Cumulus Machine Review: Fast and frothy cold brew

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But a few words about oxygen. The device essentially pumps fresh air (79 percent nitrogen, 20 percent oxygen) into the coffee instead of fussing with nitro cartridges. That’s great, but exposure to oxygen is the known enemy of fresh tasting coffee. After the nitro evaporated, side-by-side taste tests showed looser oxidation flavors in the nitro than the non-nitro base.

But just off the machine, it doesn’t show much. What you notice are bracing, fun bubbles that also add a sense of sweetness. Those bubbles cover a multitude of sins, building a thick head on a cold brew that looks for all the world like a well-poured Irish stout.

A WIRED editor, looking at a photo of Cumulus’ abundance of nitro, cheerfully suspected a ruse. “I could have sworn they used Guinness for the promo photos,” he wrote.

Espresso is also effervescent – endowed with thick and real foam, formed by the pressure exerted by the device’s powerful compressor. Cumulus espresso’s own natural frothiness resulted in my beautifully frothy martini – a result that eluded me with chilled hot espresso.

A strong tip for cocktail consultant and educator Josh Seaberg of Virginia Model Citizen Cocktailsfor a good espresso martini recipe to try these things. For the record, this included 1.5 oz of vodka, 0.75 oz of coffee liqueur like Mr. Black and half an ounce of simple syrup mixed with an ounce of cold espresso. Mix, shake, pour. The device only makes double shots, so one capsule provides enough cold espresso for two cocktails.

Who is Cumulus for?

On the one hand, the Cumulus is an impressive piece of engineering – one that succeeds on many fronts where other device makers have failed.

But this is not a device for coffee snobs. It lends itself best to those who appreciate the convenience of the Keurig and aren’t too fussy, or those who would naturally infuse their cold brew with milk and sugar or other flavorings. Cumulus doubles that with flavored syrups ranging from Orange Piloncillo to Cinnamon Demerara.