The Orea V.1
The Orea. Small, Lightweight, Robust. The perfect travel companion and home brewer that may surprise you with it's capabilities.
A Bit About Orea
I love the branding and the ethos behind this brewer. The aim for them was to produce something to last, to combat the consumer world of things breaking easily, discard, buy another. On top of that, they donate 10% of their profits to projects to help communities in Countries that produce coffee. They wanted to create a brewer that encourages you to go outdoors and enjoy coffee. Whatever that may be. Camping, Hiking, Cycling, or just to enjoy at home.
Let's take a look at this unique unique brewer
So, it's worth noting I have the V.1, there is now a V.2, with an additional hole in the bottom of the brewer. I am going to give my experience using the V.1
Size/ weight
The Orea is very small! It fits Kalita wave 155 filters, but is slightly shorter than the 155. Weighing in at 60g the Orea makes a great travel brewer, especially for outdoor adventures. It's made of aluminium so rest assured it's not going to get broken on your travels, wherever you may be.
Design
Let's look at the design of the Orea. As I mentioned earlier, it's CND'd from one block of aluminium, and you have the option of getting the cutest little leather sleeves in black or brown, or the option of silicone. This means you can easily pick up the brewer and not burn your hands, however it's worth noting if you love the aroma of brewing, the leather sleeves do impact the aroma when you brew. I personally don't mind and I LOVE the whole look, and the lacing at the back, and the fact it will also last being leather.
The V.1 (what I'm reviewing) has three slits on the bottom of the brewer for the coffee to brew through. The V.2 has the addition of a hole at the base of the brewer. The Orea uses Kalita 155 filter papers which for me is great, having a Kalita 155 at home means I don't have loads of different filter papers everywhere!
From my user experience, the base of the Orea can be an issue with certain carafes and cups. My carafe was too wide at the top so the Orea wouldn't sit on it. I got a Kinto server instead, and it fits! However it is worth noting you'll need to be careful not to knock it, as it will slide around a bit from my experience, and the base is smooth aluminium. It fits on my travel flask nicely, which I think ultimately fits with it's intended use.
Recipes
I've been trying out different recipes and grind sizes since getting this brewer. I've not had success grinder finer yet (I've been using between 12-14 on the Baratza Virtuoso +). Any finer and it tends to choke the brewer quite easily, however I'm wondering if the V2 is more successful with this method due to the additional hole at the bottom.
I've been using my favourite Kalita recipes with a medium grind and I've been getting fantastic results. I've also been experimenting with pulse pours and getting even better results! I will put my favourite recipe on the Recipe section!
Price
The Orea has been hugely successful in its launch, and is rather tricky to get hold of! The V2 is now on their website for $69.99 (£55.00) including a leather or silicone sleeve. At the time of writing, they are out of stock, but if you get the chance, don't pass up the opportunity to get your hands on this great little brewer.
Overall?
I absolutely love my Orea, Design, style, coffee making experience, size and weight. It's lovely! Sure, there are other pourovers o the market at a lower price point, but honestly the thought and care that's gone into the design of the Orea is second to none, and, if you're a coffee obsessive like me, you will want to try the Orea and have it on your brew bar for it's beauty and brewing experience (alongside multiple others no doubt!). If you want that pourover whilst on your weekend away camping, then this is a great little brewer to have. It's also just so photogenic! I am very excited to see where they take this brewer and how they continue to develop it.
