Background: If you've ever used a table top siphon brewer, then you likely understand the shortcomings of using a spirit (alcohol) burner as your heat source. Spirit burners are either on or off-meaning that you have little control of the brew temperature. While most Japanese-style siphon brewers accept an adjustable butane burner, the Cona vacuum coffee maker does not; even the most compact butane burners are too tall to fit under the Cona carafe. However, the diameter of most micro butane burners is narrower than the hole in the base of the Cona brewer that normally cradles the OEM spirit burner. So if you cut a hole in a cutting board, then you can recess a butane burner under the brewer. This provides the clearance necessary to use an adjustable heat source with the Cona vacuum coffee maker, which eliminates the performance drawbacks that are inherent with this brewer otherwise.

The Problem: A cutting board with hole cut in it is a pretty kludgey system. So I thought, "What if the hole for the butane burner didn't go all the way through the cutting board? And what if I could use the board as means of transporting the siphon brewer between its display/storage shelf and the table?"

The Solution: We have a neighbor named Aldo who is both a woodworker and an artist. Aldo has done some trim carpentry for us in the past. We have a collection of Aldo's wooden bowls, coasters and trays. He's even let me help him build some built-in furniture for our office/guest suite. So I invited Aldo over to the house and we designed a "siphon brew board" while sharing a pot of siphon-brewed coffee.

Here's the result (16" x 8" x 1.5"), built out of a slab of local Texas walnut:







A complete photo set is here:

http://bit.ly/179SVgo

Since this project turned out so well, I'm going to design a second and smaller siphon brew board for a 3-cup Kono brewer. This one will have an additional detail to hold the funnel whenever it is off of the carafe.

That is really impressive! You and Aldo should start selling these on the marketplace or Etsy.

I am strictly a Yama stovetop vacpot boy, but that is ONE slick Cona.

That's a beautiful presentation! For really blinging it up or having company over, I imagine it would be mouth watering for someone to watch the preparation and presentation this offers. Something like this, done table side at a fine restaurant would do wonders to expand the publics general perception of specialty coffee.

+1, enthusiastically.
Not only functional, but beautiful. Wood is such a warm way to go with this brew method. Just hopefully it can hold up, to the heat!

Gorgeous!

My stovetop Yama is purely utilitarian.

That looks pretty romantic.... for folks who drink coffee at night.

IMAWriter wrote: hopefully it can hold up, to the heat!

These brewers and burners are intended for table top operation. Just for fun, I broke out a digital infrared thermometer and took some surface temperature readings before, during and after brewing. Since I pre-heat the brewer and the brew water, the total run time for the burner was 5 minutes (to accommodate a 90 second brew time). Here are the results:

Cona base: start temp = 80°; end temp = 87°
Butane burner: start temp = 79°; end temp = 86°
Wood slab at base: start temp = 82°; end temp = 92°
Wood slab 1" out: start temp = 82°; end temp = 84°

Keep in mind that these are just surface temperature readings and do not indicate that a meaningful amount of conductive heat transfer has taken place within the wood itself. The thermometer is basically reading radiated heat from the cafe that is striking and reradiating off of adjacent surfaces.

My sense is that the heat stress on the wood board is equivalent to sunlight coming in through a window and striking the surface of a table top or cutting board-but with a much shorter duration and a lower frequency. Most people with a table top siphon brewer don't use it on a daily basis.

You and Aldo should start selling these on the marketplace or Etsy.

Etsy is a great idea. I've purchased handmade wooden kitchen and household tools on Etsy.

While I traded Aldo a vintage wooden (European walnut and beechwood) coffee mill for the Cona brew board, I'm going to pay him for the Kono brew board. His preliminary price estimates were quite reasonable. These are super simple items compared to the projects he's typically working on. (For example, he built the furniture, bar and wall shelves for a local restaurant.) He might even show me how he builds the board and let me do some of the work.

What commerce should ba all about.
Have an idea, discover it has meaning, and, regardless of market size go for it.
You never know where stuff like this may lead. I can see cafes using the board in their presentations, so not just for home use.
Below is an image posted from The Barista Parlor's presentation I had, photo posted by another member on my CG thread.


The same coffee, presented 3 ways. Awesome. Sorry for the slight OT, just wanted to show the commercial possibilities of your idea. Even though the brewing might not be an issue in a cafe, it would certainly enhance the overall presentation, IMO

Eastsideloco wrote: Since this project turned out so well, I'm going to design a second and smaller siphon brew board for a 3-cup Kono brewer. This one will have an additional detail to hold the funnel whenever it is off of the carafe.

I recently acquired a new kono 2 cup - the butane burner doesn't fit between the feet, so I sit the base of the syphon on some creme brulee ramekins. Something like one of your boards would be absolutely awesome!