coffee
Sowden SoftBrew™
Sowden SoftBrew™ Coffee
Coffee making today is dominated by complex machinery, dense instruction manuals and intricate
recipes. SoftBrew™ is the radical high-tech-but-primitive tool in their midst; a totally new coffee making
method invented by Milanese design pioneer George Sowden for the most direct and unadulterated
experience of the flavor of your freshly roasted coffee beans.
SoftBrew™ is based on the simple
infusion method called cupping
used by all professional tasters to
evaluate the quality and price of the
world’s finest coffees. At the centre
of the SoftBrew™ porcelain pot is
an oversized stainless steel microetched filter where you place the
desired amount of ground coffee
and over which you pour the water,
creating a ‘bloom’ as the coffee
releases its fragrance and flavours,
and is left to steep for about 4
minutes.
The filter of the SoftBrew™ is its
technological heart, with up to
160 000 holes it is fine enough
to block all grounds larger than
150microns. Practically speaking
this means that unlike all other
coffee making methods currently
available on the market, you are
free to use any type of grind you
like. Fine, medium or coarse, the
SoftBrew™ filter will only allow
for the passage of the desirable
finest grounds (fines) ensuring the
thick full-bodied taste which is the
hallmark of all sophisticated coffee.
A SoftBrew™ coffee maker is the
ultimate tool for becoming familiar
with the true range and complexity of
flavours of the roasted coffee bean.
Finally you will be able to taste the
difference between a Colombian
San Augustin and a Kenyan Pea
Berry, between the acids of roast
with little or no oil on the surface
and the caramelized sugars of a
dark roast…
Slow pour spout
Ergonomic handle - Thumb rest helps
keep the jug steady even when full
Sowden SoftBrew™ filter
Hollow handle means insulation:
Does not get hot!
A totally new stainless steel filter, etched with hundreds of thousands of holes. A striking,
all porcelain coffee pot in a classic design. Simplicity and functionality. No filter paper
to take out naturals oils, no forced pressing to bring out acidity. Great taste.
COFFEE
3
4
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Sowden SoftBrew™
The Sowden SoftBrew™ filter keeps the
ground beans separated from the water.
The method is simple - place the filter in
the pot, put the ground coffee into the
filter, pour over hot water and wait a few
minutes - that´s it!
1
2
6
7
4 Cup
8 Cup
12 Cup
model: oskar
2 Cup
COFFEE
Sowden SoftBrew™
Art.: S002
Art.: S001
2 Cup
4 Cup
8 Cup
Art.: S067D-9
Art.: S068D-9
Art.: S069D-9
2 Cup
4 Cup
8 Cup
Art.: S003
model: James
model: JAKOB
Art.: S061
Lid colors
Art...-3
Art...-4
Art.: S063B-9
4 Cup
8 Cup
model: JOE
Art.: S062B-9
Art.: S057B-2
Art.: S058B-2
Art.: S103B-9
Art...-5
Art...-6
Art...-7
Art...-8
Sowden
SoftBrew™filter
model: OSKAR
The quantity of coffee is a personal preference.
We suggest starting with:
2 to 3 scoops for the 2 cup pot
3 to 5 scoops for the 4 cup pot
6 to 8 scoops for the 8 cup pot
10 to 12 scoops for the 12 cup pot
SoftBrew™Coffee - The revolutionary coffee maker
Advantages of SoftBrew™coffee
GENTLE:
The SoftBrew™treats the ground
coffee beans gently they simply
brew in the water at the heart
of the pot.
NO SQUASH NO SQUEEZE:
With SoftBrew™the beans are
not squashed and squeezed
as can happen in a press pot.
NO OVER­FILTERING:
SoftBrew™coffee is not
excessively filtered as with
a paper filter system.
LESS WASTE:
Nothing to throw away
except the used beans.
NOT TOO HOT:
Making coffee with SoftBrew™
the water temperature is
controlled by the user which
helps to avoid excessive
temperature or pressure
that spoils the taste.
YOU ARE IN CONTROL:
Because the coffee is not
hidden away in pods or
capsules you know what
you are using.
You are free to choose the
coffee, the roast and the
grind, without limitations.
Simple tips from George Sowden for making a great cup of coffee.
So how do we get to that perfect cup?
1. Remember that a good cup
of coffee starts with good fresh
coffee beans.
It can be confusing as there are
so many types of bean from
different parts of the world.
And all beans will have the
characteristics of the place of
origin, or differ because they
have been treated and finally
roasted in different ways.
Try as many as you can, find the
ones that you prefer from Brazil,
Jamaica, Colombia, Ethiopia, or
wherever.
The only problem, if it is a problem
and not a blessing, is that the
choice is infinite and you will
never stop discovering!
There are two types of coffee
plant, Robusta and Arabica.
I find Arabica the ‘sweetest’ and
the tastiest. Robusta gives more
caffeine.
There are a lot of blends, so find
something you particularly like.
2. You should always be
prepared to try different roasts
with different coffee beans.
Go to your local coffee supply
shop and check all the different
beans that are on offer.
If you have your own friendly
roaster try your choice of beans
‘light’ ‘medium’ or ‘dark’ You
can customise and experiment.
Shop around in local roasters.
See what they are doing.
3. The next consideration is
the choice of grind. With my
design of SoftBrew™ filters, there
is no recommended size for the
grind. I would suggest you start
with ‘medium,’ but, as you get
confident with the system, discover
the differences between ‘fine’ and
‘coarse’. Personally, I use quite a
fine grind: not as fine as espresso
grind, but quite close – the brewing
time is quicker than coarse and I
prefer the full body taste.
4. Next is the amount of coffee you
put into the pot. The more you put in,
of course, the stronger the brew will
be. Sounds a very simple formula,
but, whereas other brewing methods
give precise formulas, we say – find
out for yourself. With SoftBrew™you
really can experiment. If the beans
are good, then the coffee will be
good - just lighter, or darker results
depending on the quantity you use.
But the taste will come through,
delicate and ‘soft.’
6. In the summer I might make
‘cold brew’ – a nice refreshing icecold coffee. I just put the ground
coffee into the pot, add cold
water, stir and leave the Sowden
brewer in the fridge overnight. In
the morning, I have a perfect cold
coffee. Extraction time is about
eight hours.
5. When you make coffee you use
quite a lot of water, so make sure
the water is good!
When water comes into contact
with the coffee beans, the extraction
begins and the hotter the water the
quicker the extraction.
I normally use almost boiling water
and it takes about four minutes to
get a good, well extracted, flavour.
8. Buy small quantities of coffee
at a time. The fresher, the better,
so don’t let it sit in the cupboard
for weeks.
7. Never re-heat coffee: it will not
be nice. And never boil coffee: it
will taste bad.
9. Coffee made by infusion, as in
the Sowden SoftBrew™ system, is
the simplest, the perfect way, to
get a great cup of good tasting
coffee…and so flexible, you
really can make it just the way you
prefer!
COFFEE
model: JAKOB
Photography Alice Fiorilli
Sowden SoftBrew™
To understand how radical the new collection
of homeware by legendary Milanese designer
George Sowden is you simply have to take it off
the shelf and use it. The functionality of these
objects is incredibly intuitive: perfect weight, great
ergonomics, poetic flair and a bit of basic street
intelligence…
You take the object in your hands and immediately
feel comfortable doing what you’re supposed to
with it; pure porcelain plates stack with a satisfying
clunk, bowls have a generous edge to grip, the
feel of the mug in your hand makes you feel even
more at home, the SoftBrew™ coffee maker stands
out amongst fussy single-capsule machines and
fragile glass pots as a startlingly high-tech but
primitive tool, invented by Sowden to give you
the most direct and unadulterated experience of
freshly roasted coffee beans, and your SoftBrew™
teapot maintains the timeless simplicity of the
ceramic teapot while greatly simplifying the ritual
of preparing perfect loose leaf tea by introducing
a discrete piece of micro-engineering into its
heart.
SOWDEN GJS s.r.l.
Corso di Porta Nuova 46
20121 Milano, Italy
Tel: +39 02653089
www.sowdenathome.com
www.facebook.com/SowdenChannel
www.twitter.com/OfficialSowden
[email protected]