The Cumulus Machine Review: Fast and Frothy Cold Brew

But, oxygen is a word. The machine essentially pumps pure air (79 percent nitrogen, 20 percent oxygen) into the coffee without fussing with nitro cartridges. It’s cooler, but oxygen exposure is a known enemy of fresh-tasting coffee. After the nitro evaporates, side-by-side taste tests show nitro has a more flabby oxidation taste than basic non-nitro.

But fresh from the machine, it doesn’t look like much. What you notice is the bracing, fun bubbles that add to the perceived sweetness. Those bubbles cover up many sins, creating a thick head atop a cold drink that looks for all the world like a well-poured Irish stout.

A wired editor, looking at a photo of Cumulus’ abundant nitro, gleefully suspects chicanery. “I’d swear they used Guinness for the promo shots,” he wrote.

Espresso is similarly brilliant—rich with a thick and genuine crema, formed by pressure from the device’s powerful compressor. It was the cumulus espresso’s own natural frothiness that led to my handsome foam-topped martini—a result that eluded me with cold hot espresso.

A strong hat tip to cocktail consultant and educator Josh Seaberg of Virginia Model Citizen CocktailFor a good espresso martini recipe, try this one. 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, shake, pour. The device only produces double shots, so one capsule provides enough cold espresso for two cocktails.

Who is cumulus for?

On the one hand, the Cumulus is an impressive piece of engineering—one that succeeds on multiple fronts where other device makers have failed.

But this is not a device for coffee snobs. This lends itself best to those who prize the convenience of a Keurig and aren’t overly fussy, or who naturally load up their cold brew with milk and sugar or other flavorings. Cumulus down with it flavored syrup From orange piloncillo to cinnamon demerara.

Photo: Cumulus