Maurizio Marcocci of Service Sphere introduces the Bravilor Junior, a new way to enjoy filter coffee at home with the same high standards you’d expect from a café.
If there’s anything we’ve learnt over the past five months in lockdowns and COVID-19 restrictions, it’s that we can’t live without our office coffee. I know many of our customers in rural and suburban areas have thrived to an extent, with takeaway sales high and retail coffee beans flying out the door to accommodate coffee lovers suddenly all at home.
Australians are strong espresso-based coffee drinkers, with many people splurging on high-end domestic machines to ensure their tastebuds don’t suffer from the lockdown, but there’s another type of coffee that’s seen a resurgence, and that’s filter.
I’ve seen family and friends dust off their stove tops from their cupboards, or bring out the French press or plunger, and truth be known, they do the job.
For some, a delicious black filter coffee has been a familiar friend they’ve reacquainted with, and for others, now is the perfect opportunity to indulge in a coffee preparation method that might just become addictive.
In the specialty world, v60 pour over and Chemex filter coffees are beautifully prepared by baristas who take pride in having the correct dose, water weight, and temperature to make their brew. But I’m excited about a new addition to the Service Sphere range that gives domestic users the same quality filter experience they’d find from a café, only without the fuss.
Introducing Junior, a Bravilor device that brews a cup of filter coffee as close to perfection as humanly possible. The Junior filter machine has been designed especially for domestic use, and in my opinion, the timing couldn’t be better.
This machine combines the high-quality standards of Bravilor Bonamat’s professional equipment with top-class kitchen design.
Junior has even been awarded the ECBC seal of approval, certifying that it meets the strict quality guidelines for coffee machines by the European Coffee Brewing Center, and is also Specialty Coffee Association certified.
The Bravilor Junior is already renowned in Europe for its in-cup quality thanks to the craftsmanship of its Dutch manufacturers under strict quality control, and now I’m excited to introduce it to the Australian market. Like switching schools and becoming ‘the new kid’, we need to make Junior feel welcome. Do that by taking him in and putting him to work on your kitchen bench at home, or perhaps you’d like to introduce filter coffee at your café, or at your roastery. Either way, I’m sure Junior will quickly feel at home.
Great quality brewed coffee isn’t only about the roast, ground coffee, and water. Good brewing equipment ensures that the water extracts the coffee optimally, and I’m proud to say Junior has my tick of approval.
From the tank, fresh water runs down into the stainless-steel boiler where it boils in no time thanks to 10-amp power. The spray head then carefully pours the water just like a barista does at exactly the right temperature. It has a 16-hole stainless steel nozzle so hot water contacts the ground coffee at many points simultaneously.
By automatic regulation of the heating element to suit the amount of coffee within the decanter, the hot plate keeps the coffee at the perfect temperature of 80°C to 85°C, and automatically switches off after 40 minutes of inactivity.
It takes just six minutes to brew a total of 1.3 litres, or roughly 10 cups in six minutes at a temperature between 92°C and 96°C.
The advanced flow control setting ensures the right extraction time to get the best flavours from your grinds. This makes it easier to brew a full or half-full decanter of coffee. A brew basket with an automatic ‘drip stop’ functionality can also stop the brewing process temporarily.
The detachable water tank makes filling easy and comes with indicators such as volume and number of cups on both sides.
Constructed in a solid metal housing, the Junior features a brandy glass shaped ergonomic jug with a hinged lid and ergonomic soft grip handle. The design is cleverly engineered to ensure drip-free pouring. It also keeps the flavours and aromas at their peak.
A bonus, is that the filter housing is made of matt-coated brushed metal, ensuring that fingerprints are a thing of the past – all the small things count.
Weighing in at just 2.5 kilograms, and a reasonable price tag of just over $500, I highly consider splurging and spending some dollars on a product that’s guaranteed to lift your filter appreciation this winter, and have you thinking twice about the ease of having filter coffee available for your café customers, or to enjoy at home.
For more information on the Bavilor Junior, visit www.servicesphere.com.au
This article appears in the August 2020 edition of BeanScene. Subscribe HERE.
