Portland’s Mark Hellweg founded Clive Coffee, a specialty retailer of high-end espresso equipment, before leaving the firm to his brother to run and launching Ratio, arguably the most beautiful automatic coffee maker we’ve ever seen. Think of it as push-button, perfect pour over—the elegant Scandinavian-style design hides the high-tech technology to maintain a lo-fi appearance suitable for any kitchen. There’s no need to contend with a host of buttons or settings—the machine does it all for you, from proper water temp to blooming the grounds and even water disbursement. It’s designed for partial batch brewing from 16 to 40 ounces, so feel free to brew just what you need. The “shower head” delivery system mimics a manual pour-over and the machine also gives the grounds time to bloom before adding the rest of the water. The stunning glass carafe is tough borosilicate glass, which can be gently heated on the stovetop The Ratio doesn’t have a hot plate, which tends to “cook” coffee and ruin its flavor, rather than keep it warm. However, they do sell a separate thermos which is gorgeous and, not cheap, about the cost of a good electric drip coffee maker. We are offering two packages for the Ratio Eight coffeemaker. Both come with the Ratio Kone filter, an ultra-durable, micro-perforated stainless-steel filter. For the deluxe package, we’ve included the thermal carafe with porcelain dripper, which will keep coffee hot for up to four hours. As an added bonus, the porcelain dripper fitted with the Kone filter onto the carafe can be used as a stand-alone manual pour over.

• Basic Package Includes: Handblown borosilicate Glass Carafe, Silicone Heat Lid, 1 bottle Ratio Wash, Ratio Microfiber Towel, Chemex Paper Filters - 4 sample filters, Ratio Reusable Cone Filter
• Deluxe Package Includes: Items from Basic Package PLUS Thermal Carafe with Porcelain Dripper
• Brews up to 40oz. (eight 5oz. cups)
• Dimensions: 13.5" deep x 9" wide x 14" tall
• Hand assembled in Portland, Oregon of custom American and imported components.

Kitchen Notes: We found that the Kone filter makes a much better cup than paper filters. With the special filter, the coffee was clean, sweet, and bright and lacked bitterness. It won our taste test hands-down. It is as close as you are going to get to a café-worthy pour-over. It also looks great, not like a hulking piece of hardware store machinery that sits on your counter like a cheap toaster but the good looks and great coffee do come at a price. Could not recommend this device more highly. If you love your morning coffee, however, it will pay for itself in pure happiness over time (or make a terrific wedding present).

We love analog coffee preparation methods such as the pour-over and French press for their clear, bold flavor and relative ease. However, neither method is terribly portable. We recently came across the Palmpress, an ingenious new device that is essentially a collapsible French press. The durable plastic device looks like an over-sized hockey puck, but unscrew the lid and it pops open to reveal a silicone funnel. Add coarsely ground coffee to the marked line, pour in water that is just shy of boiling, give a stir and wait 4 to 6 minutes before inverting the press over a mug and pressing to extract. The flavor is bright and strong--just the way we like it. Perhaps best of all, clean up is a breeze: just scrape out the grounds and then give it all a rinse. There are no paper filters or pods to dispose of and no fragile parts to disassemble. Our food editor always packs one for travel, and our kitchen staff members prepare their morning brew in it. Note: it produces 1 cup of coffee at a go. Try it with our Milk Street 177 Blend.

• Net Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Dimensions: Height: 2.25 inches | Diameter: 4.25 inches
• Materials: Inner: BPA- and phthalate-free stainless steel, LFGB-approved silicone | Outer: ABS plastic with TPR non-slip grip. Coffee does not encounter plastic.
• Care: Open Palmpress, tap grounds into trash, then wash filter cap and brewing cup with warm water and dish soap. Hand-washing recommended; top-rack dishwasher safe—avoid harsh detergents that can impart chemical smells.

If you want smooth, flavorful, iced coffee without a bitter bite, cold brewing is the way to go. This cleanly designed, durable glass carafe is fitted with a fine-meshed insert to hold and filter the liter’s worth of coffee. The filter pulls right out and the coffee can be refrigerated in the carafe. A unique top allows for spill-proof pouring from any angle. The Kinto also works for cold-brewed tea. 

• 33.8 oz. capacity

Kitchen Notes: We found that the container was on the small side given the long brew time and requires a fair amount of beans for the amount of coffee brewed. The recommended amount of coffee produced a light cup; we increased the amount for a second test and it was more to our liking. One advantage to cold brews is that the coffee can be made ahead and stored in the fridge.

I admit that I am a French press aficionado since it makes a clean, not over-brewed cup of coffee and is relatively easy to use. The CafeSolo is a great variation on the theme. Spoon ground coffee into the flask, pour over hot water, stir (they provide a stirrer), pop in the filter funnel with a flip-top lid, wait 4 minutes, start pouring. The CafeSolo has a 4-cup capacity. It also comes with a neoprene “coffee cozy” that zips up and keeps the coffee warm. And, unlike a French press, this system is easy to clean. 

• 100% drip-free

• Dishwasher-safe

• Glass Jug, Removable Strainer and Neoprene cover included

• 4-Cup Capacity

Kitchen Notes: This device scored in second place in terms of flavor, just under the very expensive Ratio 8. The coffee was clean and full-bodied. Since you don’t “press” the coffee using this device, the resulting cup is less bitter. It drinks as smoothly as tea. You do have to pour the coffee into a thermos or coffee mug after the brew time to avoid over extraction. Could be easier to clean.

I have tried dozens of travel mugs/thermoses, and they all have shortcomings. They are either too big or too small; the coffee is cold after an hour; the pouring mechanism is awkward, making drinking a delicate act and effective cleaning nearly impossible. The elegant Kinto Vacuum Insulated Travel Tumbler solves these problems and more. It is not only aesthetically appealing but also smartly designed. There are two tops—the inner top allows one to drink coffee like a normal human while also keeping it hot. (There isn’t a spout, per se, but rather a narrow circular opening that directs a good flow of coffee so you don’t have to slurp!) And if you use the outer screw-top lid, this thermos won’t leak if you put it in a knapsack or car. Finally, the diameter is just right for picking up comfortably, even with smaller hands. Simple. Divine.

• Dimensions: 12oz / 350ml 
• Material: stainless steel, polypropylene, and silicone | BPA-Free
• Care Instructions: Hand wash only

After tasting coffees from roasters around the country, we decided to partner with Elevator Cafe & Commons, a small roaster in Portland, Oregon, to produce a custom blend for us from the freshest beans. The bright, clear flavors and precision of their roasting thoroughly impressed us. When you order our blend, you can be sure that the beans have been freshly roasted and shipped out immediately.

Our inaugural 177 Milk Street coffee is a do-it-all blend that works across brewing methods and accommodates a variety of palates. The medium roast mix of Central and South American beans packs a full, rich body and a balanced nutty, cocoa-rich flavor. It’s a solid, full-bodied blend that’ll be terrific brewed in your standard coffee maker, pour-over, French press, Italian-style Moka pot or cold brew.

• Net Weight: 12 ounces
• Available in: Whole bean
• Place of Origin: South & Central America (seasonal variation)
• Freshly roasted every Monday