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Is a Brew It Stick Coffee Tea Infuser a Good Option for Beginners?
Don’t have a lot of experience with brewing coffee? The Brew It Stick can be a great starting option
Published December 20, 2021
Erik Hedlund
Coffee experts@The Coffee Lab
If you’re looking for a good and simple way to brew a fresh cup of coffee without having to learn the ins and outs of more complicated preparation methods, a Brew It Stick might often come up as a suggestion. Many people who’re not yet experienced with coffee tend to ignore the option because they consider it too fancy for their needs, and that can be a mistake. While it may not provide you with a barista brew on the first try (though you can still get there), the coffee Brew It Stick is a great entry into the world of fancy brews, and it can also lead you to some more advanced preparation methods.
How the Brew It Stick Works
The Brew It Stick is a simple idea that works very effectively. If you’ve seen a tea infuser, it’s not too different. You place your ground coffee in a basket attached to a handle, which you then swirl around a cup while adding hot water to it. Once you’re done pouring the water, you just leave the stick in for a few minutes – typically four to eight – and you’re done. The beauty of this method is in how fast and convenient it is, and the Brew It Stick has attracted many fans since it arrived on the market. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to brew a good cup of coffee with it, and the clean-up necessary afterward is minimal.
Great Choice for Those Who Value Their Time
One of the best things about the Brew It Stick is that it’s fast and convenient. You don’t need to prepare any complicated contraptions, nor do you need to spend a lot of time cleaning the stick after use. This can be a great benefit to those who like to enjoy several cups of coffee a day. Having to clean a brewing pot after each use can get annoying fast, and that’s one of the areas where the stick really shines. It also doesn’t take up a lot of space, so you can comfortably store it in a kitchen cupboard and forget about it when it’s not in use. Compared to a large coffee machine that requires a good chunk of countertop space, this is a huge convenience.
How Much Control Do You Like to Have Over Your Brew?
Some people are quick to discard the Brew It Stick as an option due to its simplicity, which they perceive as a limitation. While it’s true that the stick doesn’t provide you with any advanced brewing options or extra bells and whistles like foaming, it can still work very well for those who insist on having precise control over their brewing time and quality. You can easily adjust the amount of coffee you put in the stick and vary the duration of the brewing, which is already good enough for most preferences.
But the Brew It Stick also has an extra feature that can give you a little more additional control over the process. A small hole in the handle allows you to control the strength of your brew. Leaving the hole open as it is by default will produce a normal, strong brew, especially if you leave it for around eight minutes. But by plugging the hole once you’ve poured your hot water, you will get a milder, weaker brew. This is ideal for those afternoon cravings when you don’t want to drink a whole cup of normal coffee.
Great Way to Add Some Fanciness to Your Coffee Ritual
And functionality aside, the Brew It Stick is simply nice to look at and can add a lot to your coffee ritual, especially if you like to regularly have a cup together with some friends. Most people will be interested by the stick the first time they see it, and it can be a great conversation starter.
And speaking of friends, the stick can also work wonders for larger groups of people. You don’t have to go through the trouble of brewing one large pot when everyone can brew their own cup with your stick, changing whatever properties they want. That way, if somebody in your group prefers decaf, while another likes their coffee with some additions, everyone can be happy without interfering with each other’s tastes.
Using Your Brew It Stick on the Go
Travel a lot? That’s another reason you might want to consider a Brew Stick coffee. It’s a great option for brewing on the go, especially if you like to travel light and don’t want to lug any heavy bags around. A coffee pot can take up quite a lot of space, and it can also make your luggage more difficult to transport due to the added fragility. But with a Brew It Stick, none of that is ever going to be a problem. You simply pack it into a small bag and you’re good to go.
You should have everything you need to keep it clean and ready for use during your trip, as long as you have access to a sink with running water. And if you’re the type of person who frequently loses things while they’re traveling, you at least won’t have to worry about your Brew It Stick. Given how cheap it is, replacing it would be trivial in this case.
Alternatives You Can Consider
If you don’t enjoy the Brew It Stick for whatever reason, that’s understandable. As great as it is, it’s not for everyone, and some people simply never get used to it at all. Finding a good alternative is mostly about identifying the benefits that drew you to the stick in the first place. If it’s convenience and portability you’re after, you might want to consider an AeroPress.
On the other hand, a French press is great for those who want to squeeze a bit more taste out of their coffee without too much fuss, and don’t like complicated clean-ups. Look into a Moka pot too – it’s quite sturdy and great for traveling, though it can be a bit inconvenient to clean up after each use and is not a good option for brewing large batches.
Don’t Be Quick to Discard This Option if You’re an Avid Coffee Lover!
Even if you already have some experience with coffee and know exactly what you like and don’t like about it, you should not disregard the option of using a Brew It Stick. It may not be as advanced as some of the preparation methods you’re already used to, but it can still produce good results with just a few tries.
And more importantly, it can produce consistent results. It’s a great way to brew a cup of coffee and know exactly what you’ll get without having to go through any complicated preparation steps. And when you want something a bit fancier, it’s easy to spice things up when using a Brew It Stick. It doesn’t have to become your primary brewing method. Simply adding it to your arsenal of coffee tools can expand your options quite a bit in some situations.
Does It Work as a Gift?
If you know someone who pays more attention to their coffee, you might want to consider a Brew It Stick as a gift for them if they’ve never heard of it yet. Despite the stick’s popularity, you’d be surprised how many people are still not aware of its existence. Of course, you should always be careful with gifting people things related to their own hobbies and interests. But with something like this, you can never go wrong. Worst case, they’ll try it and not be impressed, but at least they’ll have tried something new. But on the other hand, you might potentially introduce them to something that will change the way they go about their daily coffee.
Things to Keep in Mind
There are some customization options available for the Brew It Stick, so pay attention to those if you want to make things extra fancy. Keep in mind that the stick requires some care to avoid damaging it, but as long as you pay attention to the manufacturer’s precautions, you should be fine. Specifically, don’t leave it unwashed for too long as this can create some unpleasant caked parts that can be difficult to clean up, and may even stain your stick permanently. That will likely not impact the taste in any noticeable way, but it can still be a disappointing sight.
No matter if you’re a beginner with coffee or you already have some experience with it, it can’t hurt to try the Brew It Stick. Many people discover their new favorite preparation method in it, and even if you don’t, you’ll still have something interesting to talk about the next time you have people over and someone asks for a cup of coffee. And the next time you need to come up with a gift for someone who enjoys their daily brewing ritual, this will be a nice idea to come back to.
About the author
Erik Hedlund
With Era of We and The Coffee Lab, I hope to share knowledge, increase the value of coffee – and secure the future of coffee.
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