Most serious coffee enthusiasts have become acutely aware of the attention being given to the cold water coffee craze. There are those who remain perfectly content with the immersion filter devices like the Toddy, or simply soaking grinds in a Ball jar and filtering after a number of hours. On the other side of the continuum, there are those who feel very strongly about the Japanese Cold Water Drip devices that slowly drop water onto a bed of coffee grounds in a glass cylinder over a number of hours to extract a viscous and aromatic coffee liquor.
At the top of the spectrum of the Japanese Cold Water Drip products is the Oji. Unlike the other widespread market competitors (Hario and Yama), Ojis are handmade in limited production using only the best parts. Until recently, many have only seen their flagship commercial device (Oji WD-300) at exclusive coffee shops like Blue Bottle in San Francisco or Cherry Street Coffee in Seattle. At roughly $2,000 and capacity of 3.0L of production a day, this device is limited to high-end coffee shops or coffee enthusiasts with an affinity for the best toy.
The good news is that Oji makes smaller machines with the same design and precision dripping mechanics at a more accessible price for the home consumer. There are two models: the WD-60 (600mL) and the WD-45 (450mL). The base level WD-60 is available with two upgrades: 1.) DX version which includes a device called a “Doppi” which more uniformly distributes the water droplets over the bed of coffee grounds, and 2.) DX Premium version which is a scaled down version of the WD-150 (1.5L). The WD-45 is the smallest dripper in the Oji lineup. All Oji devices produce the same smooth, brewed beverage one will find at the best coffee shops.
With demand soaring for Oji devices in the United States, the coffee blogs have been flooded with people asking where one can be purchased. Feel free to visit us at www.slodrip.com.