Count me impressed! This is one of the more surprising coffee gadgets I’ve tried In a long time. The Aeropress is a unique coffee maker that uses a tight seal plunger to push the water through fine ground coffee (after a short steep) under pressure into the cup. A fine paper filter at the bottom ensures none of the grit reaches the cup (There are also metal filter disk options). The pressure used also provides another level of extraction you don’t get with a french press, which is needed due to the shorter brew time. The method is unique in that you don’t need the water to be 200+ degrees for proper extraction, as a matter of fact most people prefer using it with water closer to 190 degrees (my preference as well). The result is like a rich Americano (espresso and water) with the bold taste of a French press.
As you see from the picture, the device consists of two pieces of plastic. The first chamber holds the water with the grounds along with a paper filter and screw on cap at the bottom. The other piece is a plunger fits tightly into the water chamber and pushes the water through the grounds into the cup. Think of a needle and syringe and you get the idea!
There is a lot of discussion about the different ways to use the device. The instructions probably don’t represent the best practice due to the very short extraction time and “leaking” during extraction. I think the best practice after trying it is to turn it upside down while making it (called inversion method) and to let the brew steep for about a minute, then flip over on cup and plunge (which takes another 20-30 seconds). If that doesn’t make any sense just YouTube it!
Leftover puck
After brewing you typically get about 4 ounces of coffee which can be used like a double shot in an iced coffee drink or simply add water to make an awesome Americano. A few tips I’ve learned:
- Use a grind between espresso and drip. If you don’t have to push a bit, tighten the grind.
- If you use a blade grinder you’ll really need to pulverize it to get it fine enough.
- Let it steep for a minute, don’t plunge it super fast.
- If you don’t like decaf, try a decaf espresso roast in this; I think you may find it yummy!