Coming from the other side of the world (New Zealand), I tend to be interested in innovative new products that get exported over here and for a while now, I’ve had my eye on the Trinity One that was designed by Mark Folker in Brisbane, Australia (still the southern hemisphere…) and I’ve wondered where to get it from in the UK. A while back I saw them on kickstarter, and they obviously they got a good response!
Joyfully I found out Coffee Hit here in the UK are now distributing them, so I got my barista hands on an early edition to preview and review for you!
The Trinity One (I’ll shorten it to just ‘Trinity’ in this blog) is essentially a 3-in-1 filter coffee brewer, that looks reminiscent of an ‘espresso’ machine because it comes with a ‘portafilter’ handle, which is pretty cool. It triples as a pour over V60/chemex brewer, Press Brewer (like an Aeropress), and small batch cold brewer (see end of blog for quick easy recipe).
The portafilter handle has a few functions, so it’s not just for a cool look! When you turn the handle left or right, it actually opens and closes a valve, which holds or releases brewed coffee through into your vessel. How the Trinity works is that you put your coffee in the chamber and pour hot water in either using the pour over method, or like an aeropress, fill the chamber with hot water, initially making sure the porterfilter valve is closed to first saturate the coffee and water. Then using the Trinity T-shaped 2.25kg weight to ‘press’ the water through, open the valve and it will press automatically.
The T-shaped (3kg) weight is actually what I think makes this brewer unique and innovative because it forms an airtight seal against the chamber wall allowing an even, clean press, every time. Which means a more consistent brew! Even though I really love the Aeropress, sometimes I have to really press hard on it and I’ve had a couple where the rubber seal has gone sticky for some reason ( I think I left it in the sun…). But with this Trinity, I don’t even need to touch it, because of physics, it automatically presses the coffee through into my cup (or jug)!
And while we’re on the geeky-train, the metal frame of the Trinity is made of powder coated matte-black carbon steel, which makes it durable – and I know how cycle geeks love a bit of carbon steel! Ha!
At first I was unsure as to how to measure the water, but there is a line in the clear chamber which measures to about 250ml, perfect for one cup. If you want a stronger or weaker brew, you can amend your dose or fill above or below the line. Also the chamber is made of really durable BPA-free plastic so it can withstand high pressure and temperature, and doesn't give you any nastys - better than glass!
When you’re finished with the brew, just twist the porter filter out - similar to as you would on an espresso machine. The T-shaped weight actually pushes down on a detachable ‘n-cap’ which pops off when you take the handle out. The coffee puck will be neatly packed in the handle for you to take away and discard. It is brilliantly clean! I was super surprised with how clean the chamber is after brewing, so the clean up is minimal! I literally just wiped the bottom of the chamber and threw the grinds out. Done.
What I think is great about this brewer is that you can, not only consolidate all your coffee paraphernalia into one brewer, but it also looks slick as heck. The bamboo finish is a classy touch too. I guarantee if you have a friends over for dinner, it’ll be a topic of conversation because it has a really dramatic and theatrical quality about it, you can't help but ask what this beauty does! Likewise if you’re a café owner and thinking of having a brew bar, this is a great way to visually let your customers know about your filter coffee as well as offer really consistent and tasty brews. You could even have 2 or 3 set up for different origins or brew methods because the cone shaped opening at the top fits a Hario V60 (02) and Chemex filter paper perfectly. Again, your customers will be wanting to try a brew from this!
If you're interested, check the Trinity One out here at Coffee Hit (UK).
Extra Notes:
To make coldbrew in the Trinity, just put 40 grams of coffee in the chamber, and fill it with cold filtered water. Be sure to check the valve is closed. Then leave for 4-6 hours and open the valve to release your brew!