The Zojurushi 5-cup coffeemaker attracted my attention at a previous International Housewares show. I’d been trying to find a successor to the legendary Kitchen Aid 4-cup. Could this be it? My appetite was whetted when I ran into it again at Oren’s Daily Roast. I practically begged him to let me try it, but I’m already into him for so much coffee, he put me off. Finally I got the courage to scarf one from their sales rep at this year’s Housewares show. I was pretty excited to see it. It has the second most important virtue of any coffee gear, good looks.
The 5-cups are to me really four, but that’s what I’m looking for.
Number one, though, can it brew great coffee?
I finally scarfed one off Zojurushi’s PR people who I met at the International Housewares Show. One showed up on my doorstep a few days later.
It uses a number 2 Melitta filter. It has a removable water chamber and an inline charcoal filter. I was surprised that the filter appears to be located after the water is heated. As I use mostly low-mineral no-chlorine water I hardly need such a filter. No mention is made in the instruction book as to where to buy replacements.
Using the Zojurushi is easy. Fill the water tank up to the line. The instruction book may be light on the water filter replacement but it is excellent about its suggested formula, specifying 35 grams of fine grind coffee for a full pot. That works out to the industry formula. This might not seem astounding but recipes are almost never mentioned in coffeemaker instruction manuals, and when they are, they are usually wrong.
Monitoring the brew temperature showed me what I wanted to see. It really gets hot, not quite as instant on as the Technivorm, but very close, 200 degrees Fahrenheit for most of the brew cycle, even a little above towards the end. Best of all, the water gets all the grounds nicely wet. It’s a little appreciated fact that the biggest advantage manual drip has over auto drip is your hand always knows where to pour hot water. I found the best way to ensure this is to remove the top during brewing; I presume this is because the lid must be located precisely, but it’s easy to try it once and see if you agree. With minimal futzing, this coffeemaker just works almost perfectly.
Result? After years of searching I’m done. The Zojurushi does a stellar job, almost the equal of the Technivorm in temperature and actually, gasp, a little better in its drip performance. You almost can’t do better yourself.
Recommendation? Place 35 grams fine grind coffee for a full pot. Flip it on and in seven minutes, you’re ready to enjoy. Seven minutes may seem overlong to American drip aficionados, but trust me you will like the coffee. I ascribe the slightly longer contact time to Japanese fascination with European standards (I’m half-kidding) and the fact that during the first minute the water is just under ideal brewing temperature.
I brewed several batches of Bridgeport Coffee Company’s El Salvador Finca Las Nubes – Ernesto Lima. They charge for heirloom bourbon coffee grown by the kind of farmer who walks around dusting his plants every afternoon and, using this brewer, I could taste it. I then brewed some very different Oren’s Daily Roast Viennese Blend, which is make up of two stellar Colombian coffees, one light and the other French roast. It’s my favorite summer after-dinner coffee. I get a lot of local produce during the summer months and this coffee is able to add to a meal already chock with rich flavors. This brewer actually made coffee virtually identical to what I could do with a Hario V60, no mean feat.
This review has a simple ending: Zojurushi is top rated, the current five cup champ.
I know this is an old article but there is very limited info on coffee websites on this machine. Only reviews are on amazon, most of whom I suspect are not very discerning when it comes to taste. However, this zojirushi zutto or at least the local (asian) version (daq-50) is probably one of the few good drip machines available in my country. I may be able to get a bonavita from hong kong but of course it is pricier not even including shipping.
How do you think this compares to the bonavita? Will the bonavita be better only on bigger batches and can it compete on the 4-5 cup level with the Zojirushi. Hope to get your opinion on this.
Thank you for writing. Both the Bonavita and Zojirushi are well-made and valid brewers. Both get the water hot enough, disburse it evenly through the grounds and accomplish it within industry-tested times. That said, they are each optimized for different batch sizes. If you make eight cups, the Bonavita is the right one. If you make a couple of cups, the Zojirushi is likely a better choice. To be a little more technical, the Bonavita is slightly better with tighter temperature tolerances; it is a newer design and even a v2 generation. I could live happily with either.
Hope this helps.
Warmly,
Kevin
Hi Kevin, your comments help a lot. I have been dabbling recently with pour over coffee using a kalita 102 and noticed more flavors closer to fruity coming out whereas I get mostly heavier flavors from my old Krups coffee maker. Should I expect it to approximate the pour over method or would it be closer to the Krups? Should I expect to notice a big difference tastewise vs the Krups?
Btw noticed some kind of shower shape in this Zoji. Is it similar to the shower type spray on the Bonavita?
I have also read some reviews on the plasticy taste when new. Any tips on removal?
Lastly, and a bit off topic, any comment on using Brita filter pitchers on water for coffeemakers?
Thanks.
Hi DP,
The Zojirushi is a very good machine. That said, if you’re comparing to a manual pourover, I’d say the Bonavita has a better, wider dispersion – one of the best in the industry. Again, we’re comparing to a person’s hand pouring. The reason I’d consider the Zojirushi is because I make much smaller batch sizes. The latest Bonavita models also feature flat bottom filters and preinfusion and delays between water release that works to mimic hand pouring.
I try not to choose for anyone. Both a still fine products. Plastic taste is a risk with many automatic drip machines. I cannot do mass testing, so honestly cannot advise on this. I did not notice anything like it in my Zojirushi sample, nor have I had it reported before.
Warm regards,
Kevin
Hi Kevin,
Noted on the comments on the Bonavita. I guess given the price difference, it would only be just that the Bonavita would be better tasting.
But like you, we like to brew small batches of only 2 bigger cups every morning so we might not be able to get the full flavor in such a small batch? In any case, would also just like to confirm if you think we would immediately notice the difference from our 10 year old Krups with the zoji. Honestly, I really didn’t know until recently that coffee flavor could be so different among drip coffee makers. So after so many years with my Krups, I’m hoping for a taste upgrade without having to do manual pour everyday and hopefully not spending too much as well. (I know it wont be the same as manual pour but enough of an upgrade of what I already have.)
Thanks for your patience in answering these queries.
It’s my pleasure, DP. Knowing you regularly wish to make a couple of cups – a small batch, is helpful. I think the Zojirushi is a good choice. It has a small footprint and the filter extends into the carafe so there is no heat loss after the coffee is brewed. A hot plate is fine for a small batch, and, IMHO, preferable to a thermos.
If you wish to look any further, I’d consider the KitchenAid One-Cup. Don’t let the name throw you off. It makes 20 ounces of brew. That’s four 5 oz cups, right? Here’s a review: https://coffeecompanion.com/2013/06/kitchenaid-personal-coffeemaker/ I was just in New York City and Oren’s Daily Roast had it on sale. It may be a good option.
Warmly,
Kevin
Hi Kevin, thanks for the referral to the Kitchenaid. I did read your review but direct filling to a takeaway cup would be the best option for me. Besides that, I’m not sure if I can find it available from where I’m from. Would you take one over the other? (Zojirushi vs Kitchenaid?)
Ill probably look more into the Zoji. Temp is the only inconsistent thing I can find from the reviews. Hopefully having 240v voltage would help the machine heat the water up faster to that magical 195-205 degree range.
I mean direct filling to a takeaway cup may not be the best option for me. (May be prone to spilling if transferred to cups.)
Indeed. If you wish a traditional vessel, the decision is easy. The KitchenAid presents another option, but, yes, you’d have to get used to the cup. I found it no problem, but it’s different. Both me their temperature claims in my tests, but I can’t vouch for other samples, nor other people’s tests for that matter.
Good luck!
Kevin