Hey coffee lovers!
We're back with another gear of the month, celebrating a piece of coffee gear we've been loving of late. This month that gear is Breville's Precision Brewer drip coffee machine, with the glass carafe!
Precision brewing, with upgrades
It's possible you've already seen the stainless steel carafe version of the Precision Brewer in the past, but the glass carafe model features more upgrades than just the carafe material.
The original Precision brewer is a great option for a drip brewer, and if you prefer the stainless steel carafe it's still the way to go. That said, the glass carafe version offers some compelling features. First, and most notably, is the carafe. The glass carafe has more differences than just material. It's slightly taller, meaning it won't fit in the original precision brewer. The plastic on the handle and spout have also changed, though not necessarily for better or worse. Finally, the shape of the spout has changed, and is easier to get a faster pour out of. A glass carafe also means a warming plate, which is well designed, and inset in such a way that it's unlikely you'll brush up against it by mistake.
One typical problem with warming plates on glass brewers is a potential for scorched coffee. Thankfully, this isn't an issue with the Precision Brewer. While fine control over the warming plate would have been nice, at the very least it does err on the side of caution with its temp and timer. After about 30 minutes, the plate had cooled enough that the coffee in the carafe was lukewarm, but it also didn't have the scorched taste typical with cheaper glass brewers.
Other minor aesthetic differences exist as well. The water tank uses a laser to detect fill level. On the original Precision brewer, this laser was exposed, whereas the glass carafe version has a small cover. The plastic of the tank also appears slightly more blue than on the stainless steel model.
Same quality brewer
We already loved the existing features of the stainless steel Precision Brewer, and they're back and untouched outside of the differences above. Setup is still a breeze, just plug in, run a pot of water through the tank to flush it, and enjoy. The Precision Brewer still offers fast, Gold Cup, strong, pourover, cold brew, over ice and my brew options for a wide range of brewing preferences. It also still works with conical and basket filters.
The easy to use interface makes accessing all of these brew types, and customizing my brew, very easy. There are also still auto-brew options as you would expect.
Ultimately, the Precision Brewer already offered a great deal of features that made it a great offer in the ~$300 drip brewer segment. The glass carafe model excitingly shows that Breville is taking every opportunity to continue to improve the line, and it's a great option for those who prefer the glass carafe.
Be sure to stop by next month for another Gear of the Month feature, and remember, as always, to make coffee you love!
