Spoiling coffee lovers with new home appliances

The Yomiuri Shimbun

18:56 JST, January 4, 2022

Business is percolating for a new line of coffee makers that provide the enjoyment of an authentic brew at home.

Products featuring new functions are appearing one after the other, including The Brew manufactured by rising home appliance maker Balmuda Inc., which finely adjusts the water temperature as it steeps the coffee grounds to draw out the flavor of the beans.

Just filling The Brew with grounds and pressing a button to start the drip begins the process of filling the home with the aroma of a cafe. Its temperature-adjustment function re-creates the coffee-making of a true barista.

Balmuda, known for its original home appliances, is particularly proud of The Brew, for which it spent six years developing. After repeated trial and error, the company gave up on the project at one time, but coffee-loving employees saw it to fruition.

“The Brew finishes the extraction process before the bitterness and acridity come out of the beans, extracting only the rich aroma and flavor,” a Balmuda employee said.

Niigata Prefecture-based Twinbird Corp. worked with the owner of a long-established coffee shop to come up with a coffee-maker that sets the extraction temperature and focuses on aroma and flavor. From the grinding of the beans through extraction is all automated, making it easy for beginners to use.

Sengoku works. Ltd., a Hyogo Prefecture manufacturer of heaters and cooking appliances, is preparing to launch a coffee-maker next spring.

The selling point of the Aladdin is its ability to brew one cup at a time. It has reduced the drip time and, by adding hot water midway, produces a refreshing taste.

According to retail electronics giant Biccamera Inc., capsule-type coffee machines were popular prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

But since 2020, fully automated coffee makers that do everything from grinding beans to brewing have been selling well as people spend more time at home.