The AeroPress Coffee Machine

Submitted by Bill St. Clair on Tue, 17 Jan 2006 03:03:56 GMT  <== Gadgets ==> 

gizmag - a review of a new coffee-making gadget. It works similarly to a French press, Melior being the brand name I usually think of, but apparently does a much better job. Invented by Alan Adler, the inventor of the Aerobie® flying ring. $30 retail. Local Only Coffee has it for $28 plus shipping. I ordered one. With the cheapest shipping (FedEx Home Delivery), it cost just under $36... [sunni]

From the Aerobie® AeroPress Story page:

  • Water and grounds are mixed together for ten seconds.
  • AeroPress coffee maker
  • Then gentle air pressure pushes the mix through a micro-filter in 20 seconds.

  • The total brewing time of only 30 seconds results in exceptionally smooth flavor.

  • Tasters ranging from professional cuppers and author Kenneth Davids, to coffee aficionados all praise the smooth, rich flavor.


From the gizmag review:

People see some similarities between the AeroPress and a French Press. Both use total immersion and pressure. But the similarities end there.

The filter in the French Press is at the top of the mixture. Because coffee floats, the floating grounds clog the filter and makes pressing and cleaning very difficult. Users are instructed to use only coarse ground coffee. But this reduces the amount of flavor that can be extracted from the coffee and necessitates long steeping times which extract bitterness.

Furthermore, even coarse ground coffee includes many fine particles. These small particles pass through and around the filter resulting in a bitter, gritty brew. The particles in the brew continue to leach out bitterness. Consequently French press users are advised to drink or decant the brew immediately. Also, some particles clog the filter screen making pressing and cleaning very difficult.

AEROPRESS coffee is micro-filtered. It so pure and particle-free that it can be stored for days as a concentrate. The concentrate can be drunk as espresso, mixed with milk for lattes, or diluted to make American coffee. French presses cannot make espresso or lattes.

Finally, cleaning the French press is quite a chore. The AEROPRESS chamber is self-cleaning. A ten-second rinse of the plunger is all that's required.

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Comments (3):

You can get the aeropress

Submitted by Anonymous on Fri, 18 Aug 2006 03:24:46 GMT

You can get the aeropress here for $29.99 including shipping

http://www.liquidplanet.com/Aerobie-AeroPress-Coffee--Espresso-Maker-p-692.html

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Normally I delete commercial

Submitted by on Fri, 18 Aug 2006 10:10:28 GMT

Normally I delete commercial comments, but this one is on topic. Thanks for the link.

I'm thoroughly enjoying my Aeropress coffee. Drink it almost every day.

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I love mine!

Submitted by Greylar on Fri, 18 Aug 2006 16:12:34 GMT

When I first saw this I thought it was a little gimmicky but I haven't found anyone that, after using it, doesn't just love it. I didn't mean to turn this into a commercial. Feel free to delete.

Thanks,
Greylar

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