Cumulus machine review: Beer colds quickly and foams
But, a word about oxygen. Essentially, this device pumps purified air (79% nitrogen, 20% oxygen) into the coffee instead of using a nitro cartridge. This is great, but exposure to oxygen is a known enemy of fresh-tasting coffee. After the nitro evaporated, side-by-side flavor tests revealed more of a pasty oxidized flavor in the nitro than in the basic non-nitro.
But when it first came out, this didn’t show up much. What you notice are the fun bubbles that also add a touch of sweetness. Those bubbles cover up a lot of sin, forming a dense head atop the cold beer that looks like a well-poured Irish stout.
A WIRED editor, looking at a photo of Cumulus’s nitro abundance, was cheerfully suspected of a hoax. “I swear they used Guinness for commercials,” he wrote.
The espresso is also frothy—with a thick, authentic layer of crema, built up by the pressure created by the device’s powerful compressor. It was the natural frothiness of Cumulus espresso that led to my beautifully foamy martini — a result that kept me from getting hot and cold espresso.
Strong advice to cocktail consultant and educator Josh Seaburg, at Virginia’s Model citizen cocktailfor a delicious espresso martini recipe and try this one. According to the filing, this includes 1.5 ounces of vodka, 0.75 ounces of coffee liqueur like Mr. Black, and half an ounce of simple syrup, mixed with one ounce of cold espresso. Mix, shake, pour. The device only makes two shots, so one capsule provides enough cold espresso for two cocktails.
Who is Cumulus for?
On one hand, Cumulus is an impressive piece of engineering—succeeding on many fronts where other device manufacturers have failed.
But it is not a device for coffee addicts. It’s best suited to those who appreciate the convenience of a Keurig and aren’t too picky, or who like to naturally load up their cold brew with milk, sugar or other flavors. Cumulus doubles this with flavored syrup from Orange Piloncillo to Cinnamon Demerara.
Photo: Cumulus
