How to Brew Coffee in a Cona Vacuum Pot

Last Updated: December 23, 2021

The Cona Pot is the simplest and most elegant coffeemaker around, and it brews flawless coffee. The downside? It can be slow and tricky to use. Follow these steps for a fast, perfect cup every time.

Steps

1
Gather your brewing supplies by your stove: a teakettle with at least 1 US-quart (950 ml) capacity, your Cona Pot, 55g (or a scant 1/3 cup) of whole bean coffee, coffee grinder, matches or lighter, aluminum foil, and either a narrow spoon or a chopstick.
2
Turn a burner to high heat.

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3
Boil 1 quart of water in the kettle. These instructions assume you are using the "D size" 1 US-quart (950 ml) pot; the C and B sizes use 1.5 and 1 pint respectively.
4
Take a sheet of foil about 18 inches (45.7 cm) long and fold lengthwise in quarters, so that it forms a strip about 3 inches (7.6 cm) tall.
5
Using your hands, coil the strip into a loose ring about 4 inches (10.2 cm) wide.
6
Place the foil ring around the alcohol burner. This baffle, which can be saved and reused, minimizes brew time in drafts and cold temperatures.
7
[[Image:Remove coffeepot from stand and light the alcohol burner Step 7.jpg|right|center]Remove coffeepot from stand and light the alcohol burner.
8
Pour about an ounce of boiling water into coffeepot and return kettle to burner.
9
Swirl water in coffeepot to warm pot, then empty into sink.
10
Pour the rest of the boiling water into the pot while holding coffeepot an inch or so above the hot stove burner. There should be about ¹⁄₂ inch (1.3 cm) of headroom between the level of water and the neck of the pot. Do not allow the pot to touch the flame or the burner; it will shatter.
11
Continue to hold the coffeepot over the burner until the water just begins to simmer.
12
Place the coffeepot back in the stand, over the lit alcohol burner and the foil ring.
13
Wait for the water to boil. Look for a few fat, loud bubbles before you move on.
14
Grind your coffee to medium fineness.
15
Check to make sure glass filter rod is in funnel. Add ground coffee to funnel.
16
Place funnel in coffeepot, twisting slightly to set the seal.
17
Wait for the water to rise into the funnel, until the funnel stem is clear of the water in the base of the coffee pot.
18
Stir the coffee in the funnel using the chopstick or narrow spoon, until all the grounds are completely wet. Do not bump the glass filter rod.
19
Wait 1-4 minutes.
20
Snuff the alcohol flame.
21
Wait another few minutes while the coffee is sucked back into the pot, leaving the grounds behind in the funnel.
22
Twist funnel gently and remove from coffee pot. Place funnel back into the stand.
23
Enjoy your coffee!
24
Finished.

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Warnings

Never allow a stalled brew to continue longer than 15 minutes, or the pot may implode.

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Keep the outside of the pot dry, or the pot may implode.

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Do not allow the pot to touch either the flame or the burner of your stove, or it may shatter.

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If the water in the coffeepot gets very superheated, it will erupt when it is disturbed--either by your chopstick, a vibration, or under the force of its own internal pressure. Test sooner rather than later.

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