But, a word on oxygen. The device essentially pumps pure air (79 percent nitrogen, 20 percent oxygen) into the coffee instead of messing with nitro cartridges. It’s cold, but oxygen exposure is the known enemy of fresh-tasting coffee. After vaporizing the nitro, side-by-side taste tests showed more flabby oxidation flavors in the nitro than in the original non-nitro.
But fresh off the machine, it doesn’t look like much. What you see are bracing, juicy bubbles that also add to the perceived sweetness. Those bubbles cover a multitude of sins, creating a thick head atop cold brew that looks for all the world like a well-poured Irish stout.
A Wired editor, looking at a photo of Cumulus’ abundant nitro, enthusiastically suspects chicanery. “I’d swear they used Guinness for the promo shots,” he wrote.
Espresso is equally impressive – endowed with a thick and genuine crema, created by pressure from the device’s powerful compressor. It was the Cumulus espresso’s own natural foam that led to my beautiful foam-topped martini—a result that eluded me with cold hot espresso.
A strong hat tip to Virginia cocktail consultant and educator Josh Seaberg Model Citizen CocktailTry this ingredient for a good espresso martini recipe. For the record, it consisted of 1.5 ounces of vodka, 0.75 ounces of coffee liqueur such as Mr. Black, and half an ounce of simple syrup, mixed with one ounce of cold espresso. Mix, stir, pour. The device only makes double shots, so one capsule provides enough cold espresso for two cocktails.
What is cumulus for?
On the one hand, 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 prize the convenience of the Keurig and aren’t overly fussy, or those who naturally load up their cold brew with milk and sugar or other flavorings. Cumulus doubles with it Flavored Syrup From orange piloncillo to cinnamon demerara.
Photo: Cumulus
