Last September we put together a buying guide full of classy matte black coffee gear. As a direct counterpoint to that list, we've decided to bring you today's roundup of brilliantly alabaster implements for your brewing and consuming needs.
Hario's ceramic + olive wood coffee mill. ($70)
Hario Ceramic & Olive Wood Coffee Mill »
Hario’s ceramic + wood coffee mill has a simple yet eyecatching design, sporting a combination of ceramic hopper and olive wood container in an hourglass shape that fits perfectly in your grip.
It holds up to 30g of coffee grounds, and the burr is also ceramic so there’s no metal smell or rusting to worry about. The burr can be adjusted 20 steps between coarse and fine by turning the nut under the hopper, which for most people is plenty enough fine-tuning.
The ceramic Hario V60 pour-over cone. ($23)
Hario V60 Ceramic Pour-Over Coffee Dripper »
Hario also produces the far more widely known ceramic V60 dripper, a classic standby for pour-over drinkers everywhere. If you’ve ever been to a coffee shop that does pour-over coffee, the V60 is probably what they use. It makes a delicious cup of coffee and cleanup is a piece of cake.
The ceramic V60 pairs quite beautifully with JM&Sons' “flat white” pour-over coffee stand — however, as of this writing the studio is in the midst of relaunching their online shop so you'll have to wait a while before you can purchase anything from them again.
Fellow's Stagg EKG kettle in matte white. ($149)
Fellow “Stagg EKG” Variable-Temp Gooseneck Kettle »
With any pour-over brewing method you'll need a good gooseneck kettle. Fellow's matte white Stagg EKG is a fine choice indeed, with its brilliant white color, variable temperature control, and ergonomically counterbalanced handle. You might also consider the verson of it they produced with Blue Bottle, which features lovely maple wood accents.
The Flair Signature espresso maker. ($239)
Flair Signature Manual Espresso Maker »
If espresso is how you prefer to start your day over simple brewed coffee, then you'll want to check out the Flair espresso maker. It's not a machine, but rather a 100% human-powered press. Pressing down on the lever produces 8–12 bars of pressure — right in the sweet spot for getting that lovely crema and mouthfeel that signify a great espresso shot.
Fellow's “Carter” travel mug. ($30 for 12 oz, $35 for 16 oz)
Fellow “Carter” Vacuum-Insulated Travel Mug »
Now that we've covered grinding and brewing, we turn to an excellent drinking vessel: the Fellow “Carter” mug, which goes beyond vacuum-insulated temperature retention by also focusing on pleasant hand-feel and coffee aromatics — much like drinking from your favorite mug at home, but on the go.
The Carter features a matte textured exterior that feels great in the hand, plus an aromatic wide mouth so drinking your coffee becomes the multi-sensory experience it was meant to be. But they didn’t stop there — it’s also coated with ceramic on the inside to make sure your coffee tastes as good on the road as it does at home.
The stainless steel drinking lip is even tapered for maximum comfort, as opposed to a lot of travel mugs with their almost sharp sipping edges. That same lip is 69mm in diameter, perfectly wide enough to fit the V60 dripper we mentioned earlier.