“To taste coffee, you must wait for the brew — a little masterpiece distilled in every second of slowing down.” — Barista Blagu
Known in France during the reign of King Louis-Philippe and spreading across Europe in the 19th century, the Royal Balance (Royal Syphon) was both a brewer and a showpiece in aristocratic kitchens. Its sculpted lines and self-balancing mechanism were celebrated as an ingenious, fully automatic design — simple in appearance, yet exquisitely complex.
The first patent (1849, U.K.) honored Apoleoni Pierre Preterre of Le Havre, and the device was later refined by Edward Bramah, a renowned coffee machine designer in the 20th century. Today, the Royal Syphon still evokes a distinctive, luxurious cup meant for quiet tea-and-coffee salons — a ritual equal parts engineering and elegance.
Process Overview
The Royal Syphon uses vapor pressure and a balancing lever to move hot water from a sealed tank to the coffee carafe. When the transfer is complete, the counterweight lifts the tank, automatically snuffing the alcohol lamp. As the system cools, a gentle vacuum draws the brewed coffee back into the serving vessel. The result is a clean, silky, aromatic cup — brewing as performance, flavor as ceremony.
What You’ll Need
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Royal Syphon Balance coffee maker (full set)
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Gooseneck kettle
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Digital scale
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Measuring cup
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Your favorite coffee (ideally medium or medium-dark roast for a fuller cup)
Blagu Royal Syphon Ratio: 1:10
Step 1 — Weigh & Grind
Weigh 30 g of coffee and grind medium.
Remove the glass coffee carafe and add the ground coffee directly into it.
Step 2 — Water & Rinse the Equipment
Use purified water to avoid unwanted flavors.
For 30 g of coffee, prepare about 300 ml of water.
Rinse the glass vessels, the cloth filter, and open the spout to let water run through and clean the faucet path — this helps remove any residual smells.
Step 3 — Reassemble & Fill the Water Tank
Reattach the glass carafe to its position.
Remove the lid of the water reservoir, pour in 300 ml of water, and close the lid.
Lock the tap carefully so water won’t leak during heating.
Step 4 — Brew with the Royal Syphon
Gently lift the water tank and flip open the alcohol-lamp cap.
Light the lamp and wait for the water to move to the coffee carafe by pressure.
After 3–5 minutes, once the water boils, it will travel through the tube into the coffee carafe.
When all the water has transferred, the water tank becomes lighter and the balance mechanism raises the tank, causing the lamp lid to close automatically. The brewed coffee will then be drawn back into the water reservoir (now the serving vessel).
Step 5 — Serve & Enjoy
Place your cup beneath the faucet, and open the valve slowly to pour.
Enjoy the elegant flavor from the Royal Syphon brew.
Note: The Royal Syphon becomes very hot during brewing. Allow it to cool before cleaning.
This is coffee as ceremony: flame, metal, glass, and time finding harmony. The Royal Syphon turns patience into luxury — a measured dance where engineering bows to elegance. At Blagu, we honor this heritage by keeping the ritual human and humble, so the cup remains both refined and close to the heart.
