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How AeroPress Fans Are Hacking Their Way to a Better Cup of Coffee

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Re: How AeroPress Fans Are Hacking Their Way to a Better Cup of Coffee

#91

Post by jorde »

marquis wrote: post #87
prostoalex wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Blue Bottle recommends Portlex https://bluebottlecoffee.com/travel-kit Portable and electric are also mutually exclusive for car travelers, campers, etc.

I've been using the Hario hand grinder and I find it extremely difficult to maintain a grip. Is the Portlex easier to hold? I'm female thus possible not as strong as others who may be using this.

I have owned both Hario's generic handgrinders and I swear by Porlex. It's higher quality construction and easier to hold and use. It also snaps right into Aeropress for travel so they are a perfect combination. If you get one, get the mini as there's really no reason to buy the large one.

http://www.amazon.com/Porlex-Mini-Stainless-Coffee-Grinder/d...

Re: How AeroPress Fans Are Hacking Their Way to a Better Cup of Coffee

#92

Post by derefr »

glibgil wrote: post #59
ams6110 wrote: post #11

Had no idea the inventor was 76 years old. Good to see someone not buying into the notion that anyone over 30 is a has-been.

The world is run by people over 30 and us over 30s know it. That we don't challenge the conventional wisdom that wonder kids are disrupting everything is just a demonstration of our secure confidence.

I tend to read that wisdom as referring to things like mathematical theory being mostly advanced by people under 30. People's brains seem to hold onto some extra bit of IQ between 20 and 30, that can be used to do some "wondrous" things. Of course, most big things that need doing don't need a supergenius; they need 10-20 years of steady hard work, so by the time you accomplish those you are indeed 30+ (or, god forbid, 40+.)

Re: How AeroPress Fans Are Hacking Their Way to a Better Cup of Coffee

#93

Post by enobrev »

crazy1van wrote: post #75

For the last few months I've been doing Aeropress or a pour-over in a chemex on the weekends. I'm still getting my technique down for both and I can't claim that either tastes remarkably better than my Keurig (I totally admit I dont have a great palette for coffee), but it seriously is a lot more fun than just pushing a button. I really looking forward to my weekend morning coffee now. Recently I've started doing col…

I've recently become a huge fan of the simplicity of a french-press cold-brew - something I came up with on my own, while being completely unsurprised that plenty of others have as well.

Just a course grind into a French Press full of water. Leave it on the counter over night, and press in the morning. At first I was letting it steep in the fridge, but found that it steeps stronger and faster at room temperature. Sometimes I'll throw it in the fridge in the morning and let it steep longer while chilling if I know I'll want iced coffee later in the day.

Cold brew definitely seems to maintain far more flavor. And I agree that it tends to be less bitter, though I've found lowering my water temperature (regardless of method) has removed most of the bitterness in my [near-]boiling brews.

Re: How AeroPress Fans Are Hacking Their Way to a Better Cup of Coffee

#95

Post by fourstar »

marquis wrote: post #87
prostoalex wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Blue Bottle recommends Portlex https://bluebottlecoffee.com/travel-kit Portable and electric are also mutually exclusive for car travelers, campers, etc.

I've been using the Hario hand grinder and I find it extremely difficult to maintain a grip. Is the Portlex easier to hold? I'm female thus possible not as strong as others who may be using this.

That hario grinder is a piece of shit. Takes me at least 7 minutes to hand grind nonstop a Chemex (yielding 2.5 cups)/

Re: How AeroPress Fans Are Hacking Their Way to a Better Cup of Coffee

#96

Post by semi-extrinsic »

pa5tabear wrote: post #67
sprice wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Absolutely agree on the three important factors. But I'd say the fourth is bean quality. Makes all the difference.

You don't think pressure matters when plunging? I've speculated that a faster plunge might extract more solutes from the coffee grinds due to greater liquid penetration into the coffee grounds from higher pressure.

It's hard to get that much pressure variation with an aeropress. The plunger is around 5 cm x 5 cm, so the full body weight of a male human (say 90 kg) only gives you 3.5 bar. That's if you're standing on your aeropress. A real espresso machine puts out 9 bar.

Re: How AeroPress Fans Are Hacking Their Way to a Better Cup of Coffee

#97

Post by moultano »

mrmondo wrote: post #79

I've tried a great many ways of brewing coffee including several Aeropress setups - I can honestly say that Aeropress is no better than your standard French press - it's not even close to espresso or even a handpresso or similar device.

However, it is much easier to clean than a French press, doesn't require a particular grind size, and you can use either a paper or metal filter if you are worried about cafestol or like oilier coffee.

Re: How AeroPress Fans Are Hacking Their Way to a Better Cup of Coffee

#98

Post by semi-extrinsic »

marquis wrote: post #87
prostoalex wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Blue Bottle recommends Portlex https://bluebottlecoffee.com/travel-kit Portable and electric are also mutually exclusive for car travelers, campers, etc.

I've been using the Hario hand grinder and I find it extremely difficult to maintain a grip. Is the Portlex easier to hold? I'm female thus possible not as strong as others who may be using this.

Which of the two Hario grinders are you using? I have the mini mill, and use it daily for my aeropress without any annoyance. But you need to have a quite coarse grind (no finer than filter grind) and do an inverted brew. Grinding out something like espresso fine coffee is a pain.

Re: How AeroPress Fans Are Hacking Their Way to a Better Cup of Coffee

#99

Post by e12e »

adevine wrote: post #55
oxtopus wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought it was weird when I first heard it referred to as espresso, but the official name is "Aerobie® AeroPress® Coffee & Espresso Maker" and there doesn't seem to be any consensus on what _espresso_ actually is. The only common trait is that pressure is used to force water through ground coffee -- the Aeropress does qualify under that definition.

Come on over and visit us at /r/coffee, and we'll set you straight :) There actually is a consensus that "real" espresso has to be brewed with around 9 bar of pressure, and that is the standard used by SCAA ( see http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edu/students/tchen3/espdifine.html ). At this pressure, the consistency and mouth feel of espresso is fundamentally different (it's "syrupy") than that brewed at lower pressure. To achieve…

Wait, are you saying that the old manual lever-based espresso machines, didn't make espersso? Wikipedia has this to say: "There are two types of lever machines; manual piston and spring piston design. With the manual piston, the operator directly pushes the water through the grounds. In the spring piston design, the operator works to tension a spring, which then delivers the pressure for the espresso (usually 8 to 10 bar; 116 to 145 psi)."

(I'm not disputing the claim that the Aeropress, for all its niceties, doesn't allow for 9 bars of pressure when used as intended)

[ed: That lever contraption is awesome. Searching for appropriate metal filters that could help with generating 130 psi, I fell into the rabbithole of

https://www.tumblr.com/search/aerohacks

and found among other things:

http://www.handpresso.com/

Also, by the makers of the video posted by gp: http://www.spressa.us/ ...]

Re: How AeroPress Fans Are Hacking Their Way to a Better Cup of Coffee

#100

Post by binoyxj »

glibgil wrote: post #58
simplexion wrote: post #56

I know someone that loves International Roast instant coffee. Can someone define "better" coffee to me?

Freshly ground, careful amount of roasting, proper picking time and storage of beans. Those differences are very easy to taste. If someone appreciates the difference in taste then it is better to them. Why is this a difficult concept to you? Are you trying to talk others out of their preferences and suggest that instant coffee should satisfy them? Are you trying to be a sort of anti-snob? Sounds a little snobby in a…

I think you missed this recent YC blog post http://blog.ycombinator.com/new-hacker-news-guideline
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