Clever or not so clever?

The Timolino Ingeni coffee maker.


I have a confession.  I often say that I am using a clever dripper to make brewed coffee, but in fact I am not, I am using

a clever style dripper.  I use an alternative called the Timolino Ingeni coffee dripper because I was in a local shop and they served me great coffee made on it and I picked it up on the spot).  


The product I use is linked here

http://www.timolino.com/products/apc50.htm


I have never been able to figure out if this is a knock off or if it is the same product rebadged.  The machines look close to identical to my eye.  If there are any difference in appearance they are certainly cosmetic.  From what I can tell they function in the identical design style.  It seems like the mechanism should be a little too identical not to be patented by one of the companies.  


I wonder if any of the Roaste users out there know if there is a difference between the Clever coffee dripper and this one or not.  I assume that Ingeni is meant to imply that this one is not just clever, but actually ingenious!  Google searches have yet to reveal another meaning of the word to me.


The process with this machine is simple.


First you boil water.  You let it come off the boil to a slightly lower temperature.  In the mean time you should grind your coffee.  It probably should  be somewhere between a French press grind and a drip grind, but even this is subject to debate and probably mostly just a matter of personal taste.


The initial water is poured in, allowing the bloom to subside and then the rest of the water is added after that.  After a short period the coffee is usually stirred and then finally after a total of three to four minutes the dripper is placed on top of the cup where the trap door magically opens dripping the coffee directly into the cup.  


The result is a great and clean cup of coffee.  The dripper comes with its own reusable filter or a paper filter can be used if you prefer.


I will write more about how I like to use it soon, but all in all it is a great tool, I just wonder if it is secretly clever or not.