Services. Tea & Coffee Siphon
What it is
The appearance of the siphon in the 19th century created a furor in European society. The «debut» of this effective and very efficient device took place in Vienna at Franz-Josef's court. The siphon was not only beautiful and amazingly handy — it also made excellent coffee. Its «royal debut» (according to a legend, the representatives of all European courts were present at that reception) was connected not only with Franz-Josef's wish to amaze the guests with an unusual machine — the coffee made in the siphon was worthy of the emperor's table. Tea was rarely brewed in siphons, after the «coffee debut» the device firmly consolidated its coffee reputation. At the beginning of the 20th century, since the advent of electric instruments, the greedy-of -novelties public switched to new-fashioned electric coffee-tea-makers and the siphon was forgotten despite a number of obvious virtues.
In 1975 the Swedish lovers of antiques and coffee recreated siphon, in 1985 the serial production of siphons was launched in the Netherlands, nowadays only several companies in the world produce these devices serially — and despite a certain repute of the siphon amidst tea and coffee lovers the device remains a rare thing and retains aristocratism so characteristic of him from the very beginning. In 2006 experts of our company worked out a technology of making matured teas in this siphon — the most tricky teas in the aspect of making and serving them in restaurants, cafes, hotels, or offices. After carrying out numerous experiments, choosing the optimal variant of a burner (a gas burner was chosen — since it does not smoke) and conducting consultations with best tea experts, our specialists came to the conclusion that nowadays it is the best device for making and serving such rare drinks as matured teas in restaurants, cafes, hotels, and offices.
How it works
The siphon works very simply, the mechanism is based on an elementary physical phenomenon — the ability of gas to expand when heated. The siphon consists of two vessels, one of them is filled with water (better hot to save time and gas, but not boiled), and the second one, connected with the first by a glass tube, is filled with tea or coffee. As the water in the first vessel is heating on a special gas burner, it moves into the second one, being pushed by heated air and vapor, and there tea or coffee starts brewing. After almost all water (very close to boiling temperature, but still not boiling) shifts to the second vessel, «seething» starts — not only water, but also air gets into the second vessel, which creates numerous and spectacular chains of bubbles. These very bubbles conclude coffee or tea making in the water hot enough to get a good drink and rather rich in oxygen for this drink to be flavorful.
After the burner is switched off, the prepared drink, with a surprising and spectacular «simmering» (a peculiar «converse geyser»), moves back into vessel #1, from which (after the dismantlement of the second vessel) it is poured into bowls, cups or a teapot — if it is more convenient to serve the brewed tea this particular way.
The described procedure, depending on the initial water temperature, may take from one to ten minutes — and these are spellbinding minutes. The application of the siphon may turn the process of brewing tea — an amazingly beautiful spectacle per se — into a real and very dynamic show one cannot take eyes off.
An important quality of the siphon, perhaps even more important than its staginess, is the convenience of making tea in it — compactness and functionality of the device that makes everything itself precludes any chance of mistakes when brewing some rather tricky teas.
What tea and how to brew in it
Pu-erh, Fo Shou Hei Ca and classical Broken Orange Pekoe tea are ideal for brewing them in the siphon. These sorts of tea become amazingly mild, retaining all their proper nuances of taste and flavor, when brewed in siphon. Besides, brewing dark tea leaves in the siphon is the most spectacular thing — especially in mild twilight.
The siphon undoubtedly can be used for brewing other teas and making coffee — it is supplied with a changeable set of filters, thus, to change the drink brewed in the siphon, one just needs to transpose filters.
Next page will tell you about the tea-ware and tea accessories we supply...