Aeropress

[Warren]

I spend far less on coffee than cigars still I have quite a collection of gadgets.

A while back I purchased a nice big french press. The truly perfect cup was promised. But the grounds in my cup ruined the taste for me.

Someone suggested a drip funnel placed over a cup. I believe the theory was to pour in your own boiling water because regular drip machines do not get hot enough. This was ok but just marginally better than the much easier automatic drip machine method.

Next a friend said that I should get a drip machine with a stainless steel carafe and no bottom heating element because it retained the temperature and would not cook the coffee. Again, this was ok but nothing special.

Last week out of curiosity I ordered an Aeropress from Amazon. It came Tuesday and all week I've been playing with it. Finally I think I've found something that rivals the best cups I've purchased at local coffee shops and Starbucks.

I decided to take the time to do this post not to shill for the product so much as to help others like me who want a nice strong cup of coffee but don't want to spend several hundred dollars on a commercial machine. This thing shipped is less than $30 with enough filters to last a year or so.

Anyway, I'm happy with it.

[Mister Moo]

Maybe there is more to say about what coffee you used in your press and how it was ground - and then again, maybe there isn't. Same might be true about a pourover filter. A lot of people (self included) feel these brewing methods are the best there is for making conventional coffee. Regardless, quality fresh-roasted coffee, a proper grind (esp. with a french press) and correct water temp has everything to do with the quality of the brew. Do you feel your coffee, grind quality and water temps were up to spin?

Regardless again - the AeroPress AeroPass is still going slowly along. To date, nobody has said anything bad about AeroPress quality. It really is an extraordinary device for the price. Smoothest sweetest coffee I ever had short of a $$$ full blown espresso machine.

AeroPass - AeroPress for Good Gorillas to Try

[EvanS]

I hear your pain Warren. I don't suffer your pain anymore, since upping the grinder and zeroing in the process. But a shortcut to French Press quality, assuming your water temp is on and you just don't have the ability to grind coarse enough....simply make your FP and pour the coffee thru a paper towel and funnel.

All the flavor, none of the grit.

[Mister Moo]

Maybe there is more to say...

Perhaps. But! Who will say it? And more important, who will get it right?! (drumroll....)

Originally Posted by EvanS

I hear your pain Warren. I don't suffer your pain anymore, since upping the grinder and zeroing in the process. But a shortcut to French Press quality, assuming your water temp is on and you just don't have the ability to grind coarse enough....simply make your FP and pour the coffee thru a paper towel and funnel.

All the flavor, none of the grit.

Ta da! EvanS nails the dismount for a 9.8 and, once again, validates it's all about the grinder.

[Warren]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

Do you feel your coffee, grind quality and water temps were up to spin?

I do. I have experimented with everything short of commercial grade products and the Aeropress is hands down my favorite.

Perhaps because I most often pair coffee with very strong cigars I enjoy a full bodied brew. I don't like grounds in my cup or a strong acidic taste. The Aeropress fixes both of the problems.

However, now that I have played with the Aeropress a bit more I do have a couple of complaints.

First, it doesn't do 4 servings very well. I've found that 1-3 are fine but when you go to 4 you lose some of the strength even if you mix it a bit longer. I wish the chamber was just a bit wider or taller to really be able to do 4 servings properly.

Second, when you brew at 175 degrees you really have to drink it fast. Again, no problem for a serving or two but when you do 4 servings and mix it with water to make a 20 oz Americano you really have to drink it down quickly. I tried increasing the temperature to 190-200 degrees and that really brings back the acidic taste. So make a bit, drink, repeat is the trick.

Obviously the thing is designed for people who want 5-10 ounces of Americano or 1-3 shots of espresso. That's probably the majority of folks. But I tend to go through quite a bit of coffee in a day and I find myself brewing over and over.

[Mister Moo]

Originally Posted by Warren

I do. I have experimented with everything short of commercial grade products and the Aeropress is hands down my favorite.

Perhaps because I most often pair coffee with very strong cigars I enjoy a full bodied brew. I don't like grounds in my cup or a strong acidic taste. The Aeropress fixes both of the problems.

However, now that I have played with the Aeropress a bit more I do have a couple of complaints.

First, it doesn't do 4 servings very well. I've found that 1-3 are fine but when you go to 4 you lose some of the strength even if you mix it a bit longer. I wish the chamber was just a bit wider or taller to really be able to do 4 servings properly.

Second, when you brew at 175 degrees you really have to drink it fast. Again, no problem for a serving or two but when you do 4 servings and mix it with water to make a 20 oz Americano you really have to drink it down quickly. I tried increasing the temperature to 190-200 degrees and that really brings back the acidic taste. So make a bit, drink, repeat is the trick.

Obviously the thing is designed for people who want 5-10 ounces of Americano or 1-3 shots of espresso. That's probably the majority of folks. But I tend to go through quite a bit of coffee in a day and I find myself brewing over and over.

My only advice to improve your experience: get a thick-walled coffee mug and preheat it with hot water before adding coffee. That'll at least double your hot-coffee-in-the-cup time. That's all I got. Enjoy that press.

Concur. It is smooth and easy on the stomach. I too wondered why it wasn't bigger.

[germantown rob]

Originally Posted by Mister Moo

I too wondered why it wasn't bigger.

I like mine just fine!

I fit into the category of straight shots.
I often make multiple presses when company is over so to make 20 oz just make 2 batches with the press. The clean up is so easy that this multiple batch making is really no problem.