Kinto Faro unpacking & first tasting

After reading about the Kinto Faro coffee filter system on a Dutch forum, I ordered one from Wellens in The Netherlands. The one with the coffee pot was sold out but they had a few with the cup left in stock and that was even better for me.

Well wrapped with personal note

The box arrived very well wrapped and protected, with even a personal hand written 'thank you' note from Goedele Wellens, owner of the store, with a few basic tips.

Inside, the box of the Faro

Drinking cup, with on the left the top cup with the tiny hole and to the right the fine metal filter

Went to Trakteren to get excellent filter beans

Pre-heated the Kinto Faro using the hot water tap of the LONDINIUM, watched the water whirl downward from the top cup through the little drip hole into the drinking cup.

LONDINIUM I hot water tap pre heating the Faro

Hot water vortex down the tiny hole into the drinking cup

For the first test I tried 18.5g of "Unwashed Costa Rica" beans from Trakteren here in Amsterdam, roasted for filter brew. Using the HG One grinder, I turned the top burr a full 360º turn counter clockwise to get from the espresso into the coarser filter grind setting.

Faro kept warm while I grind aaway (grinder not in picture)

Wetted the grinds in the metal filter container, waited 30 seconds and then poured in 110g of water that I heated to 90ºC in the Russell Hobbs water heater that's specially made for these temperature sensitive processes.

Coarse coffee grinds in filter, water heated in the Hobbs

Wet grinds

After 4.5 minutes I pulled the top cup and tasted the coffee that was shining in the drinking cup.

Hot water dripping from the coffee grinds into the cup

Bright, sweet and soft with a noticeable caffeine 'kick' to it. Very very nice and quite amazing for a first try-out shot .

Coffee ready!

Sample ready for centrifuge

Forgot to weigh the beverage weight but centrifuged a sample anyway to measure on the VST Refractometer: 1.97% TDS. A metal filter usually allows some fine solids to pass and be part of the brew, which can help to provide 'body' to the overall taste. After the centrifuge separation, the sediment was tightly packed in the bottom tip of the test tube and a faint cloud, maybe some remaining ultra fines, hung in the crystal clear coffee fluid. A nice sight, like marble.
  

Sediment in tip, some cloudiness above

Measurement done...

After this, I weighed 20g of beans, turned the upper burr a quarter turn clockwise, so ground a little finer. Weighed the beverage: 98,5g at 2.34% TDS, so about 19.7% extraction.