A 24-Karat Coffee Maker Seems Like an Appropriate Use of Gold

It's the most important meal of the day, after all

January 4, 2017 9:00 am

Some people take their coffee black. Others, with cream and two sugars. And then there are those who insist on pairing their morning brew with crystals, precious stones and 24-karat gold.

To fit into the last category, one must own a Royal Coffee Maker, a ridiculously fancy homebrew machine that requires French craftsmen 50 hours of work (a nearly impossible task) to complete. Carved, assembled, detailed and polished by hand by coffee artisans at Royal Paris, the Royal Coffee Maker was inspired by the siphon brewers seen in European Courts during the 1800s.

Designed by “the world’s finest glassmakers, mathematicians, goldsmiths and engineers,” the Royal Coffee Maker can be finished in copper or silver instead of gold, and each one of the fully automated systems includes a specially made Baccarat crystal carafe and burner vase. The thing looks like a million bucks (actually, up to $18k) and the coffee supposedly tastes like it.

“Each Royal is individually tuned by our craftsmen to brew the purest coffee,” Royal Paris says. “The coffee from a Royal can best be described as ‘crystal clear,’ with a great purity of flavor and aroma — and no bitterness added by the brewing process.”

The bitterness comes later — when you get the bill.

MEET US AT YOUR INBOX. FIRST ROUND'S ON US.

Join America's Fastest Growing Spirits Newsletter THE SPILL. Unlock all the reviews, recipes and revelry — and get 15% off award-winning La Tierra de Acre Mezcal.