My coworkers often tell me they never knew a cup could taste so smooth and yet be that caffeinated, then I get to watch their eyes glaze over when I try to explain the chemistry.
Oh boy, a mug of hot plastic water. Yumm.
So what’s the benefit of an aero press over a French press? I’ve used the French press for years and I always see people loving aero press. I’m curious what the differences are.
Looks like they’re made of plastic, for starters.
Main difference is the fact that the aeropress uses a paper filter which filters out sediment and oils giving the coffee a “cleaner” taste. From my research before I bought it, I remember it also being slightly healthier because, again, you filter out those oils.
This changes alot though, because of the filter, the aeropress can take finer grounds than the french press. Also when you press, you press all the water through the grounds.
Interesting. I don’t know if I’d ever describe the coffee I brew as oily or anything like that. I suppose I have to try this sometime.
Oh, no. It’s not oily. Just a bit thicker. Like espresso. That’s partly because of the oils that coffee has.
So if you pour French press through paper filter it’s same thing?
Not quite. I said that was the main difference, but if we go into details, the physics of the thing, it’s a bit more complicated. The guy who invented the aeropress, afaik, tried to make a handmade espresso replacement. He didn’t succeed, but the way the aeropress works is a hybrid of immersion, percolation and pressure brewer, whereas the french press is all about immersion and that it’s. It has the plunger, but that’s for filtering, nothing else.
If anything, I think the aeropress is closer to a moka pot than anything. But it’s its own thing, honestly.
Aeropress brings out a lot more flavor imo. The process of making it is also kinda fun.
Mmmm…pfaaassss…!
It seems popular. I am set for coffee gear at this time. Very happy with the V60 02 and the Clever Dripper.
This entire thread is full of shills.
This contributes nothing to the conversation and comes off as conspiratorial.
How the fuck has this post been allowed to stay up half a day?
I’ve had the aeropress since the month they came out, and I absolutely love it.
For all of us Aeropress junkies, here’s a deep rabbit hole: https://aeroprecipe.com/. I hope y’all have as much fun as I did playing around with the recipes and results options.
Well. Didn’t know that existed. Thanks!
Is that plastic? Gonna be a hard no for me Dawg
Probably no worse than most drip coffee makers. Do you use a french press?
No I use a stainless moka pot. I don’t like to have hot things in plastic even if it’s bpa free
They’re working on a glass-and-metal premium version. But it’ll cost a premium price, though.
At this rate I’m not sure they’ll release it this year
That would be amazing. The device is cool, and seemed to work well from the reviews, but the plastic prevented me from buying it.
It’s made of polypropylene, partially recycled, extremely durable, and again fully recyclable if it does reach end of life at some point. It’s also certified BPA free - as opposed to the very first version (that was transparent and used a different plastic). BPA doesn’t leech into water unless exposed over a very long time anyway, and the average brew time is about 3-5 minutes; but it’s good they made the change anyway. If I remember correctly, BPA became an issue mostly due to being in baby toys that are chewed on, or bottles for beverages with a very long shelf life (e.g. water, that practically lasts forever) where it can leech out over time.
To me it’s the ideal travel brewer, since I can pre-grind my coffee and keep it in a tin box, where I can also put a stack of filter papers in to keep them from getting wet. Glass just wouldn’t work on the road, the risk of damage is simply too high. And you’ll anyway need to have a plastic plunger, or at the very least a plastic coated one, since you need to have a 100% tight seal.
At home I don’t use it often since I have a decent espresso machine, but I can see the merit as a daily driver in a small kitchen.
Edit: Oh btw, if the body was made of glass, I can totally see how it would shatter someday while applying force. You have to push with quite a bit of power the water through.
$40 is already a premium price for what it is. It makes great coffee, but at the end of the day it’s a sturdy plastic plunger. Probably $4 landed.
It’s made in US, so it should be not as cheap as Chinese stuff.
I know it is, but production is almost completely hands off for something like this and plastic is cheap as dirt. US production runs wouldn’t be very expensive either. It’s a painfully simple product. You get like 5 pieces of plastic in a small box. You can find things that look more complicated at the dollar store.
Questions: what are the perks to using this vs a pour over system (which is what I currently use when I’m out of cold brew)? Is this easy to use if you have limited hand dexterity and strength?
Aeropress is more forgiving and produces more body. Pour over, being a percolation brew, will have higher extraction at the cost of being a bit more sensitive to technique.
The slight pressurization (and ability to change it by how hard you press) and speed of use would be two advantages over pour over.
It doesn’t require hand dexterity or, really, hand strength. Basically you put the plunger in it and press down. Body weight or mild strength is all it takes. They’re very affordable, so perhaps worth trying.
Unless you don’t like microplastics. The entire thing is plastic.
Honestly I’d rather use plastic than have to press my hand down on heated glass. It’s bound to explode one day and send glass down your wrist.
Yes, that’s a fair point. Though, there are other materials that might be explored (types of metal perhaps?) for those that would prefer a non-plastic version.
The reason some might be concerned is that when “food-grade” plastics, like the polypropylene used by aeropress, are used and “exposed to hot water, they release trillions of nanoparticles per liter into the water.”
The slight pressurization and the friction of the rubber plunger likely amplifies that result.
Triton is a trade named plastic. All the microplastic concerns would still be there, but because it’s based frre, food safe, and can be made clear, it allows “funner” colored food safe plastics to be used.
I had used one for many years, it’s great for small amounts of coffee. If you need to make coffee for your significant other as well, it’s a pain. Recently moved back to a French press and I love it
That is indeed a drawback this has. On the other hand I don’t think a larger aeropress would make much sense either. This size is just perfect, but definitely for one cup.
People need to stop doing inversions. At some point you are going to spill it and now we have good valve based options its not even necessary to stop the tiny amount of dripping that occurs. Even before we had the several valve solutions the amount that actually dripped through was tiny and had no impact on the flavour of the cup of coffee since you could put the plunger in and create a slight negative pressure that kept the liquid in.
James Hoffman taste tested this and couldn’t tell the difference, he has a fantastic video on what is actually worth doing and what isn’t with the Aeropress and inversion isn’t.
I love the Aeropress. I don’t know if I’ve ever been able to make a bad cup with it. It seems so forgiving, yet you can really dial in a recipe at the same time.
My baseline recipe is 20g of coffee ground on the Encore (18 for light, 16 for med, 10 for espresso) and 200 ml water just off boil. Mix inverted for 2 min, stirring 3 or 4 times. Add 150 ml hot water in cold weather or right from the tap in hot water.
The only other brewer I bother with now is the OXO pour over, which is a good hands off brewer that makes me a very satisfying and consistent cup without the involvement of the Aeropress. It makes what it makes though. I use the same 20g coffee ground at 16-18, unbleached filters, and all 350 ml of water at once. I typically get evenly brewed grounds, but if I’m feeling so inclined I’ll check it’s getting all the coffee evenly, but whether I touch it or not, I feel I get the same result, so it’s more piece of mind than taste that is affected.
Nice I need to try adding the extra water next time. I have a bad habit of brewing and walking away too long before I push the plunger.
I typically steep it 1.5-2 minutes, the gf likes it from 2-5 min, James’s testing I think was good up to 10 minutes without too much difference, and even in the Aeropress instructions I think it calls for like 30 seconds. I still feel all produce something drinkable.
I like to brew on a mocha pot, pour into my aeropress, and plunge into a cup. It filters the sediment out for a super clean taste.
You can just put an aeropress filter above the grounds before you screw the top on your mokapot (assuming you don’t have one of the super size ones)
I wonder how this would affect my Turkish coffee. I think a lot of it’s texture and flavor is because a lot of the powder is kind of dissolved filtering it out might be a bad idea.
I tried it with Turkish coffee. IMHO, it ruined it.
I use an aeropress filter in my moka pot. Best cup of coffee without the sediment
It’s a great backup to have, that’s for sure. I drink mostly cold brew, but sometimes I run out and there are a few days before I brew more. Aeropress is a fantastic way to brew a quick cup.
Scientists found a way to make cold brew in a few hours just recently. It even passed every blind taste test, too. I forget the machine name, but it’s also commonly used to clean jewelry, as well as use in a lab, for like $60.
If you find it, post it!
It’s not really an inconvenience for me; I set it up, let it brew overnight; easy-peasy.
Ultrasound? I have one of those I use to clean all sorts of things. Never thought of using one for coffee, but I could see it really rendering the oils, even cold.
Ultrasound?
Ultrasonic cleaner? It basically vibrates like a speaker at high frequency, and when in water it can be used to clean jewelry.
