Mark MorphewThe team over at Soulhand reached out to me to see if I would be interested in reviewing their latest coffee brewer. Already being a big fan of their products and owning quite a few, I immediately said yes.
I love cold brewed coffee, and this new cold dripper combo looked awesome.
The Soulhand X Brewer Cold Coffee Brewer is a new product that has been designed to help coffee enthusiasts brew their coffee in the most efficient and effective way possible.
The product is currently available on Kickstarter and has been designed to be an upgraded version of its previous model, the “Soulhand Cold Brew Coffee Maker.”
In this review, I will take a closer look at the Soulhand X Brewer, evaluate its features and performance, and see how it stacks up against its predecessor.
Soulhand X Brewer At A Glance
At first glance, you could be mistaken for thinking that the Soulhand X Brewer is exactly the same as the original Soulhand Cold Dripper. But don’t let looks fool you because the newer X Brewer has two distinct functions: a Japanese-style cold coffee dripper as well as a cold brew coffee maker.
By swapping out the components, you can quickly transform the X Brewer – it’s pretty neat, and I’ve not seen anything like this before.
Design And Build Quality
The Soulhand X Brewer has a modern and minimalist design that is both functional and aesthetic. It is made of high-quality materials such as borosilicate glass, stainless steel, and food-grade silicone, which makes it durable and long-lasting.
The Soulhand X Brewer also features a reusable stainless steel filter (one for the dripper and one for the cold brew) that eliminates the need for single-use alternatives.
It is compact and can easily fit in any kitchen or office space. The overall build quality of the brewer is impressive, and it feels sturdy and well-made. But being glass, special care needs to be taken, especially when washing the glass carafe.
The curved conical shape of the glass brewer is sturdy when standing on the counter top even though it’s very top-heavy when loaded with ice and water.
Brewing Process
The brewing process of the Soulhand X Brewer is straightforward. When set to slow drip, the brewer takes around 3 to 4 hours, depending, of course, on your coffee grind size and drip flow rate.
I would recommend opting for a fairly fine grind with a slight tamp when using the slow dripper otherwise you’ll find that the water will pass through too quickly. It should take at least 8 to 10 minutes before you start to see coffee dripping out from the coffee filter into the carafe.
The slow-drip method ensures that the coffee is smooth, rich, and free from any bitterness or acidity. The reusable stainless steel filter is easy to clean and can be used multiple times, so there’s no need for paper filters.
But a small AeroPress round paper filter can help with an evenly dispersed water flow when placed on the coffee grounds.
When the coffee maker is set up to make cold brew coffee, you simply fill the separate stainless steel metal filter cylinder with medium to coarse-ground coffee and submerge it in cold water for 12 to 24 hours.
Leaving the cold brewer in the fridge overnight is the sweet spot for my taste profile.
Ease Of Use
I’ve tried a few cold drippers over the years, and more often than not, they’re cumbersome, and simply setting up the brewer can be finicky and overly complex.
However, from unboxing and setting up, the Soulhand X Brewer was a breeze, and I had a batch of coffee prepared and slowly dripping all in under 30 minutes.
The brewer has a simple setup, and the instructions provided are clear and easy to follow. The brewer also has a water tank with a capacity of 1000ml, which means you can brew a decent amount of coffee in one go and more than enough to share.
The brewer’s compact size and lightweight design make it easy to move around, and as an added bonus, it doesn’t take up too much space on the countertop or when stored away in a kitchen cupboard.
Performance
The Soulhand X Brewer delivers on its promise of producing high-quality coffee. The slow-drip method the brewer uses ensures that the coffee is smooth, rich, and has a well-balanced flavor.
The coffee produced by the cold brew component is also free from any bitterness or acidity, making it an excellent choice for those who have a sensitive stomach.
The stainless steel filter used by the brewer effectively filters out any coffee grounds, ensuring that the coffee is clean and pure. And the drip rate adjuster on the cold dripper allows you to fine-tune your preferred drip-rate.
What I Dont Like About The Souldhand X Brewer
As great as the X Brewer is, there are some things I don’t like and could be improved upon in later upgraded models. My first concern is with the thickness of the glass carafe.
Although the manufacturer states that it is borosilicate glass, it seems very thin to me; I’m not sure how it would hold up when accidentally knocked.
My second gripe is with the saturation of the coffee grounds when using the cold dripper part of the coffee brewer. I found that the water drip was only hitting the center of the coffee grounds and leaving the outer edges completely dry.
I fixed his issue by placing an AeroPress round filter on top of the bed of ground coffee. This helped to evenly distribute the water as it dripped.
Comparing The X Brewer To The Original
So how does the upgraded version 2 coffee brewer stack up against the original? Is it worth upgrading? If you already own the original Soulhand coffee dripper, I would stick with it.
It functions exactly the same as the newer version. However, if this is your first purchase, I recommend buying the more recent X Brewer, as it also comes bundled with an additional cold brew component along with the coffee dripper. So you’re getting two coffee brewers for the price of one.
Final Verdict: Is It Worth A Buy?
Is it worth a buy? It depends. If you enjoy iced coffee, I think you’ll love the X Brewer. It has everything you need to churn out some awesome-tasting cold coffee at home.
The unique design and double-layered mesh filter ensure a clean and delicious cup of ice-cold coffee every time without needing paper filters.
The detachable water tank and silicone collar make it easy to handle and use, while the improved materials and features in version 2.0 make it an even better option than before.
Overall, the Soulhand X Brewer is a high-quality and innovative brewing device that is sure to please coffee enthusiasts everywhere.
With its current availability on Kickstarter, now is the perfect time to pre-order and upgrade your coffee brewing game.
When he's not fiddling around with a new coffee gadget, you'll find him busy doing DIY projects around the home and taking his German Shepherd for a walk, who funnily enough is called Kona!
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Since the creation of the Bean Ground coffee blog in 2014, Mark and a small circle of coffee hobbyists have rigorously tested, reviewed, and researched coffee gear. In most cases, they have purchased the items themselves with the sole intention of rating and evaluating.
In that time, they have built up a list of quality points to look for and what makes specific equipment better than others. They cut through the noise and marketing hype that often surrounds products to give you their unbiased opinions so you can make clear decisions on your next purchase.
