Tricolate Brewer Review - Is High Extraction Better?

Last edit Oct 16, 2025 ● Published May 14, 2023 ● Louis-Charles Blais

The art of crafting the perfect coffee, a harmonious blend of science and taste, is something every coffee enthusiast appreciates. Speaking of which, I have recently come into possession of the Tricolate Brewer. This outstanding device guarantees enhanced extraction by entirely eliminating bypass.

Overview of the Tricolate Brewer

In the universe of coffee brewing, the Tricolate outshines others with its simplistic yet ingenious design. Engineered for maximum efficiency, the Tricolate has a minimalist aesthetic. The transparent plastic material not only allows you to enjoy the entire brewing process, but promises long-lasting durability and impeccable heat retention.. The setup breaks away from traditional brewing equipment, featuring a cylinder-shaped brewer coupled with a water disperser.

The Science Behind the Tricolate Brewer

The Tricolate is a one-of-a-kind coffee brewer meticulously engineered to boost extraction and completely eliminate bypass. What does that mean? It means that all the water goes through the coffee instead of water bypassing the coffee. Though it might require some trial and error to master, the rewards are definitely worth it with exceptionally flavorful brews.

The water disperser at the top is designed to spread the water across the whole coffee puck. This minimizes agitation and reduces channeling. Another advantage of this design is that you can see the coffee. During the bloom, you can see if all the coffee is prewetted correctly.

Brewing with the Tricolate

Using the Tricolate takes a brewing time of 7 to 10 minutes, slightly longer than the more common cone pour-over like the V60. The Tricolate needs 18-22g of coffee to establish an ideal bed depth and get good extraction. The grind size should be finer than a normal pour-over, leaning more toward espresso.

Tricolate Brew Recipe by Scott Rao

Having conducted experiments with various coffee recipes, I found that that Scott Rao's recipe consistently yields exceptional results. If you don't already know him, Scott Rao is a highly respected person in the coffee industry, has authored multiple acclaimed books on the subject and served as a consultant to roasters globally. Furthermore, his expertise in advanced roasting techniques is imparted through masterclasses conducted worldwide.

Ingredients

20 grams coffee ground medium fine
400 grams 100°C water

Instructions

Add filter to Tricolate and rinse with water
Add coffee grounds to and shake the brewer to level the grounds.
Put the shower screen on brewer.
Pour 60g of boiling water to brewer to prewet grounds then gently spin to level coffee bed.
At 1:00, pour 170g of boiling water. Spin gently again to level coffee bed.
At between 3:00 – 6:00, when water level is 1 centimeter above coffee bed, pour final 170g of boiling water to brewer. Spin Tricolate aggressively to level the coffee bed.
Allow water to draw down. Total brew time should be between 7-10 minutes.

Brew Quality and Taste

The Tricolate Brewer is a game-changer when it comes to brew quality and taste. It's definitely a change tasting high extractions that are not astringent. I think this is due to the more uniform extraction that design and the no bypass allows.

Final Thoughts

The Tricolate Brewer redefines the pour-over process with its design and scientific approach to extraction. Overall, I really enjoyed using the Tricolate and tasting different extraction types. The Tricolate Brewer is a fantastic addition to any coffee brewing arsenal.