[Closed] Aeropress - what do we think?

I like the upside down method. Grind for the paper filter, somewhere between what you'd do for a cafetiere and for an espresso machine. Welcome to quick and easy coffee so long as you don't think you are getting an espresso

use it for nights away in hotels and the like. It makes "plasticky" flavoured coffee, but still miles and miles better than instant

i just use taylors 'whatever'.
wet the filter, fit the plunger to the base and stand assembly upside down, add coffee, add water to your desired level for desired amount of coffee, fit the filter holder, put cup on top, turn the lot over, wait 10-20s, push until you hear air, stop.
press out any remaining water in to the sink, extract the filter holder, and lob the coffee grains in the bin. rinse. drink.

Use it every day. Never had the 'plasticky' thing. Fine grind, metal filter and inverted method would be my preference.

mine is new, to be fair

Wasn't a fan, gave it away. No better than a cafetiere for me - if you're into espresso and only like espresso (like me) nothing else works. I'd rather go without.

What's the point of this oft lauded "inverted" method? Stops it dribbling out before it's sealed I suppose, anything else?

Just easier

Think I prefer the inverted method, but I've only had mine a couple of weeks and still experimenting. Water temperature makes a big difference whichever method I use.

Not noticed any plasticky taste, although a chap at work said his made plastic tasting coffee when it was new.

No better than a cafetiere for me

Quicker clean up and better filter than a cafetiere but it is still, as you say, much the same coffee

Don't expect espresso, would be going for more of a lungo in ml size with a dash of milk or cream

Use it every day. Never had the 'plasticky' thing. Fine grind, [s]metal [/s] ,paper filter and inverted method would be my preference.

I find it less faff than a cafetière.

My favourite gadget ever, been using one daily for a number of years. I think the coffee tastes quite different than from a cafetiere. Maybe I've just had crappy cafetieres.

Inverted method for me too.

Had mine for about two years now

use it when in a tent/car camping

also take it with me when i have to work away

quick simple no faff

i like mine and have not experinced the plasticky coffee taste,

Wow, had never heard of the inverted method, still not sure I see the point though?

Filter fitted, coffee on top, fill to line 2 with slightly off the boil water, plunge all the way to the bottom, remove filter and pop compressed and squeezed grounds straight into bin. Don't see point in stopping when air starts to hiss out?

Find it better than a cafetière due to the better filter, no grounds or muddy bits at the bottom, tastes just as good, perhaps slightly better. Doesn't look as classy and continental as my wee mini Bodum though 🙁

I use the inverted method with the metal filter, paper otherwise. I like it as while its not espresso it makes a small concentrated shot of coffee rather than the long watery drink you (I) get from a cafetierre.

Don't see point in stopping when air starts to hiss out?

I never have either, but I was reading about the moka pot stovetop jobs the other day. It recommended that when it starts making the "straw in a near-empty glass" gurgling noise you should take it off the heat as forcing steam rather than water through the grounds can make the coffee taste bitter. I wonder if it's the same principle?

I was reading about the moka pot stovetop jobs the other day

So very STW!

Heh. I was actually looking up the physics of how they worked, cos it occurred to me that I didn't actually know. (Steam pressure forcing the liquid down, if you care; fairly obvious when you think about it really.)

I love my areopress. Never had plastic tasking coffee. I find it better than a cafetiere as it's slightly less bitter, less 'muddy' flavoured. Much more convenient unless you are making for a number of people. Easy to transport and use camping as well.
Ignore the espresso label as it's obviously not that and it's a great (and another) way to enjoy coffee.

Slight hijack, has anyone used a minipresso? Tempted to get one for work and camping.

I like the upside down method.

This.

Use it every day. Never had the 'plasticky' thing. Fine grind, metal filter and inverted method would be my preference.

And this.

Water temperature makes a big difference whichever method I use.

And this.

Going to buy my second soon as my first (two-three years old, used daily) is perishing. Cooler water definitely makes the coffee taste better. 78 degrees is the temp used by the last Aeropress world champ if memory serves.

Having ribbed Cougar, I suppose I should admit that I own an aeropress. It's great for camping trips, and I would say the coffee is better than a cafetiere, but if you're expecting an espresso, you'll be disappointed.

Inverted method is more practical at work given I have all the gubbins in my locker then make the brew in the staff room. I just buy whatever I like the look of in whatever shop I'm in. There's a big variety of flavour out there so I just keep trying different things. I just find that certain coffees are harder to press, I guess they're the finer grinds

The minipresso looks great, doesn't seem to need filter either unless I'm reading that wrong, just has a metal filter?

Not light though for camping, or at least not as light as my current highly technical method..

[img] [/img]

I prefer it to a cafetiere too. I used to use the inverted method but after blind taste testing both methods I go for non-inverted now as I couldn't tell the difference and I find non-inverted easier. I'd say its definitely worth trying both ways to see what suits.

I find it completely different to a cafetiere, mainly because of the different grinds I'd use for each. But if using pre-ground coffee I still think the Aeropress tastes better compared to a cafetiere. With pre-ground "suits all coffee makers" coffee, a cafetiere often gives gritty/sludgy coffee.

My Aeropress method (non-inverted):

- Assemble with paper filter and place on top of cup.
- Get water to ~85*C and pour some through the filter. This seems to prevent drips when steeping and also warms the cup
- Pour away water in cup (I sometimes forget and end up with overflow!)
- Add coffee in
- Cover coffee with small amount of water, so its just covered. Stir.
- Wait 10-20 secs or so
- Gently add water up to number 4 level, with no stirring*.
- Plunge, stopping before the air comes out.

The total time the coffee is in contact with the water is about 60 sec.

*If you stir at this point the coffee grinds form into a mound and this means water can 'bypass' the grinds at the edges of the mound

Not light though for camping, or at least not as light as my current highly technical method..

I've got one of these (not my picture):

[img] [/img]

Does the job and weighs about the same as a butterfly's fart.

http://www.gooutdoors.co.uk/gsi-outdoors-ultralight-java-drip-p263348

Bugger, I'd dismissed them because I assumed they used a paper filter also (more waste/mess/weight depending how you dispose of it). Now I see that they don't, hmm...

dmorts, tempted to print that out and leave it beside my Aeropress, sounds like a carefully developed method... 8)

I'll have to give that a go dmorts. However I'll probably still go inverted, just because I would expect leakage with a metal filter.

Aerobie flies straighter

Aeropress are great. I use the inverted method and let it brew for a couple of minutes usually for a little extra oomf.

Get water to ~85*C and pour some through the filter

You're supposed to dampen the filter before you start.

Love my Aeropress, have 2, one for home and one for work.

I use the inverted method as it stops any water going through before the coffee is ready, also find it easier putting the filter cap on than putting the plunger in when on a cup.

Water temp makes a big difference, never boiling water onto coffee grounds, brings out the bitter tastes.

Also stopping just as it starts to hiss means that you don't force out the oils that sit at the top of the brew and the oils give the bitter flavors.

Am I the only person who leaves the coffee brewing for 3 minutes before plunging? What's all this 10-20 second nonsense?

Got 2 here too, 1 at home and 1 at work.
Also use the inverted method and brew for a few minutes, never use boiling water as it makes it bitter, normally use 2/3rds boiling with a third tap water mixed before putting into the aeropress

Got one a few weeks ago mainly for use at work.

- Inverted method for simplicity/flexibility at work. No taste difference.
- I use the 'splosh' technique:

- Get the cup I'm drinking out of.
- Use Keurig machine to fill it to the brim with water (usually set to 90 degrees).
- Splosh a bit onto the coffee from the cup just to wet it for 20 seconds.
- Wet the filter while I'm waiting (don't have a metal one yet).
- Sploshily pour rest of water up to top of Aeropress with some going all over the place, 'most' of it going into the Aeropress.
- Still some water in cup. Leave it there. Put the Aropress on top of the cup.
- Let it brew for about 1.5 minutes before plunging. Seen a few videos that say 3, but I get too bored or I forget about it and it sits for 5.
- Plunge till it hisses.
- Pop the coffee out and give the Aeropress a quick rinse and wipe.

In a back-to-back test I much preferred it to the Bodum cafetiere I was using and it's way less of a faff to clean up.

Re: Aerobie - they were invented by the same chap.

I don't have a huge amount to add, other than that I have a grinder for my espresso machine, and use a coarser grind (between espresso and filter) for the Aeropress. Really well worth having one for holidays, camping and for when the espresso machine is just to much faff / in need of a service. You can write happily use pretty much any code ground for a French press or paper drop filter, too.

I've been using one for a few years, home and at work.

Great, easy way to nice coffee, temp not an issue for me, and any old esspresso grind seems to work fine.

I am not a coffee snob, but I do like the clean and fresh taste, no grinds left in the cup like with caffitiere coffee.

It's also the only way we serve coffee at a monthly pop-up bike cafe I do in Lewes. Reckon there's a fair few folk who have gone out and bought aeropresses after trying the coffee.

Get water to ~85*C and pour some through the filter

You're supposed to dampen the filter before you start.

I do..... I'm confused as to why you think otherwise from what I outlined.. pour water through, throw it away, add the coffee in

Do you mean dampen the filter before screwing the cap in? Can't see that makes any difference though

The quintessential STW thread, middle aged, middle class coffee snobs virtue signalling like an Injun with a blanket on fire!

Keep it up chaps!

Glad to see I am on point with my love of my aeropress although probably lose marks for having a pact coffee subscription 🙂

Fwiw I do non inverted method, works a treat and is the first thin I do when I wake each morning

Invented by the same guy that invented other things

crikey - Member
The quintessential STW thread, middle aged, middle class coffee snobs virtue signalling like an Injun with a blanket on fire!
Keep it up chaps!

😀

We're doing our best, Crikey. Maybe something about the cups or the kettle or beans that have been poohed by exotic animals next - what do you think?

I don't get this need to add complexity to making a coffee. It seems the more complex it is, the more merit the coffee yields.

Aeropress is simple, quick, cheap and makes nice coffee. If you're ok with that, get one. 😀

Aeropress is essential at work. A neat, dry puc of coffee grounds to pop in the bin rather than have to deal with the slurry at the bottom of a cafetiere

We're doing our best, Crikey. Maybe something about the cups or the kettle or beans that have been poohed

Obviously not a coffee person.
A different kettle with selectable temp is used as boiling water is never used for coffee brewing, plus a swan neck with small spout is used to wet the grounds properly when brewing filter.
Civet coffee is something non-coffee people buy coffee fans for Christmas as they think it's interesting. It isn't.
As for cups? That's user preference, I like this one
[img] [/img]

I do..... I'm confused as to why you think otherwise from what I outlined..

I think we're at angry dolphins, I was kind of agreeing with you. I only mentioned it cos I didn't find out you were supposed to until I'd had it a few months.

It's alright. I have one bit very rarely have an occasion to use it. Too bulky to camp, not as good as filter maker at work, so it lives in the van...

I think we're at angry dolphins

Took me a while to get that