Invented in the 1830s and refined in Lyon by Madame Vassieux in 1841, the siphon coffee maker, also known as a vacuum coffee maker, is probably the most spectacular brewing method out there. Very popular in Japan and among specialty coffee lovers, it offers a captivating visual experience that sits somewhere between chemistry and culinary art.
Two glass chambers, a flame, water rising, then coffee flowing back down on its own, the siphon turns brewing into a little show. And behind the theatre, the cup delivers too: brewing at a constant temperature gives you a coffee that’s round, textured, and surprisingly clean.
What you need
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What we used for this guide
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Siphon coffee maker ratio tipWhatever the size of your coffee maker, a good rule of thumb is to stick to a 1:15 to 1:16 coffee-to-water ratio, around 60 g of coffee per litre of water. In other words, for 1 g of coffee, add 15 to 16 g of water, which works out to around 18 g of coffee for 300 g of water. From there, feel free to experiment and find the ratio that suits your taste best. |
Brewing
Step 1: Grind the coffee
For 300 g of water, use 18 g of coffee beans, ground medium, coarser than espresso, similar to a filter grind or fine table salt.
Step 2: Fill the lower chamber with hot water
Pour hot water into the lower chamber, the bulb, to speed up heating and avoid overheating the glass.
Step 3: Install the filter and the upper globe
Attach the clean filter to the bottom of the upper globe by hooking the spring onto the base of the glass tube, then place the upper globe at an angle on the lower bowl.
Step 4: Heat the water
Place the heat source under the lower globe. When the water starts to simmer, firmly fit the upper globe into place to create a tight seal, under the pressure of the steam, the water will rise to the top.
Step 5: Add the coffee and stir
Once the water has settled in the upper globe, lower the flame, add the 18 g of ground coffee, start the timer, and gently stir with the spatula to fully saturate all the grounds.
Step 6: Stop the brew and start the drawdown
After 45 seconds of brewing, remove the burner. Give 2 or 3 light stirs with the spatula. As the lower bowl cools, it creates a vacuum that pulls the coffee down through the filter. The drawdown takes about a minute.
Step 7: Pour and serve
Once the extraction is complete and the coffee grounds form an even dome at the top, carefully remove the upper chamber and serve the coffee right away.
Step 8: Cleaning
Once the coffee maker has cooled, rinse the cloth filter with clean water, without detergent, and store it submerged in a glass of water in the fridge to keep it fresh. Clean the glass globes with hot water.
What few people know about the siphon coffee maker
- A story of women: while the original patent from the 1830s is German, by Loeff in Berlin, it was two French women who made the siphon what it is. Jeanne Richard filed the first French patent in 1838, then Madame Vassieux from Lyon refined and popularised the double glass globe design in 1841.
- The dome, a sign of success: the formation of a perfectly rounded, even dome of coffee grounds at the bottom of the upper globe after the drawdown is the visual sign of an even, successful extraction.
- A filter that should never dry out: after its first use, the cloth filter should never be left to air dry. If the fabric dries out, oxidised coffee oils turn rancid and affect the taste of your future brews.
