect the taste of the coffee like paper filters).

In this system, coffee and hot water mingle for the optimum time, providing the best-tasting coffee possible. The process takes around 11 minutes for up to 12 cups of coffee (the minimum amount of coffee you can brew is four cups). The jug and the funnel are both made of sturdy polycarbonate, and the funnel is dishwasher-safe. (Clean the jug by hand, as it’s not submersible.) Other features include a 40-ounce capacity, a 24-hour timer, a slide-out funnel holder, a keep-warm feature, and an automatic shutoff feature. Neither the bottom of the jug nor the top of the power base gets hot during brewing, because the heating element is in the middle of the jug’s base.

There are a couple of things to remember when using the electric Santos. Always use fresh coffee, ground medium, for best results (stay away from using coffee from a can or powdered coffee), and use one level scoop of ground coffee per cup. So, for a full 12-cup pot, you’ll use 12 scoops. After testing, if the coffee is too strong, begin tapering off the number of scoops. Also, remember that there will always be a small amount of water left in the coffee pot during the brewing process. This is a normal safety feature.

When cleaning the Santos, don’t scrub the nylon filter clean–it should be rinsed under warm water. The coffee grounds from the upper section can be scooped out into the garbage can or compost using a common kitchen spatula. Then, simply wash the top section with dish soap and warm water. Also rinse the coffee pot with warm water as soon as you are finished drinking coffee. After rinsing, leave the lid open and let the coffee pot air dry. Every so often, clean the pot with a basic de-liming agent.

The Santos also recently won a prestigious gold Industrial Design Excellence Award (IDEA) in the consumer products division. Award-winners are selected by the Industrial Designers Society of America. There were 1,260 entries from around the world in the contest, and only 44 gold awards were given. –A.J. Rathbun

Product Features

• Unique electric-vacuum brewing process; coffee and hot water mingle for optimum time
• Built-in nylon filter provides better tasting coffee; slide-out funnel holder
• 40-ounce capacity; 24-hour timer; keep-warm feature; automatic shut-off
• Takes 11 minutes for up to 12 cups of coffee
• Measures 12-3/4 by 8-1/2 by 8-1/2 inches