How to Make CafeSolo Brewed Coffee

What you need

• Steeping brewer with glass carafe, insulating neoprene jacket, and screen-mesh pour lid
• Coffee grinder
• Scale
• Kettle
• Measuring vessel or scale for water
• Separate decanting vessel (optional)

Method

1. Add a small amount of hot water to the carafe to preheat it while you weigh and grind your coffee

   Preheating keeps the brewing temperature consistent throughout the entire extraction, not just the first pour

   Expert tipConsistent temperature during steeping is one of the most important variables in full-immersion brewing

2. Weigh your coffee at 2 g per 1 oz of water, then grind to a coarse setting — French press grind or slightly coarser

3. Discard the preheat water from the carafe

4. Pre-measure your water so you can pour the full amount in at once, then pour it over the grounds

   The coffee will rise and expand — this is the bloom, caused by CO2 escaping from the grounds

   Expert tipPre-measuring your water before you begin lets you pour it all in one continuous motion, ensuring even saturation from the start

5. ~30 seconds

   Allow the bloom to settle for about 30 seconds

   CO2 trapped in the beans during roasting is pushed out by the hot water; letting it vent first allows better water penetration into the grounds

6. Zip the neoprene jacket closed, give the brewer a gentle swirl to re-incorporate any floating grounds into the water, then place the screen-mesh lid on top to retain heat

7. ~3 minutes remaining (4 minutes total from initial pour)

   Let the coffee steep undisturbed for the remaining time, reaching a total of 4 minutes from when the water was poured

   The lid is designed to open slightly as you tilt the brewer to pour, allowing coffee to flow out from beneath it

8. Pour into cups immediately; if the full volume cannot be served right away, decant it into a separate vessel

   The grounds remain in the carafe and continue to extract slowly — quality declines noticeably after about 8 to 10 minutes

Why this works

Full immersion steeping surrounds all the grounds equally so no portion is under- or over-extracted. The bloom step vents CO2 from freshly roasted coffee, allowing water to contact the grounds more completely and improving consistency. The neoprene jacket insulates the glass carafe so brewing temperature stays stable across the entire four-minute steep. A coarse grind limits extraction rate during the extended contact time, keeping the cup clean and balanced.

Where beginners go wrong

1. 1

   Coffee tastes bitter or harsh

   Grind coarser — the target is at or slightly beyond a French press grind. Also decant promptly; leaving the brew on the grounds beyond 8 to 10 minutes continues extraction and degrades the cup

2. 2

   Coffee loses heat too quickly

   Preheat the carafe thoroughly before adding grounds, and ensure the neoprene jacket is fully zipped during the entire steep

3. 3

   Grounds appear in the cup

   Confirm the screen-mesh lid is seated correctly before pouring; a coarser grind also reduces fine particles that can pass through the filter

4. 4

   Little or no bloom appears

   Bloom is most visible with recently roasted coffee; beans that are old or have been stored for a long time have already off-gassed and will show minimal rise

What you should taste

A full-bodied, even cup with the depth of a full-immersion brew; the insulating jacket keeps it at serving temperature from steep through the last pour

FAQ