Alchema.com Cider Maker
Surely the de-cider (ahem!) for purchasing a home cider maker is that is be functional, easy to use and ultimately that it produces a delicious end product? Well the good news is that the Alchema Hard Cider Maker from Alchema.com ticks all three of these boxes.
Upon opening the packaging, we were presented with a machine that would not look out of place in a sci-fi movie! A fantastically space-age looking pod of a machine. They had certainly put a lot of thought and effort into the design.
The Alchema is controlled and monitored by an App which is compatible across multiple platforms. Connection via the app is easily achieved by using a combination Bluetooth and WiFi (Bluetooth is only used during set-up / sending commands to the Alchema - WiFi takes over for monitoring and updating you as to the progress of the fermentation). It is powered by a USB to mains cable which is a bonus and helps keep the electricity bills down!
There is a large range of recipes available to choose from and each one talks you through the ingredients needed and steps required. You can also create your own recipes and upload these to share with others.
Alchema takes care of many of the more stressful steps of fermentation for you - it sanitizes the pitcher automatically using UV-C LED lights and has a built in set of weighing scales which updates rapidly via the App, allowing you to add just the right amount of ingredients.
Once all steps have been completed, it really is hands off from then on - the machine automatically monitors parameters such as temperature, pressure, and Brix level and updates the App on your phone with graphs, allowing you to monitor these parameters over time. It also calculates alcohol % and gives you an estimate of the days remaining until fermentation is complete.
When the happy day arrives, you can either freeze or chill for a couple of days to allow sediments etc. to fall out, improving the clarity of the final drink. Overall, the process usually takes around 1-2 weeks.
When we sampled the cider live on the main group page, we were frankly very impressed. It would not taste out of place compared to some of the top range ciders out there. We don't take any credit for this as the process was so easy - it was all thanks to the Alchema!
Cleaning is also very easy - simply rinse out the pitcher and at most, wipe down the interior of the Alchema if needed.
The only areas for improvement would be for a bigger batch size, but the advantage of a smaller batch is that you could test out a recipe first before perhaps deciding to upscale at a later date. It would also be nice perhaps in a future model to see some kind of temperature control available.
Overall, Pub Sheds were really impressed with the Alchema and it certainly delivered all that it promised.
You can check out our review here:
