The Alan Adler posts in the Coffee Geeks forum are really enlightening about how to make a great invention and how to enjoy your coffee: http://coffeegeek.com/members/AlanAdler
It is great to learn how a great inventor thinks.
The Invention of the Aeropress (2014)
41–50 of 54 posts
Re: The Invention of the Aeropress (2014)
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is a premium version available. It costs only $30. As you can see at https://aeropressinc.com/use-it-now/evolution-of-aeropress/ , they’ve continued to re-evaluate materials, including testing for contamination while brewing coffee. You can boil an aeropress at pH 5 for an hour without detecting any leaching. The interesting bit is how it ages—how cracks form, where bacteria might find a home, that sort of thin…
Based on that link I have the version 4 (sep 2010 - dec 2013). The tube has lots of cracks that you can see as well as feel when you run the fingers on the inside, and it doesn't hold pressure that well anymore (whether it's due to air leaking past the cracked surface, or the rubber endcap, I don't know). I don't worry about crap leaching out of the plastic as much as bacterial creepy critters lodging in the cracks.…
I have the second version, use it nearly every day, and mine is as good as new. You can pry my BPA version out of my coffee-mug warmed, dead, hands. Seriously though: I am slightly concerned about the BPA, but based on a sample size of two (modulo differences between how we use ours), it makes for a more durable plastic.
BTW, I use 200° water. Brewing time is less than 30s total for me.
Re: The Invention of the Aeropress (2014)
#43Use mine daily here in Saigon with amazing Vietnamese coffee. I bought the metal screen filters off of amazon for cheap. Far better than the paper filters. I can't really tell the difference between the different metal filters, but I've settled on using the wire mess screen for some reason. Interestingly enough, you can get solid knock offs in Vietnam [1] for pretty cheap (450k vnd / $19.50). If you haven't tried inv…
There are some research that points that a paper filter will be better for your health. The inventor of AeroPress compiled some of the research here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/v6suj5auwsehn7p/Cholesterol%202.do...
That's why he won't make a metal filter himself.
Re: The Invention of the Aeropress (2014)
#44Earlier quoted context omitted.
https://www.npr.org/2011/03/02/134196209/study-most-plastics... > The team concentrated on BPA-free baby bottles and water bottles, Bittner says, "and all of them released chemicals having estrogenic activity." Sometimes the BPA-free products had even more activity than products known to contain BPA. That was just the top search engine result for "plastic leaching". Not quite the "see, nothing to worry about" hill I…
Oh, so it's the soy scare, plastics edition. I guess that explains the desire for a dangerous to handle impractical steel version, you get to prove how non-estrogenous you are every morning by burning yourself. Don't worry, you'll be fine. If that worked, I'd be sucking on plastic spoons all day.
Yeah, let's die by 1000 cuts, it's all fine.
Re: The Invention of the Aeropress (2014)
#45My home-made coffee progression: Automatic drip French Press Aeropress Pour-over (using a Hario v60, Chemex filters, and a cheap, non-Hario Gooseneck kettle) Next will be a home espresso setup if I can ever get rich enough to justify having one.
If you enjoy the process of the Aeropress, you might try one of those manual lever espresso machines. I have a La Pavoni Europiccola, which can be had relatively cheaply used.
Ultimately I went with the manual lever because I got tired of trying to figure out the espresso machine market, and I knew that the limiting factor in my espresso would be me, not the fact that I didn’t buy a copper boiler, PID-enabled $6k monstrosity.
If the frothy milk thing isn’t something you care about, then these things look pretty amazing and get good reviews on Amazon: https://www.flairespresso.com/ I didn’t go this route because I wanted something that could make my morning latte in addition to espresso, but this looks amazing.
You’ll definitely want to get a decent quality (read consistent) burr grinder to get good espresso. I had a ~$80 Capresso grinder that was great for Aeropress, but didn’t deliver enough grind consistency or enough control over grind size. I broke down and bought a Breville grinder on a friend’s recommendation (listed for $400, got for $180 on sale).
I love the precise grind times, because I’m lazy. But, in the spirit of cheap and manual, I’ve heard good things about the handheld Kyocerra grinder. That plus a cheap digital scale should get you some amazing results.
To recap, you could get the Flair espresso maker for as little as ~$150, and a handheld grinder for <$50 and probably be making as good an espresso as an expensive machine.
Re: The Invention of the Aeropress (2014)
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think I need a video of you making aeropress! It's super clean for me. Some suggestions: > I always manage to spill grounds getting them into the Aeropress, Use the scoop but don't pour or tap them in - instead put the scoop into the cylinder and then spin the handle to dump out the grounds. Makes it impossible to spill. > Plus there's the risk of your cup flying away with the amount of pressure you're putting on t…
> It's not brewing by the pressure you are applying but time + agitation. The press is just removing the grounds. Is that right? I’ve never understood the purpose of the high pressure air pocket inside the Aeropress. If the pressure has no effect, why does the Aeropress brew more quickly than a French press?
Some effect no doubt but not as much as might be imagined by it's pressure pump like appearance.
I think the main variable affected by pressure is what is forced through the filter. A faster push and more force means more oils which can have positive or negative taste changes depending on the coffee.
You see competitive aeropressers (yeah, I know...) do 60s long presses to reduce pressure.
> If the pressure has no effect, why does the Aeropress brew more quickly than a French press?
Typically a french press has a coarser grind and less agitation.
Re: The Invention of the Aeropress (2014)
#47There's no chance this plastic contraption makes a nicer coffee than my espresso machine. My coffee of choice is a flat white, so I need silky smooth microfoam (not froth), which the espresso machine does at the same time. Also in terms of an "exact science" in consistently good taste, and getting the best from the beans, the extraction process of an espresso brew is superior and more reliable. Provided you take the…
You can't make a good filter coffee drink with an espresso machine, an americano is just a pale imitation. An aeropress on the other hand is not a substitute for an espresso machine. When talking about good coffee it's important to distinguish if you mean coffee you like to drink or if we're talking about flavours, mouth feel etc. The coffee used and recommended for good complex espresso shots does not necessarily tr…
That’s a fair criticism of the parent comment. Espresso != brewed coffee. But the author does quote the article stating that the Aeropress makes a better tasting (to some) drink than the expensive (presumably espresso) machines. When I bought my first Aeropress, I think the marketing and commentary by friends and acquaintances suggested that I’d be drinking something more similar to espresso at home on the cheap. Of course I did not, even though the coffee was good.
Lastly, for someone who wants espresso on the cheap, but doesn’t care about frothy milk, the Flair espresso maker looks like a winner, as I mentioned elsewhere: https://www.flairespresso.com/
To recap, yes they’re different beasts, both good. There are often disingenuous comparisons to espresso made on both “sides.”
Re: The Invention of the Aeropress (2014)
#48Use mine daily here in Saigon with amazing Vietnamese coffee. I bought the metal screen filters off of amazon for cheap. Far better than the paper filters. I can't really tell the difference between the different metal filters, but I've settled on using the wire mess screen for some reason. Interestingly enough, you can get solid knock offs in Vietnam [1] for pretty cheap (450k vnd / $19.50). If you haven't tried inv…
Paper filters absorb more oils in the brew, giving maybe a slightly clearer cup, but depending on thee coffee there might not be a huge difference.
A metal filter might even make the coffee more enjoyable, but I think when reviewing coffee, the oils cover up some of the more subtle flavours.
Re: The Invention of the Aeropress (2014)
#49There's no chance this plastic contraption makes a nicer coffee than my espresso machine. My coffee of choice is a flat white, so I need silky smooth microfoam (not froth), which the espresso machine does at the same time. Also in terms of an "exact science" in consistently good taste, and getting the best from the beans, the extraction process of an espresso brew is superior and more reliable. Provided you take the…
> There's no chance this plastic contraption makes a nicer coffee than my espresso machine. Brewed coffee and espresso are two completely different things.
They both produce a drink called "coffee". Saying they are completely different is quite a stretch.
Re: The Invention of the Aeropress (2014)
#50There's no chance this plastic contraption makes a nicer coffee than my espresso machine. My coffee of choice is a flat white, so I need silky smooth microfoam (not froth), which the espresso machine does at the same time. Also in terms of an "exact science" in consistently good taste, and getting the best from the beans, the extraction process of an espresso brew is superior and more reliable. Provided you take the…
You can't make a good filter coffee drink with an espresso machine, an americano is just a pale imitation. An aeropress on the other hand is not a substitute for an espresso machine. When talking about good coffee it's important to distinguish if you mean coffee you like to drink or if we're talking about flavours, mouth feel etc. The coffee used and recommended for good complex espresso shots does not necessarily tr…
> Comparing an espresso machine with an aeropress is like apples and oranges.
Article says aeropress makes "best coffee in world" and "better than $1000 machines." Apples and oranges juiced well before I arrived. Coffee is the beverage you end up with, it's only fair to compare.