No other coffee maker has fascinated passionate coffee drinkers like the Santos. Here Jørgen Bodum tells the Santos story, and after you read it you'll understand why this passion for coffee has lasted two generations and for sure will last another two. In the mid-50's my father, Peter Bodum, imported a French "vacuum" coffee maker and sold it for a couple of years on the Danish market. Although he found it both expensive and unsatisfactory he was convinced that the "vacuum coffee brewing system" was the best way to brew a good cup of coffee. With this in mind he set out to develop the first Bodum vacuum coffee maker in cooperation with one of Denmark's first product designers, the architect Kaas Klaeson. Their slogan, "design should not be expensive," is one that Bodum still stands for! Product development in 50's Denmark needed a pioneer's vision. From the first model, called Mocca, to the highly successful Santos, my father improved both the practical aspect of the vacuum coffee system and the quality of the coffee brewed in it. In creating a coffee maker to use on the stovetop as well as on a spirit burner at the table, he bridged the gap between everyday use and special events. His new, revolutionary nylon filter achieved a break-through in coffee brewing quality, far overshadowing the existing cotton and glass filters on the market. This patented filter strained coffee to a fine, tasteful and still aromatic coffee with nearly no sediments left over in the cup - a feat no coffee filter of the time was capable of. With its patented "valve sealing" a safety issue was solved by preventing too high of a vacuum to be formed. Santos became the coffee maker of the 50's, 60's, and a good part of the 70's. Its popularity grew to the point you could find a Santos in nearly every Scandinavian home. During the 60's my father added a number of new models to the collection. The Domingo, small and convenient, for 4-6 cups, and the Rio, for a full 12 cups and used mainly by restaurants. The Danish supermarket chain Irma even set up a catering kitchen with as many as 100 Rio coffee makers constantly brewing. When the brewing process was finished, the funnel was removed and the glass jug was placed in a thermos box and delivered to private parties by van. In this way, a hot and excellent coffee was delivered as an after-dinner surprise. Aromatic and delightfully served! The magic of Santos and my father's other glass coffee makers held people spellbound! People wanted to follow the visual wonder of water rising into the funnel and its mysterious return as black coffee into the serving jug. A unique physical process with the ideal balance between the 94°C, 201 F water and just the right brewing time, extracting the finest aroma from all types of coffee.
