But, a word about oxygen. The machine pumps fresh air (79 percent nitrogen, 20 percent oxygen) into the coffee rather than messing with nitro cartridges. This is great, but oxygen exposure is a known enemy of good coffee. After the nitro evaporated, a side taste test showed more flabby oxidation in the nitro than in the non-nitro base.
But new to the machine, this doesn’t show much. What you see is bubbling, fun bubbles that also add visual fun. Those bubbles cover a multitude of sins, forming a thick head over a cold brew that looks for all the world like a well-poured Irish stout.
ART EDITOR, looking at a photo of Cumulus’ massive nitro, allegedly for fun. “I could have sworn they used Guinness to shoot the promos,” he wrote.
Espresso is also effective—it is filled with thick and real crema, created due to the pressure exerted by the device’s powerful press. It was the natural foam of the Cumulus espresso that led to my beautiful frothy martini—an effect that eluded me with cold hot espresso.
A big hat tip to cocktail consultant and teacher Josh Seaburg, of Model Citizen Cocktails in Virginia, for a great espresso martini recipe to try this thing out. For the record, this involved 1.5 ounces of vodka, 0.75 ounces of coffee liqueur as Mr. Black, and half an ounce of simple syrup, mixed with an ounce of cold espresso. Combine, mix, pour. The device only makes double shots, so one capsule provides enough cold espresso for two cocktails.
Who Is Cumulus For?
On the other hand, the Cumulus is an impressive piece of engineering—it succeeds in many areas where other manufacturers have failed.
But it’s not a tool for coffee snobs. It lends itself best to those who value the convenience of the Keurig and aren’t overly fussy, or those who simply load up their cold brew with milk and sugar or other flavorings. Cumulus doubles down on this with flavored syrups ranging from Orange Piloncillo to Cinnamon Demerara.
Image: Cumulus
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