Yep, good things come out of Wyoming: A Cheyenne-based brewing equipment manufacturer called Brewista softly launched at the 2015 SCAA Event in Seattle. Owner Brian Gross and product designer Christian Krause are behind the company; the former Bonavita employees are attempting to launch a line of brewers, kettles, glassware, and scales that are equal parts durable and affordable. Here now, three of the slickest Brewista products straight from the showroom floor.
Brewista Cold Pro System
Brewista’s cold pro system was designed to cut waste and messiness. “Rather than hoisting a 14-pound bag of wet coffee grounds above a bucket, rigging some method of suspending it there and hoping it doesn’t rupture while it drains,” Krause says. His cold pro system will let you “turn the filter 90 degrees and drain effortlessly.”
You can use a permanent filter with a bag or a paper filter; cold brew passes through a “finishing filter” on the spigot before it’s poured. The main filter should fit most cold brew systems already on the market, with adaptor rings included that fit five and 10 gallon buckets.
Price varies depending on size, but the basic kit with permanent filter, outlet filter, a five-gallon bucket and spout retails at $199. If the stars align, the cold pro system will be on shelves August 2015. Right now, Brewista is getting bids on tooling and testing out final materials. A 10-gallon stainless steel option is also in the works.
Rhino Grinder
Brewista is a supplier/partner with Rhinowares in North America; they’ve teamed up with the Aussie company to release the Rhino Grinder, a portable food-grade hand grinder with a removable handle that makes it good for travel. There’s a stainless steel exterior and ceramic burrs that are supposed to stay sharp without rusting and be easy to clean.
The $59.95 grinder is currently available on the Rhinowares website. A new grinder that’s smaller in diameter and can attach and grind straight into an AeroPress should be in stores by July 2015; to save space, the alternate version will be storable inside the AeroPress.
Brewista Smart Scale
Brewista’s scale auto times and auto tares, it’s waterproof, and it’s cheap. The guys are quick to point out that there’s “nothing like it that’s even close to that price point” of $49 on the market, making it “a fraction of the cost” of similar scales.
The scale includes two modes for manual brewing when making pour-overs (one is fully manual) and two modes for espresso: one espresso mode auto tares once a shot glass is placed on it, after that a count-up time begins. The second espresso mode auto tares when a shot glass is placed on top; the timer is then started by the user. Beta units are being tested for two weeks in the US, Europe, and Australia. After some further fine-tuning, the final product will be released later in 2015.
As if that product launch weren’t enough, Brewista has brought a gentleman named Jason Dominy on board as the brand’s Social Media and Marketing Consultant. This was my first time meeting Mr. Dominy, but my editors at Sprudge are big fans. Before transitioning out of the industry a little more than two years ago, Dominy worked in coffee for more than 15 years, most recently with the Atlanta chapter of Batdorf and Bronson. For the past two years, Dominy’s worked as a social media manager in Atlanta; now with the Dalton Agency, he handles all aspects of social media for big guns like Coca-Cola and Wells Fargo.
Dominy says Gross and Krause started Brewista, “as a way to experiment and see what was possible in the area of brewing equipment” that is both well-designed and affordable. “They asked me to be a part of what they’re doing, and I think their product launch has some cool [aspects]” Dominy says. “And, I can still have some sort of connection to—as I call them—my ‘tribe’ because the coffee community has definitely been my family for the greater part of 17 years.”
In the tight-knit specialty coffee world, it’s hard not to feel the love for Jason Dominy, who was met throughout the SCAA weekend with a near-constant stream of hugs, high-fives, and backslaps. Whether that love will extend to Brewista remains to be seen, but as far as product launches go, this is one to watch.
Sara Billups is a Seattle-based food and drinks writer, and has written previously for Tasting Table, Seattle Weekly, and Eater Seattle. Read more Sara Billups on Sprudge.
