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As you all know I’m a big fan of Cafflano brewers; I travel the world and always bring coffee on my travels. There is no greater joy in being able to bring along a brewer that is light, easy to carry and easy to use. I have been looking forward to getting my hands on the Go-Brew, the latest in the line of Cafflano’s brewers. Is it easy to take along? Is it heavy? and most importantly: is it easy to use? In this review I will tell you all there is to know about the Cafflano Go-Brew.
Cafflano: Background information.
Beanscorp has started the production of the Cafflano products in 2013 and their product line now consists out of four coffee makers: Cafflano Klassic, Cafflano Kompact, Cafflano Kompresso and now the Cafflano Go-Brew. In just 6 years they have managed to sell their products in over 80 countries using a simple but beautiful mission:
Develop, manufacture and provide quality coffee gear that are Simple, Innovative, Economic, Convenient, Sustainable and Portable for all coffee lovers! They have been reaping in 11 international awards (best new consumer product, best outdoor/cooking product, Gold winner industry award etc.) for their products so far.
It was at the World of Coffee Amsterdam that I got to speak with Justin Ahn, managing director of Beanscorp Europe, and spoke with him about this product. His pitch was great and ever since I have been privileged to use and test the products for reviews. I have taken the Cafflano Go-Brew around the world to destinations such as Chicago, Quito, Seoul, Johannesburg, Houston and Osaka. In other words; I think I can make a decent review out of this brewer.
Curacao 
Quito 
Seoul
Beanscorp is seriously concerned about environmental problems we face every day, and has always been trying to make eco-friendly product using sustainable materials. Thus, taking bioplastic Ecozen as a main material of Go-Brew wasn’t a hard thing to do despite significant rise of the cost. Bioplastics are the plastics derived from renewable biomass sources, such as vegetable fats and oils, corn starch, straw, woodchips, food waste, etc.
And bioplastic Ecozen is the world’s first biocopolyester material based on copolyester without bisphenol A, and having high heat and chemical resistances, and transparent. Other materials used in Go-Brew are BPA-free PP and silicon.
Cafflano Go-Brew: The unboxing.
The Cafflano Go-Brew comes in a plastic package that contains the brewer itself as well as paper filters so you can start brewing right away. You will notice that the brewer is in fact a bottle that you can use as a brewer and a coffee container. To take away any confusion, on the side of the package Cafflano shows you that this bottle consists out of a:
– Cap
– Paper filter
– Dripper
– Stand
– Cup
The paper filters used are similar to the paper Kalita filters and, when used up, are easy to purchase in shops or online. Perhaps Cafflano will come up with their own filters but as of right now, that is not yet the case.
To assemble the brew you twist off the cap and the dripper/bottle top. Next you will need to twist the plastic cover/stand (that is wrapped around the bottle-body and has the same color as the cap) and pull it up. Lock it in place by twisting it back to it’s original position.
Place the Dripper/bottle-top upside down on top of the stand and place the paper filter inside.
Voila, your Go-Brew is ready for brewing!
How to use the brewer.
Now that the brewer is in place we can start brewing coffee!
The first thing you want to do is pre-rinse the paper filter and, at the same time, warm up the brewer. The hot water that you use to rinse the paper filter drips into the cup and so heats up the brewer. Empty the cup and put the ground coffee in the paper filter.
From here on it is exactly the same as brewing with a Kalita and you can use the same recipe’s that you use at home for pour-over brewing. Bloom, pour and drink, it’s as easy as that.
After you are done, take out the filter and throw it in the garbage or use the coffee grounds as a fertilizer for the plants around you. Push the stand down, screw the dripper and cap back onto the brewer and you’re all set. The brewer is not just a brewer, but you have just transformed the Go-Brew in a portable coffee thermos flask that will not leak and keeps your coffee warm for a prolonged time.
In a way, this brewer is even better than your set-up at home since the coffee will remain warm.
I have brewed numerous varieties of coffee with the Go-Brew and each and every one was great. The filters work perfectly and the material of the brewer keeps the coffee warm. I even used the brewer to cool down my coffee and take it along as an iced coffee on one of my trips.
Did I find any downsides?
In the months that I have used this brewer I have come across one single ‘downside’ about this brewer. Inside the dripper you will find a small silicon ring that snugly fits inside a tiny ledge that will prevent the bottle from leaking coffee when it is assembled back into a bottle again. This ring can come loose after brewing and should always be checked before re-assembling the brewer. Just push it back into the ledge to be sure that the bottle won’t leak. Is this a big thing? No, it totally is not a big thing. It happened to me a couple of times, but mostly because I did not pay attention. It is also not a manufacturing mistake by Cafflano since I don’t see another way of solving this little thing. I do feel the need to point it out, if only to save you from having a wet, coffee soaked backpack after brewing your coffee.
Cafflano – Go-Brew: The verdict.
I have been a fan of Cafflano for a while now. Each and every brewer they create brings more to the table when it comes to travel brewers. The Go-Brew is yet another fantastic addition to their line of brewers. It’s light, easy to take along, easy to assemble and re-assemble. The quality of the coffee that you brew is as good as your home-brew. I have found one, teeny, tiny downside on this brewer and that’s the silicon ring that sometimes comes loose.
What really gets me excited is that Cafflano chooses the environment over production costs. The brewer is not that expensive to begin with, and all materials used are reducing the impact on our climate. I can only applaud their way of thinking and promote this brewer even more.
I can recommend this brewer to anyone: home-brewers, travelers, outdoor-types…everyone! Great job Cafflano; keep making us happy with your innovative ideas please!
Click here for reviews of the:
Cafflano Klassic
Cafflano Kompact
Cafflano Kompresso