Nicro Coffee Maker???

[dhermann1]

Going through my vast pile of stuff, I have discovered a Nicro Vacuum Coffee maker. I found out a little about them via Google. There's apparently a great metal mesh filter that was used in the Nicro. Anybody know any more about this gadget (the coffee maker, that is, not just the filter)? From what I read, vacuum coffee makers are the bees knees.
Edit: I've had the filter sitting in a drawer for YEARS! I didn't know what it was, but I knew I shouldn't throw it out JUST IN CASE. Well, I put 1 and 1 together and got the correct result. I figured out how it obviously works. Now, when will I have occasion to make 6 cups of coffe to try this baby out?

 

[dhermann1]

More Nicro

OK, I have it assembled. The filter fits in the top, with a little spring that hangs down and hooks on the lip of the tube that sticks down. I guess you put the coffee in the top, the water on the bottom, and turn on the flame. The water then boils up to the top, and then you take it off the flame. After that the coffee drips back down to the bottom through the clever little filter. Anyhow, that's the theory I'm working on. Here are pics:

 

[rumblefish]

OK, I have it assembled. The filter fits in the top, with a little spring that hangs down and hooks on the lip of the tube that sticks down. I guess you put the coffee in the top, the water on the bottom, and turn on the flame. The water then boils up to the top, and then you take it off the flame. After that the coffee drips back down to the bottom through the clever little filter. Anyhow, that's the theory I'm working on. Here are pics:

Have you tried it yet?
I remember my family having loads of coffee gadgets,,,all gone except for a french press and maybe an espresso pot.

 

[RedPop4]

Rumblefish, you're still all set to go with just the press and the mokha pot.

 

[feltfan]

The Nicro is interesting. An attempt to make an all
stainless steel version of the vacuum pot. Usually they
are glass (pyrex).

The question I would have is, how much should
you open the aperture on the filter? I assume there
is a filter of some sort under the aperture gaps?

In traditional vacuum pots there is either a glass
rod with a wide, rough spot, like this:

or a cheesecloth-like cloth filter, usually wrapped around a
ceramic holder, for example:

(those pictures are from a cool site:
http://baharris.org/coffee/Collection.htm )

If you simply open the aperture and there is no filter,
the water will pour down without brewing.

 

[BegintheBeguine]

Thanks, Feltfan, for showing us that cool site.
Only 6 cups, dhermann1? Well, that's a start.

 

[flipster]

Grew up with one and use mine every day

My parents had (still have) a Nicro vaccuum pot, and I bought one off of Ebay (pricey, but I wanted it) a few years ago after breaking my fourth pyrex pot.

I'm quite familiar with how to use them and I do it every morning.

The answer is, you don't open the aperture. The two plates with the holes that do NOT line up do the filtering.

One key is you're going to want to use a coarser grind than you can get away with on drip/paper filter coffee makers. A "percolator grind" should be about right.

Anyway, you boil the water in the bottom. I leave the top off for this part. You make sure the hook on the filter is hooked at the bottom of the tube in the top part, and add your coffee. I use about 1/2 c of ground coffee for a full pot. But then again, I like coffee!

When the water boils, I steam up the gasket for a few seconds while I put the top on, and turn the heat down to medium-low. Stir the coffee as it comes up, and once it starts bubbling, set your timer for 6 minutes.

When time's up, turn the heat down to low (to keep the coffee warm when you're done) and remove the pot from the heat. As the pot cools, a vacuum forms in the lower half, drawing the coffee back down through the grounds and the filter. Take the top off and put the pot back on the low heat.

Sometimes the vacuum can get "stuck". This is typically due to too fine a grind, or an air leak around the gasket. I have problems sometimes when too much fine powder gets in along with grounds even when my grinder is on the right setting. I have a few tricks to recover when this happens. I probably need a better grinder, or I should have it ground at the store by a commercial burr grinder.

It makes excellent coffee. I'm spoiled. Those filters are also almost impossible to find, so don't let yours go down the garbage disposal. I found two at a kitchen supply store a couple of years ago, gave one to my parents, and when I tried to order another they were out of stock.

 

[M Hatman]

Bump, Nicro made two sizes. A 4-8 and a 8-12 cup. And here they are......
The uppers are the same size, only the pots are different size.
And FLIPSTER (above) is right on the money with how to use them!!
I will say I tend to do a 4 minute "gurgle", but then I stir the grounds just after the upper fills before the "gurgle".