I was Station INstructing in the Brewing and extraction class at SCA Seattle last April, I ended up with the French Press crew, wihch was fine (MY preferred multi-cup method) but another chap from somewhere offshore (perhaps somewhere Down UNder?) asked specifically for the siphon table, and was gladly given it. The Hario base was the ony heat option, whti which he was NOT familiar, so he had to run a number of test batches to get the upper hand on THAT device. Once in hand, though,he breweed batch after batch to perfection, a true master on the device. The standard coffee we had to use that day was unremarkable, and I suspect not well suited to that brew method. It was a washed Peruvian, if memory serves. A “base hit” coffee, nowhere near a “triple” let alone a hime run). It was OK in the frog pot, but nothing remarkable. I WAS impressed with the cleanness of the cup as he brewed it. It was a slo a rather full and rich flavour. That got me interested in investigating the method someday. It DOES take mastering the equipment for consistency. He normally used a gas flame, can’t recall which type or if custom, but he understood the process well, and cast about with th Hario base until he could get what he wanted out of it. I had asked the lead if it were posible whether I could work as his right hand so I could learn the method, but lead instructore said there was no one else who could ably take the French press lot. So I did, and we had a greeat time. I did get opportunity to watch him carefully for a few brews, though. My innate Rube GOldberg fascination probably drives much of this interest. It IS time comsuming, though.
Later on the trade show floor I saw a fully automated vaccum brew system put out by Bodun. I watched that in action a few times, asked whether ANY of the paramaters could be adjusted and was told essentially "our enginers know what is best they built that in, and there is no changing it. Hmph…
Any experienced folk out there recommdnd a particular branddj;;cxcc