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Cleaning and Maintaining your Utopia Vac Pot
by Lura Lee
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Tips
Here are some things that might help you with your Utopia. These are fairly disconnected tips, but they've been suggested from various sources for inclusion in this article.
| Problem | Solution |
|---|
| Stopped mid-brew |
If your Utopia stops mid-brew, you'll have to throw out the pot of coffee and start again. It tastes horrible when it double-brews. Turn over the base of the Utopia and, if you haven't removed it already, you'll see a clear plastic ring that goes around the base. This ring is supposed to keep the base from sliding around on your counter. The problem with it is that it can get displaced and cause the sensors in the base of the Utopia to miscalculate. This can sometimes cause incomplete brew cycles and double brews. Starbucks recommends the removal if you have this type of problem. |
 |
| Coffee is not mixing |
Occasionally, the water rises up from the pot but seems not to mix with the coffee. Meanwhile, the coffee basically sits in a big blob along the side of the basket. If this happens, remove the lid from the basket, careful not to break the seal that the basket has with the pot. Use a knife or spoon to gently mix the coffee with the water. |
| Coffee Tastes Weak |
- Make sure that you're brewing a full pot.The Utopia works best when running at full capacity.
- Try a finer grind, but don't go all the way to the espresso grind or your filter won't be able to handle the extra work.
- Vac Pot coffee has more clarity than French Press, so it may taste a little 'weaker' by virtue of the fact that more oils and sediments have been filtered out.
|
| Broken Filter |
Apparently, there were some problems with the first batch of filters. So if your filter breaks, call Starbucks (1-800-Starbucks) and they'll replace the first one for free. I've had my first filter as long as I've had the vac pot, but quite a few other people have had problems. I'm also beginning to see some Utopia filters for sale in my local Starbucks stores. Strangely however, they're not selling them online. My advice: complain to Starbucks and see if you can get a replacement for free. You probably will. |
Final Thoughts
To date, I've made hundreds of pots of coffee with my vac pot. The vast majority of them have gone smootly, but occassionally I've had to throw out a pot. It's great for guests, who love to watch the spectacle, and it's perfect for people who aren't accustomed to French Press coffee. Plus, I love that this vac pot is easy to clean up and the fact that I get more consistent results with the Utopia than I do with other vac pot brands. I hope that you enjoy your Utopia as much as I've enjoyed mine.
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Tags:
cleaning
vac-pot
utopia
