Thread: Coffee, gourmet and a coffee press

Can't wait for your evaluation of it. I want to buy one but I have to admit I'm a bit dubious.
(Cannonfodder never really did weigh in on this)

1) I'm not sure how hot water is going to extract in 10-20 seconds (I'm not so sure I buy the whole total immersion thing. I don't see how it's different from a french press except that it does look easier to clean up after. I'm not buying that a bit of air pressure does anything other than push the water through the filter. No different than turning a french press upside down.

2) A good cone drip maker (TechniVorm) differs in that the first part is extracting different stuff than the last part. Swirl it in the pot once or twice and it's all mixed. The drip maker would be fixed at about a 5 minute brew. Should be about the same as leaving the grounds in the water for 5 minutes in either a french press or an aeropress. With my Technivorm I close off the basket and let it pump water into the basket until it just covers the grounds. Then I shut it off and let it sit for maybe half a minute or less until the grounds are completely saturated. Then switch it back on and open the basket. I don't make a full pot so I set the basket on 1/2 open. The basket gradually fills during the brew as the water rate in is slightly more than the coffee rate out (no, it doesn't get close to overflowing). So I'm getting "total immersion" there.

The aeropress (as well as a french press) will give you full control over the brew time.

When you run water through or immerse grounds the very first thing that is extracted is the oils and then at the end the more acidic stuff. That's why 4-6 minutes is the convention. With the proper proportions this give you a balanced cup. So if you only do 10-20 seconds in the aeropress you're only going to get the initial oils. Surely this will taste less acidic. I'm thinking this may not be good or bad but just different.

3) If you only get the initial oils, are you going to get the caffeine? I NEED the caffeine .

I do like the idea of the micro filter. A french press leaves a bit too much particulate for me but I believe thats part of that type of cup. I don't think you're going to get the same cup without it.

I think clean up and fiddling is about the same. With my drip I pluck the filter with the grounds and drop it in the trash, rinse the basket and basket cover and I'm done. With the french press it's a tiny bit more since you have to rinse both the plunger and the pot. I just pull the plunger, rinse it, run a bit of water into the pot and dump it and the grounds down the disposal and rinse the pot. I think it's a wash (<-- haha).

Last thing is dependency on their non-standard size filters. If you run out, or they don't make them any more, or there's some tragedy like dropping them in the sink, then you're going to be cutting Mr. Coffee filters into perfect little circles perfectly sized...

Im with Greg (in a non-sexual way) - Java all the way for me also! Also like arabica CUBAN. The darker the better! woop woop!!

You can play with the variables with the Aeropress to get a cup more to your liking. Mr. Adler is an active member on coffeegeek, and had a lot of discussion on that board when the press was introduced. Like many, I tend to use hotter water and longer stir times than he first advised. The cost of the little filters is low enough that a pack (of 300) or two are a slight addition to the purchase. For total control of brewing, there's nothing like the classic pour-over. I use that system to brew right into my Thermos when I'm on the road. Sweetmarias has cone filter holders that are made for this. Add a little adjustable hot pot and a Zass grinder, and your all set.

Wayne, rambling a bit

Originally Posted by bbqncigars

You can play with the variables with the Aeropress to get a cup more to your liking. Mr. Adler is an active member on coffeegeek, and had a lot of discussion on that board when the press was introduced. Like many, I tend to use hotter water and longer stir times than he first advised. The cost of the little filters is low enough that a pack (of 300) or two are a slight addition to the purchase. For total control of brewing, there's nothing like the classic pour-over. I use that system to brew right into my Thermos when I'm on the road. Sweetmarias has cone filter holders that are made for this. Add a little adjustable hot pot and a Zass grinder, and your all set.

Wayne, rambling a bit

Cool. I would be concerned with availability of the filters, not the cost. You can have a 2 year supply but if it falls off the shelf into the bucket of spic'n'span you're cleaning the counter with you can't just run down to the grocery store for more. Still not a huge risk.

What sort of water temp and stir/steep time do you use? I'm guessing that agitation would accelerate the extraction somewhat? Other than stiring I can't see why it would differ much from the traditional 190*+ and 4~6 minutes?

How well has the Aeropress been received on coffeegeek?

Ok my Aeropress arrived last night .. so I gave it a go , very impressive !!!
I have a 'User Freindly.org ' oversized mug so I thought I'd try a coffee in that .
3 scoops of Columbian dark roast into the aeropress , filled up with hot water to the #4 marker stirred for 10-15 seconds and then pressed . Just like a huge syringe ;-) .
Filling to the #4 marker only just half filled my cup so I repeated the process again with the coffee grinds I'd already just used .. filled up to the #4 marker again stirred for 10 seconds and then pressed ........
This filled my big mug up to about 3/4 just about right for me ..
Results ................... well I must say it was one fine cup of coffee no bitterness whatsoever , just full of flavour ..

The instructions say you can reuse the filters over & over again just by washing the coffee grind off I'm trying that ..

For a quick 1 or 2 cup coffee maker I gotta say this was worth every £ of the £ 18 I paid .. A really really great Chrsitmas present to myself . I'm very happy with the results


Garry :-)

Garry sent u pm pal.

well ill give a review Christmas day lol as thats when I can open mine


glad to hear the good reviews

Well, I got mine opened up and out to use.

In essence it looks like a big syringe as said before. I thought for a second how is this going to be that different from a french press I use already. Well, it is different and I cant say why because I dont know lol. BUT man it really does work and it works WELL !

Fast and easy to use as well as to clean up. The coffee was a fine grind and I actually just microwaved a cup of water in a pyrex measuring cup for 2 1/2 minutes. It had just peaked at boiling. I Used 2 scoops of coffee and then poured the water in to the #4 mark. The stirred with the stirrer they give you for about 15 seconds at best and then put the plunger part on top and stared the downward push right into my mug. As I was adding my 1 tablespoon of sugar and half and half I was really thinking that this is going to be "just another cup" of coffee... well after the first sip I said wow thats not bad and after the second I said Man thats really good and smooth and not bitter in any way at all. It was full bodied and well balanced.

So easy to do and all seems to be well made for long term use. Solid plastic that is thick and not cheap. Clean up is fast and easy. Funny part is when taking off the bottom to clean out the coffee... it falls out into the garbage as a solid puck of coffee. It was like a hockey puck. I have to admit I reached in the garbage and picked it up and it was whole lol. It crumbled when I gave a squeeze but it was really compacted. The Areo Press had put some serious pressure on the coffee.

Lastly, I made a second cup later on and for the sake of trying I took the little filter from the first cup and rinsed it off and used it again. The only thing I noticed is that a little water started flowing through before I started the plunger this time BUT the end result was another stellar cup of Joe.

Im not expert on how stuff works but this little baby works well and it works fast and is obviously easy to adjust to you're liking.

For any price making 1-2 cups of coffee that is smooth and bitter free a breeze I love it.