Coffee, the original office biohack, has undergone a significant transformation in recent years, thanks to advancements in technology. As a lead coffee writer at WIRED, I've had the opportunity to test various coffee brewing devices, and the Ratio Four coffee maker has become my go-to machine for tasting new coffees.
My love affair with drip coffee began in India, where I first experienced the intense, jet-black gravity brew typically mixed with milk and sugar. However, I decided to take my coffee straight, without any additives, and this preference has stayed with me to this day. Over the years, I've developed a deep fondness for coffee's many variations, from espresso to Aeropress to cold brew, but drip coffee remains my first love.
Inside the Platform
The Ratio Four coffee maker has been a game-changer for me, as it produces a truly excellent cup of coffee. The machine's agitating showerheads, tight temperature control, and "bloom" phase, which wets down the coffee grounds and lets the coffee off-gas its carbon dioxide, all contribute to a rich and full-bodied extraction. I've found that the Four brews long, a bit over five minutes for a full 20-ounce batch, and the result is a coffee that reveals its deeper secrets and unpacks flavors I didn’t know would be there.
What I love about the Four is that it's made for my natural routine. I brew just a mug or two at a time, and the Four is optimized for eight or 16-ounce batches. It also brews for rich extraction without requiring me to futz around with each new bean I'm trying out. The machine is reliable and repeatable, just like a Moccamaster, and two batches brewed in a row, with the same coffee and the same grinder on the same setting, usually have the same character.
The Infrastructure Question
The Four is part of a new generation of drip coffee makers that have transformed the home coffee brewing experience. These machines, modeled on cafe pour-over, have made it possible to produce high-quality coffee at home, without the need for manual pouring or adjustable settings. The result is a coffee that tastes clean and reveals its deeper secrets, with a serving temperature that mimics pour-over and a balance of aromatics and perceived sweetness.
When paired with a precise flat burr grinder, such as the Mazzer Philos, I can taste heartening clarity from the aromatics locked in each bean. The chocolate notes taste like chocolate grown in a specific place, and the strawberries taste like strawberries. It's a far cry from my first, angrily strong cup in Jaipur, but maybe it is finally what I wanted back then, when I decided as a teenager that loving coffee meant loving it only in its purest form.
