AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker – Quickly Makes
AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker – Quickly Makes Delicious Coffee Without Bitterness – 1 to 3 Cups Per Pressing,Black
New Materials for a Better AeroPress
Considering an upgrade? All of the AeroPress parts except the silicone seal and the paper filters have been made of polypropylene since July of 2014. We switched to using polypropylene because tests indicated the polypropylene is more durable than other materials we had previously used. Silicone is also extremely tough meaning the AeroPress is the now the most durable it has ever been. Materials used in the AeroPress are free of BPA and phthalates, are made in the USA.
| Weight: | 360 g |
| Dimensions: | 12.7 x 12.7 x 29.21 cm; 360 Grams |
| Brand: | Aeropress |
| Model: | A80 |
| Colour: | Black |
| Dimensions: | 12.7 x 12.7 x 29.21 cm; 360 Grams |
These things sell themselves on their reputation.
Great quality product, very easy to travel with for home or office.
With a little research and a decent coffee grinder, this will certainly elevate your morning cup of coffee.
Picked one up when a colleague was bragging about how much better it made his coffee taste. He was right. 8 years on and, other than losing the cap (which there are spares available to buy) the scoop (no spares available) and stirrer the main body and plunger have provided consistent brews throughout.
If you are a fellow owner, I’d suggest trying a reusable filter with the inverted method at least once.
Product fine but the box was damaged I’m guessing in transit as there were two other goods inside a box packed with a single piece of paper so the goods all rattled abou
It’s simplicity itself to use, and it makes genuinely excellent espresso which you can then turn into a cappuccino, americano or latt as you prefer. No ten minutes to warm up and build steam pressure, no “cleaning cycle,” no scorched roasts – just lovely espresso in three minutes.
Cleaning is a matter of unscrewing the filer holder then using the plunger to dump all the waste straight into the bin and rinsing the entire thing – thirty seconds or less.
I am frankly amazed at how good this thing is.
It’s a press. It makes quick coffee. This one didn’t come with accessories I had with a previous one…same price. Does the job. Missing the extra filters and holder my first included.
And….the best bit for me, no mess. I always struggled with the cafetire when disposing of the used grounds. No more! Just push down when finished and the grounds come out with the filter paper quite cleanly into the bin. Brill.
Now my go to coffee maker. Tnx.
It’s extremely forgivable, and even if it doesn’t produce correct espresso, you can make extremely tasty espresso based drinks with it. I have a decent espresso machine that I no longer use, because frankly this is much easier and paired with a good grinder gives me great flavour, without the faff of having to dial in a new blend etc.
Gifted one too a friend too was was always using instant and they loved it.
Many gadgets claim to improve your life, but, alas, end up in the drawer unused and unloved. Not so the aeropress. It does it all. It has replaced my moka pot as my go to coffee maker, and I love the moka pot.
Easy to use, easy to clean, and after 1000+ cups, still functioning as good as the day I got it. If it broke, I’d buy another one. If it was stolen, I’d hunt down the thief and pry it from his filthy hands.
I am coming to the tail end of a month on the road, different continents, various time zones. No average hotel blends or trailing around neighbourhoods for me. Every morning has reliably started with a cup of Illy coffee in the Aeropress. I have also taken it on a 5-day hiking trip. It fits neatly into luggage (the most space being taking up by the coffee itself, although this volume obviously gets smaller)
I am not good with gadgets, but this requires no training course. Easy to use, easy to clean, minimal waste. Better still, if you don’t travel alone you can easily share the Aeropress around.
Highly recommended.
For me where the AeroPress comes into its own is on the move, couple this little doozy with a half- litre decent thermos flask and you have some nice coffee anywhere. All my gear including hand grinder disappears into small 3L osprey compression bag, along with beans, then into my backpack.
Admittedly, coffee is an individual choices. Each to thier own. However I’ve been using this machine for a few months now, I am converted and I have one at work as well at home.
IMPORTANT TIP: there is one technique that really should be adhered to and that is to ensure that the filter is screwed on tight and that you depress the plunger very slowly, this is essential for the best possible outcome. Enjoy.
Bought it for my partner as i don’t drink coffee myself.
My partner swears by the areopress now. He had watched many videos on YouTube on how to make the perfect cup of coffee and ever since he is using the areopress, he dislikes the bitterness of coffee if it comes from a place like Starbucks, Greg’s, Costa. If you use a digital scale to measure out the amount of beans or grounds you need in ratio amount of water to your liking, it literally comes out as the perfect cup according to him. My partner btw uses up to 14 gram of grounds with 260ml of water, let it sit for 2 and half minute before slightly swirling the press and then slowly pressing it down.
It’s a great tiny product if you put it in each other so it’s great to take it with you for travelling if you have access to boiling water
(He watched the video from James Hoffmann for the ones who are curious)
I was fed up with using or rather cleaning my cafetiere. This is so easy to clean it wins hands down. For the price its great. It wont beat a snazzy big machine I suppose and I suspect making coffee for several people might be a bit trickier but I haven’t tried. You can rinse the filers and use again and again but once the packet that came with it runs out I think I’ll buy a steel one.
My partner likes coffee so I got this as a stocking filler, she’s been using it for years now! So it’s not just a perfect gift but a perfect must have for coffee drinkers!
when out with the bare minimum in uality one man kit it is like a luury item you treated yourself to and makes fresh ground coffee easy and is no bigget than a toilet roll cardboard incert geti
I don’t have room or the desire for a large fancy coffee maker in my kitchen so this was a great find. I love the little ritual of grinding some fresh beans each morning and making a great coffee for myself. Is very effective and super quick and easy to rinse clean. Small enough to store with all the bits in a neat container. I’d definitely buy again!
You can get a decent 200ml cup of coffee from this contraption without too much effort. I use a metal filter rather than the included paper ones, as I prefer to taste the oils in my coffee. If you like to control the brew time/strength of your coffee you’ll need to use the “inverted” method which involves turning the device upside down, which seems a tad perilous, but necessary, in my opinion. To avoid the upside down thing, after-market flow valves can also be purchased, but they’re expensive and the AeroPress branded one is currently out of stock in the UK.
I have used AeroPress for many years and the old one looks a bit battered although still functioning. The AeroPress is a great way to make 1-4 coffees. The original one came with a funnel for the ground coffee, about 300 filters and a handy filter holder. The new one just had I think about 30 filters in a plastic wrapper. I don’t use the paper filters now as I bought a stainless steel one.
Purchased AeroPress ahead of a week away where I expected to be without coffee making facilities. Wow! I was really impressed, no only with the ease and use of cleaning, but with the quality of coffee made by this awesome invention. Choice of coffee plays a role naturally, but I immediately noticed the difference in how smooth and strong coffee from the AeroPress tasted compare to cafetiere and pod coffee. Will not go away without this, ever.
Got this for my brother as a small birthday gift and he cannot get enough. Have tried it myself and I too love it. Easy to use and great coffee, where can you go wrong?
However, I’ve just ordered my 3rd one, and unlike the previous ones they’ve removed the funnel, the plastic stand/filter holder and now only supply 100 filters instead of the 350 that used to come in the box. I can understand dropping the funnel and maybe reducing the papers, but getting rid of the extremely handy stand / filter holder is extremely disappointing, so I’m dropping a star for this.
For the best results boil the water, and then dampen the filter paper before putting the coffee in and pouring in the water, then allow it to sit for a minute, before slowly applying pressure to press the coffee into the cup.
It makes Espresso, so if you want an Americano then just top up the mug with more water.
There are You Tube videos showing how to use the AeroPress to produced the best cup of coffee. That is where I learned how to use it.
It is a manual system, but it does make an excellent cup of coffee. The more you practice with it the better your cup or mug of coffee will be.
It also helps to choose good quality coffee, and use the correct ground coffee to put into the AeroPress. You cannot really go wrong with Lavazza coffee.
It took me a while to work out how to use it but have worked it out now, so the screw on filter stays on and I can flip the filter and coffee into the compost bin. The coffee certainly tastes good. But I won’t use it much because it is a bit big for most travel, and doesn’t fit my travel mugs without taking the extra part (3).
The parts are:
1/2. The part you put the coffee in, which has a screw on/off part at the bottom for the filter and coffee, which sits in the cup. Because it is quite wide it may not fit in a narrower cup.
2. The plunger.
3. A very large part which you can use for narrower mugs.
4. A stand for the filter papers.
I started off by attempting to use a mocha pot to accomplish this. You CAN get good coffee out of a mocha pot. I was able to get good coffee out of a mocha pot but there are numerous downsides to this. It’s easy to leave the pot on the stove too long and end up with burnt tasting coffee. It’s easy to burn yourself on the pot. It takes a bit of cleaning up. Overall that process is hit and miss. It seems you can follow the same steps down to the letter twice over and get very different brews.
Enter the Aeropress. I’m new to this process of brewing but I can say with high confidence that it’s quick, easy and produces consistent results. The first brew I got out of this was very sour and highlighted the “fruit salad” tones the coffee claimed to have. I wasn’t fond of this to drink but it highlighted to me that this thing was able to extract the flavour of the beans. The second brew I made I pushed down the plunger much more evenly. This yielded a more balanced brew from the same grinds. Once you’ve got the hang of this then that’s it. You’re making great coffee. Cleanup is easy. Just remove the filter cap and pop the puck out of the end. Give it a rinse and you’re done.
Personally for my morning brew I like to brew to the 1 cup mark then top up with hot water to make an Americana style coffee. But this thing is so versatile. I have also gotten great latte by adding the espresso strength coffee to milk. I’ve also added some cold water and poured over ice with a splash of milk for delicious iced coffee while it’s been hot.
It’s a lot of fun tinkering with this thing. I’ve found the best results out of a finer, near espresso grind. It should be said though, the coffee this makes is NOT espresso. It lacks the crema because it lacks the sufficient pressure provided by an espresso machine in brewing.
Now, I’m not personally a fan of crema, so I’m quite happy with the output and it certainly tastes better than what you’d get from many many cheap espresso machines. Just be aware that the output isn’t actually espresso, just espresso strength. I’m personally fine with this. I’ve seen people do some crazy nonsense like getting a handle to increase the pressure but if you’re going to those lengths maybe save up for an espresso machine.
Overall if you love coffee, even if you have an espresso machine, give this a try. You might just have some fun and make some delicious coffee along the way.
The reasons are many, but largely because I have entered a whole new world of coffee making with these little pieces of plastic, rubber and waffer theen papier discs. So:
1. Easy to use. Paper disc in, screw up to the outer tube, measure in coffee, pour on water, stir a little (stirrer provided), plonjer avec le plunjer (not much effort needed — kind of like a syringe really with a rubber sealing disc), add milk/cream/nowt and that’s it.
2. Easy to clean. Unscrew filter holder. Push the plunger through to eject all the grounds and paper. Withdraw plunger, replace paper filter ready for next go. No need to wash fanatically as the tube is cleaned by le plonjer.
3. Temperature. Very important blurb on this in the leaflet which pricked my investigative mind — so thanks to Schmoogle.I ended up investing in an IKEA cooking temperature probe thingy. Coffee does best when tickled with water at 93C apparentlyso, that was easyturn off the kettle a little before getting there, check the gauge and Bob’s no-one I know.(other than a couple of colleagues from donkeys ago — we haven’t kept in touch, so I don’t know them anymore, even if I ever did)
Perfect coffee from the correct temperature water in a very short space of time with minimal clean up — I will not be going back to the other methods anytime soon. You only need one to make a couple for you and a friend — two soups in the chamber prior to adding water and just evenly split the ‘espresso’ strength coffee and then turn into Americano or latte or whatevs.
Merchant sent quickly enough (overnight Prime — couldn’t get quicker really!) and at what seems a fairly well protected price point for what it is.Only gripe is I now drink more coffee ’cause it’s so lushbut then that’s my problem I supposeI’ll cope
6 year update: Still works properly.
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5 year update: Still working perfectly. There are visible scratches inside the barrel, but the rubber plunger is 100% OK, and still forms a good seal. There is increased resistance over the scuffed area when pushing down the plunger, but I have come to realise this is a good thing, it gives you more feel and control.
Use the resistance to your advantage. Apply enough pressure to start liquid flowing. The plunger will move down in its own time in a controlled manner.
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I’ve been using an Aeropress daily for 3 years now. The coffee is as good as from a cafetiere, without needing the dreaded regular dismantling and deep clean of the filter.
Better than a cafetiere in every way except volume of coffee produced and the pleasure of using glass.
The volume issue can be overcome by making *strong* batches (not all your water has to go in the Aeropress!)
I’m a pretty lazy person but even I cleaned it right after making the coffee every time. It literally takes seconds. Because of this mine is like new even after 3 years. I read that other people got staining or degrading of the plastic and I expected to need a replacement at some point. I keep thinking I should buy a spare just in case, but seriously there’s no need – mine is literally like new.
I settled on the upside down method using a fine mesh stainless steel filter. Which, incidentally, still works with espresso grind coffee without any grinds getting through. I discovered this by mistake when I forgot to adjust my grinder once, and it’s a useful way to make the brewing even faster if you’re in a rush. I was OK with the paper filters too, I just wanted to try the metal filter, and kept using it. It’s supposed to let extra oils through for a different flavour. But it’s great either way.
You can remove the rubber from the plunger section to clean under it. You don’t really need to, since this side is isolated from the coffee. But it gets wet during cleaning and over 2 years some gunk had built up in there. So it’s worth cleaning once in a blue moon just for peace of mind. Just be careful getting it off, there is a knack to it.
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Update: Nearly at 4 years now, I’ve just noticed the plunger action is smoother right at the top, compared to lower down. On inspection the barrel is rougher at the lower part, with some score marks. It is still 100% functional, but maybe I’ll need a replacement in a year or two? Not bad going for a plastic device that has to deal with heat and mechanical action daily.
COFFEE QUALITY 10/10
COFFEE MAKER QUALITY 9/10
EASE OF USE 9/10
CLEANING EASE 10/10
DURABILITY 10/10
BREW SPEED 10/10
APPEARANCE 4/10
VERSATILITY 10/10
PROS
* Great coffee
* Small footprint
* Portable/great for travel
* Durable
* Easy to clean
* Inexpensive
* USA made
* BPA free
CONS
* All plastic
* Only makes one cup of coffeeBUY ON AMAZON
The AeroPress is one of the few coffee makers out there I think every coffee drinker should try at least once. In this review, I’ll try and show you why.
I’ve been brewing coffee with the AeroPress for several years now, and it’s still working just as great as the day I bought it.
For those who of you who have just been introduced to the Aerobie AeroPress (yes, it’s made by that same frisbee company), meet the coffee maker with perhaps the biggest cult following in the entire coffee industry.
This ugly plastic coffee maker makes coffee unlike anything you’ve ever tried before and has basically created an entirely new brewing category that falls somewhere between immersion and pour over.
Sure, the AeroPress isn’t necessarily for everyone, but given how versatile the AeroPress is, chances are good you’ll be able to get the results you want from it with a little bit of practice.
What do I mean by versatile?
Well, in this case the versatility I speak of has to do with the way you brew with it. Many people brew right-side-up (as is recommended by Alan Adler, the coffee maker’s inventor), and just as many, if not more, brew upside-down.
Some brew with SCAA recommended water temperatures, others stick to the manufacturer’s guidelines of 175F.
Some people stir 20 times, others don’t stir at all.
And I could go on and on and on.
Really, the reason this coffee maker is so versatile is because of how many different techniques have been adopted by its users. In fact, so many people love the AeroPress that there is actually a World AeroPress Championship that takes place at least once a year.
You can find all of the winning AeroPress recipes/techniques here (you’ll notice not one is the same from competitor to competitor).
UNBOXING
Keep in mind that there are tons of different combo packages that you can buy on Amazon.But your typical set will come with an Aeropress coffee maker, a tote, and something crazy like 350 filters.
AEROPRESS REVIEW
The AeroPress is definitely one of the best investments I’ve ever made when it comes to making great coffee.
It’s easy to use. Makes great (and unique) tasting coffee. It’s easy to clean. Oh, and it’s incredibly durable.
I want to let that last point sink in a bit.
This thing seems unbreakable. It’s really strong, BPA-free plastic. The only parts that really seem “cheap” are the ones that really aren’t essential (the scoop, stirrer, and funnel). The AeroPress itself however, seems as if it will never break.
And if it does? Well, for less than 30 I won’t feel as bad as I could have potentially felt with a more expensive coffee maker.
LOOKING FOR ESPRESSO?
In my first brew, I was making what the Aerobie folks label as an “espresso”. My thoughts? Not even close.
It’s concentrated coffee, for sure, but it isn’t espresso.
Now, this isn’t to say that the resulting beverage doesn’t taste good. In fact, it’s really tasty. Just not espresso. Espresso requires about 9 bars of pressure. The AeroPress only uses 2 bars. So if you want “real” espresso, you should probably be looking elsewhere.
If anything, the resulting coffee is similar to an Americano in mouthfeel and strength, but this of course depends on how much coffee and water you use.
MY AEROPRESS RATINGS
All right, so below you will find the breakdown of my ratings for the AeroPress.
THE PRICE
30 is an incredibly fair price for a coffee maker that makes coffee as good as this. Easily one of the best value coffee makers on the market given how long it lasts and how great the coffee tastes.
Score: 5 stars
THE COFFEE QUALITY
So far, I’ve been very impressed with the way the coffee tastes. Little bitternessand lots of flavor.
If you have the right brew parameters, you will likely get the best coffee you’ve ever had. Screw this up though, and your resulting cup could taste like dirt.
Score: 5 stars
THE COFFEE MAKER QUALITY
This is by no means the best quality coffee maker. The thing is, it doesn’t really need to be.
It gets the job done for what it is. The slight deduction from a 5-star rating are the complimentary plastic accessories that aren’t the best quality, as well as the fact that the entire coffee maker is made of plastic, albeit BPA free plastic.
Score: 4.5 stars
EASE OF USE
It’s easy to use if you aren’t trying to get too fancy (read: inverted). Sure, it’s a little bit more hands-on than an automatic coffee makerbut aren’t you willing to do a little extra work for a lot better coffee?
That’s what I thought.
Score: 4.5 stars
CLEANING EASE
So easy. I love that you just press out the used grounds and run a bit of warm water through. That’s it!
Score: 5 stars
DURABILITY
If it were glass like the Chemex or Hario V60, we’d have a pretty low score here.
But since it’s 100% plastic, I think the AeroPress will last me a very long time.
Score: 5 stars
APPEARANCE
It’s not the prettiest coffee maker. It looks like something you would see in a 90’s infomercial. But you don’t buy a 30 coffee maker for looks.
Score: 2 stars
BREW SPEED
Aside from the time it took me to measure the beans and boil the water, the whole brew takes about 1 minute. It is more hands on, but this is a very quick brew process.
Alan Adler, the coffee maker’s inventor, says the AeroPress’ coffee benefits from a quick brew process to reduce over-extraction (a bitter cup of coffee).
Score: 5 stars
MADE IN THE USA
USA-made coffee makers are tough to find, but the AeroPress is one of the few that fits the bill!
VERSATILITY
Can be used in hundreds of different ways, with hundreds of different parameters. Even though it’s a manual brew process, this is still a very versatile coffee maker.
Score: 5 stars
FINAL THOUGHTS
I highly recommend the AeroPress for all coffee enthusiasts out there. This may not be the best option if you are rushing out the door in the morning, but this is really the perfect choice for weekend coffee brewing for one.
Yeah, this is a single serve coffee maker that’s easy to use, but it’s very hands on.
I think the AeroPress is a coffee maker that every coffee drinker should try at least once. And for less than 30, it’s a very small risk to take in my opinion.
I like my french press for work and I enjoy a hob top espresso maker on holiday. I even have a capsule coffee maker (not one of the very posh ones though) at work. But to be honest on a workday morning I’ve compromised and settled for a decent brand of instant whilst secretly wanting something more.
Having spent a fortnight on holiday drinking a proper morning cup of espresso I wanted to cut the compromise and was researching coffee makers of all kinds when I came across reviews for the Aeropress. It looked weird and adherents sounded more like religious devotees than people making a drink.
How can anything so cheap really deserve that kind of praise? But the praise is almost entirely consistent. So I decided to give it a go. Not too much lost if it’s not so great.
I did some reading whilst waiting for it to arrive but found the ‘recipes’ offputting as it made the whole thing look more complicated than I wanted (when you get up before 0600 it needs to be as a simple as possible!).
Until you make your first cup, it seems a bit fiddly to use but actually it’s not and assembly is simple, quick and no more faff than using a hob top espresso maker.
Pop a paper filter in (despite not saying so, it comes with a pack of circa 300 so plenty to last even if you bin after every use – some have suggested you can wash and repeatedly reuse, I’ve not tried and it looks soaked to me) to the cap, screw it onto the main tube, place it over your suitably sized cup/mug or jug, add your measure of fine ground coffee, add boiled water that’s been left to cool a minute or so, stir for 10secs, push in the plunger and off you go. In my case, top up with more water from the kettle for a lovely mug of proper coffee.
Cleaning is simple, unscrew the cap, push the plunger further down (over the bin!) and out comes the filter and coffee. Rinse everything and leave it to dry.
The good part is that it, for me, has genuinely removed the bitter aftertaste of the coffee. So I get all the taste minus that nasty bit. Do I taste ‘more’? Honestly not but that might be my unsophisticated tastebuds. It does taste better and I don’t have the sludge. Just clear, full flavour coffee without the bitter aftertaste.
I’ve tried the inverted method and thought it made the coffee too strong for me and it overpowered the taste I like. I also use less coffee than recommended in the Classic recipe, because that works for me. I bought an app with loads of recipes but I’m not sure I’ll use it. I’m more likely to experiment with different coffee beans/mixes I think.
Having read around it a bit now, I also find there are some potential health benefits from using a paper filter and therefore over other methods (I don’t know how that might be impacted by washing and reusing the filter). I’m also much more aware of how much caffeine I was drinking and am cutting down generally, on the basis of quality not quantity.
I’m very happy I’ve got a consistent, good cup of coffee in a morning without compromising.
Here’s what I found;
It doesn’t look as bad in the flesh, in fact it’s got a nerdish charm to it. Oddly, for something so hyped, I think Aerobie do a rather poor job of presenting the Aeropress. The photos make it look like a lot of bits and pieces, which was one of the things that put me off. However it doesn’t actually need the big funnel or really the stirrer, and the filter paper holder is obviously not part of the brewing process. The Aeropress itself is just the main body, the plunger and the filter cap. It’s actually quite a compact thing.
The process is very straight forward and easy;
1) Put the paper in the filter, attach it to the main body, and rest it on your coffee cup.
2) Add the ground coffee, using the scoop provided.
3) Add hot water to the desired amount — remember you’re making the coffee base here, rather than the whole cup — briefly stir it up.
4) Take the plunger and press it down into the body, the air will push the coffee through the filter.
5) Unscrew the filter over a bin and push the plunger to the end, ejecting the coffee grounds.
That’s it really. You’ll have what’s described as an ‘espresso-style’ coffee, to which you can dilute with water and add milk to, or do whatever you like with. The process is designed to be quick, and it really is, realistically taking less than two minutes from start to finish.
Cleaning is almost too easy. The way the plunger pushes through ejects pretty much all of the coffee grounds into the bin a neat little ‘hockey puck’ shape, so you just need a quick rinse and you’re done. I’ve definitely never had a coffee maker that’s quicker to clean.
The coffee is incredibly smooth, thanks to the filter process there’s no grounds whatsoever. Also, with such a short brewing time there’s little to no chance of over-doing the coffee in any way so you’re getting an accurate flavour. It’s important to say it’s not espresso though, you’re not getting the crema and it has of course gone through a filter, but you can get it quite strong. I’ve been experimenting with different levels of coffee and water, but have yet to have a cup that wasn’t lovely. I’ve found there’s a massive Aeropress community online, with endless recipes, methods and techniques to make the perfect coffee, and it’s been fun going through that. In the weeks I’ve had it, I’ve tried two different ground coffees — Taylor’s Hot Lava Java and Caf Direct’s Peruvian — with the Aeropress getting the real distinct tastes out of both, and variations in the brewing process achieving different results along the way. I’m enthused to try more coffees, techniques and recipes — the Aeropress is that sort of thing, it sparks interest and excitement.
I think it’s telling that the popularity of the Aeropress has largely come from the enthusiasm of the owner community — that speaks volumes really. I’m delighted to have joined that group, even if it took me too long to do so.
– If you are a french press/cafetiere user and like that coffee, be aware that although this has a plunger it is not a different sort of french press. It’s a paper filter coffee maker as supplied, just one that operates with mild pressure rather than a gravity drip. This means you don’t get gritty coffee but it also means you don’t get the coffee oil and the sharper notes of that oil. You can, however, buy stainless steel filters that will give you more of that taste if you want.*
– Equally, although the aeropress operates with pressure it is not pressure as in an espresso machine. If people are complaining that it’s hard to push down or that liquid has sprayed out or the press has sprung off their cup then they’re pressing much harder than is required. The designer/maker of the aeropress recommends about 6-7kg of downward force. You can get that just by resting your arms over the top. There’s no big effort required, just a little patience.
– Although the aeropress is quick and easy to use it does require you to actually do things. Overall I find it far more convenient than a french press, but that’s mostly due to the cleanup being so much easier. When you start with the aeropress you may well feel that it is “fiddly” in comparison because there are a number of steps and the process requires more active involvement. I found that it quickly became second nature, even for the first barely-conscious cup of the day, but you should expect a learning curve.
– Continuing that theme, if you regularly make coffee for several people then you will have to alter your routine. The box says the aeropress will do 1-3 servings but you could do 4 per press. However, serving directly into cups becomes difficult as it’s hard to judge how much to press even with the markings (particularly if cups are differing sizes). If you want to serve a lot of people I suggest you pour all the concentrate shots into a jug and mix up the full coffee dilution in there. It’s really not a big deal once the routine is established – press all into mug, pour into jug, add boiling water to jug, serve into mugs.
– Where reviews are complaining that the coffee is weak then I can only imagine that they’re either using the wrong grind (again it’s not a french press, you need fine filter or espresso grind) or they are confusing strength with bitterness. The aeropress can make coffee as strong as you like and, per gram of coffee, is as strong as anything I’ve had from a french press or espresso machine. It just doesn’t have the same level of bitter notes, particularly if you follow the guidelines and use lower temperature water and low brewing times.If you want more bitterness you are free to brew with hotter water and for longer periods and/or get a steel filter as mentioned above.
I think that covers the most common issues. For me I’m very happy with it and it’s my daily driver coffee maker. It consistently makes excellent coffee. It’s incredibly easy to clean (and no sink full of coffee grounds). It’s sturdy and well made, plastic, sure, but high quality plastic that will last. It’s small and portable and low-cost. If mine got lost or something I’d instantly buy another with no question about looking around for something else.
*However, you may or may not also want to be aware that steel mesh filtered or unfiltered coffee is linked to increased cholesterol.
What it is
The Aeropress is best seen as an evolution of the cafetiere/French press style of coffee making. The difference is that instead of pushing the plunger down on the coffee — which always leaves a bit of sludge and/or grounds when you pour it — you press the coffee through a paper filter at the bottom. Another way of looking at it would be to say it’s a pressure assisted coffee filter, where you pour hot water in and then push it through the filter rather than simply let it drip.
What it tastes like
Out of the box, and using the original instructions (boil water to 75 degrees, put bottom half of Aeropress over a cup, having put a paper filter in, put in two (!) scoops of coffee, pour on water, wait 20 seconds, stir, press down) it makes a smooth, un-acidic cup of coffee which is strong but not bitter, and it more or less cleans itself afterwards. But making coffee this way uses a lot of coffee, and the taste is not as full or caffeinated as many British and certainly European drinkers would expect.
Alternative instructions
Users have experimented a great deal, and, at the time of reviewing, the most popular alternative method is the ‘inverted’ method, which is as follows:
Boil the water to 100 degrees.
While it boils, pull the suction unit out to Number 4, and stand it upside-down, that is to say, with the suction unit at the bottom. Put in one scoop or half a scoop of coffee, pour on the boiling water slowly. Stir, and leave for 30 seconds.
While you wait, wet a single filter with hot water and fit it as per the usual method.
After 30 seconds, turn the whole thing right way up (ie, invert it from what you have), and place over a cup.
Now press down _slowly_ until you hear the air hissing.
This takes slightly longer, is not self-cleaning, but it does make a fuller, richer cup of coffee, and uses one half to one quarter of the amount of coffee.
The final taste
Some claim that the Aeropress produces the best coffee you ever tasted. To my tastes, it doesn’t. Really great Cona coffee (using a syphon coffee system such as this non-Cona one Coffee Master 5-Cup Syphon / Vacuum Glass Coffee Maker ) can make better coffee, and a really great espresso machine can also do it. On the other hand, if you don’t like espresso, and have no time for Cona, the Aeropress makes coffee which is significantly superior to cafetiere (which is some people’s preferred taste) because there are no grounds or sludge. The alternative instructions offer other tastes, which you might also prefer. The main drawback of the original instructions is the amount of coffee it uses — more than for any other process I’ve seen. By the way, despite the makers’ claims, this does not produce ‘espresso’, on anything like it.
Verdict
For a similar price you can get a decent filter machine, and, if you look around, a Senseo type machine. The Aeropress actually delivers better coffee than either, doesn’t require special pods (like the Senseo), and doesn’t need an additional power supply. Guests will also be vaguely mesmerised by the intricacies of using it, which is an added bonus.
Ultimately, this is a fun, quick, entertaining and relatively budget way of producing really nice coffee. It may not be the best you ever tasted, but it will definitely be as good as most of the really good coffee you’ve tasted — as long as you use the right coffee, and practise preparing it a little.