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HOW IS THE VANDOLA MADE?
Every Vandola is made by a potter, who is also responsible for adding pre-Columbian art to the pour over brewer. Choosing the right potters is key: what is needed is people with a thorough understanding of pre-Columbian ceramics and artwork, along with cultural importance.
It takes an entire month to produce a Vandola. First, the cone and the body are sculpted separately and then joined. It then takes 15 to 22 days for the clay to dry, depending on the humidity levels. Only after that is the Vandola is ready to be fired at 800°C. It’s painted and varnished, and then once it’s cooled it’s fired a second time, but at 1,100°C. Now, finally, the Vandola is ready to use – but only if it survived the firing. Not all of them do.
This process means every Vandola is unique. Not only are they handmade, which adds individuality to every one of them, but they undergo slight changes in shape while in the oven. Alfaro tells me that high-quality materials are used in order to standardize the sizes as much as possible, but even so there will be some variations making each Vandola a one of one.
Vandola
So how do you brew with these beautiful pour overs?
Let me share Alfaro’s recommended recipe with you. You can purchase a 500 ml or 1,000 ml Vandola; this recipe is designed for the 500 ml version.
- Gather your Vandola, coffee, and filter. You can use a paper, metal, or cloth filter that’s designed for either a Chemex or a V60.
- Preheat the Vandola. This step is crucial: since the device is very thick, if it’s cold it will absorb a lot of the coffee’s initial temperature. However, preheating it will keep your coffee warm for around 30 minutes.
- Rinse the filter and grind the coffee.
Coffee dose: 35g
Coffee grind: Since every Vandola is unique, it will take a couple of uses for you to find the best grind size. The width of the neck will affect the speed at which the coffee drips through. However, if you’re using a V60 filter, you might want to start off with a finer grind than if you’re using a Chemex filter.
- Pre-infuse with at least 70g of water, making sure that the coffee bed is completely wet.
- After 30–40 seconds, slowly pour your water in concentric circles. This should take 4–5 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!