Aerobie 80R08 AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Aerobie 80R08 AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker
Customer Review: it's the best there is
Summary: 5 Stars
i've been picky about coffee forever. back in the '70s, i used to mail-order jamaica blue mountain beans from zabar's in new york when i was in medical school. now, i roast my green beans from sweetmarias with an air popcorn popper.
i've used every coffee making system i've ever heard of, including chemex, french press, vacuum extraction (both electric bodum style as well as the all-glass "mad scientist" method), cimbali manual "pull your own shot" espresso maker, gaggia electric, and probably others whose names escape me.
the coffee made with the aeropress is superb. as some folks have said, it doesn't have the exact taste of espresso (tho' it is "expressed") but since luigi bezzera invented espresso for speed, not taste, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
i find that using an wide top elecric kettle (a chef's choice 675) it's easy to watch the water and tell when it's at 175-180 (it's when bigger bubbles start forming). my raytek laser infrared thermometer (under fifty bucks at amazon) can confirm the temp. while the water's boiling, i grind the 27g of beans (i use a gaggia mdf) to a #5 grind and dump them in the aeropress.
after pouring in hot water to within a half-inch of the top, i stir it for 10 to 15 seconds and then insert the plunger. moderate pressure pushes all the water through the grounds in 30 seconds or so. i then dilute the result in my mug to get a total of about 12 oz of the best coffee i've ever had.
reusing the paper filter is easy. i just rinse it, put it on the folded towel i keep under my mug when pushing on the plunger (prevents slipping) and squoosh it with the flat stirrer. that gets it pretty dry, and i then put it in the base on top of the rest of the filters. one filter will last indefinitely. i just rinse the aeropress and return everything onto the base, where it all stacks neatly.
one hint - be sure to push the plunger *completely* through the outer cylinder, and keep the perforated filter cover in the funnel with the spoon and stirrer. that way the rubber plunger re-expands to its full size, which helps it stay airtight to allow the air to be pushed through, giving you some "crema."
if you value a great cup of coffee, you will not be disappointed with the aeropress.
Customer Review: Look No Further
Summary: 5 Stars
OK, there are plenty of other reviews to tell you how to use this thing.
Let me tell you what I started using it for - motorcycle travel. But now I use it everyday, even at home.
Its indestructable, fast, and a breeze to clean. If you can source (1) ground coffee and (2) boiling water, you're good to go. If you like to go camping, this is the holy grail of coffee makers.
Note that you don't use boiling water with this, but since you need to use water at slightly less than boiling - about 175, you have to have a way to get it that hot. When I'm on the road in Mexico, I use a JetBoil.
I don't like hotel coffee or their coffee makers, so I throw my Aerobie into my carryon bag. I buy Starbucks breakfast blend whole bean and grind it myself using a burr grinder (more on that somewhere else, I found the best in the world here on Amazon).
The best thing about the aerobie is not to get wound up about being precise. I don't measure the coffee or the temperature of the water, or how long I press down (they say about 20 seconds) - just play around with it and get it "in the ballpark", and you'll be fine.
As I type this, I am sipping a cup of coffee made with the aerobie. I get up, put the pot on the stove, and grind some whole bean. With a few scoops placed into the press, I wait until I hear the water in the pot stir to life, but before it makes the pot whistle. I pour a little out of the pot into the sink to observe how steaming hot the water is, and then I fill the tube on the aerobie. Honestly, I dont pay attention to the markings on the press, as I said, I do this all by the "pinch of this, pinch of that" style of kitchen management.
Once you press your coffee into your cup (and it better be a strong cup, since you will wail down on the plunger) you'll have a few ounces of really strong european style coffee - just add more water to fill your cup to your likeing/strength. Once again, I do this all at 90 miles an hour, so to speak, and I don't fret about getting the measurements the same every time.
Hands down, this method will be anything you can buy in the store, hotel, interstate truck stop, airport, or even your use-to-be favorite coffee percolator.
Customer Review: Pretty darn foolproof way to get a delicious cup of coffee
Summary: 5 Stars
Update:
I tried this press with some Cafe Mam Tango blend (ground on #4 of their rating system) this morning. Oh, My, God. This was one of the best cups of coffee I have ever had.
After a few weeks of use of this, I have found that I can use water that came to a boil & cooled a bit, I don't measure the temperature. I also found that I can just stir the coffee & water slurry around until it feel like its done, I don't count 20 seconds out. But, I do find that I need to stick with their recommendation of how much coffee to use and how much water to use. Any deviations there made a not-as-good, but still decent, cup of coffee.
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I probably read about 500 different reviews on this product before buying it because I could not believe that something as simple looking as this could really make a good cup of coffee. It does, it definitely does.
I have had only two cups of coffee with this so far an I am very impressed. It is as easy to use as the directions say. I am using a hazelnut flavored store-brand coffee that I ground at the store, extra fine but not espresso fine. For the first cup I made, I used the exact temperature for the water that was recommended, and a bit less coffee than it said because I thought it sounded like a lot of coffee. I also didn't stir the water around for very long because I couldn't quite believe it wasn't going to make a too-strong cup of coffee. My cup was weak, but still tasty.
Cup #2 this morning: two scoops of coffee, and I let the water in my hot pot come to almost a boil, I didn't bother to check the temperature. Filled the chamber to the "2" and gave it a good stir for about 20 seconds or so. Push into cup, dilute with the rest of the hot water for my "americano" style, add my usual cream and sugar, and YUM! This cup was perfect. No bitterness, just the right strength.
Clean up is as easy as they say, too. And heck, I'm even re-using my paper filter for a few times, just because they said I could.
I would recommend this to anyone who wants to make a very satisfying cup of coffee. It requires just about the same effort needed to set up a typical drip coffee maker to make a pot of coffee, and makes a far better cup.
Customer Review: Great Coffee!
Summary: 4 Stars
I am a coffee afficianado, so I'm not easy to please when it comes to good java. I have a Rancilio Silvia and Rocky (espresso machine and grinder) at home. I usually went out to a local independent espresso shop for my lunchtime drink. When I saw information about the Aeropress, I decided to give it a try at the office. I had previously purchased a decent burr grinder (Barratza Maestro Plus), so when the Aeropress came in, I went to my coffee shop and bought a bag of beans instead of my usual drink, and haven't looked back since. Given my usual habit, this will pay for itself in no time.
Here's how it goes for me: Pour fresh water into my electric kettle and plug it in. Pour 2 scoops of coffee beans into the grinder hopper and start the grind timer. Put the filter into the bottom of the Aeropress and place it on top of my coffee mug with the funnel on top of the chamber. When the coffee is done grinding, I pour the grounds into the chamber, unplug the kettle (the timimg works out that it is just short of boiling at that point) and pour the water into the chamber to just below the "3" circle. Stir the grounds into the water for about 10 seconds, wet the rubber end of the plunger, and gently press the plunger down the chamber taking 20 to 30 seconds to get to the bottom. Remove the Aeropress from the mug, unscrew the bottom and express the "puck" into the trash. Pour another 4-6 ounces of hot water into the mug over the coffee and enjoy! I clean the parts in warm soapy water and rinse and I'm done. While I still prefer the taste of the espresso I make at home, it's not by much- and the Aeropress is MUCH easier to use.
Pros: Very easy to use and clean, great tasting coffee.
Cons: You need to enjoy that great cup fairly quickly since the preferred brew temperature is only 175 degrees. By contrast, espresso normally brews closer to 200. There is some concern about harmful chemicals leaching out of the plastic, but this issue is fairly well addressed in the forums at coffeegeek.com, and the conclusion is that it is not a problem with the Aeropress (it soes leach chemicals, but in quantities so low they cannot represent a health concern).
Customer Review: Wholly impressed with this product!
Summary: 5 Stars
I am a fairly skeptical consumer - especially of products that haven't hit the mainstream. However, after reading countless positive reviews of the quality and worth of this product and its coffee/espresso, I decided, for only $25, to give the aeropress a try.
Low Acid: I was looking for a product that would make a low-acid, rich, and quality coffee. Highly acidic coffee (e.g. Starbucks!) really wreaks havoc on my "system," if you know what I mean, so the low-acid brew that the aeropress makes was a huge selling point for me. And I can say that after 4 days (about 6oz coffee each day), it hasn't upset my stomach at all.
Flavor: While I am still experimenting to find the right water temperature (kettle method sans a thermometer) and concentration of grounds/water for coffee, I can honestly say that the flavor is much smoother and richer than anything I've had. And I am positive that the flavor will be better once I find the right concentrations and perfect my pressing method (not too quickly) and grounds texture (too fine vs. too coarse).
Method: SIMPLE. I'm starting law school in 4 weeks, so I'm excited about the fact that I can brew the espresso the night before, store it in the fridge, and then just add hot water the next day for coffee! Also, the actual method is super easy and fast. If I didn't pain myself to freshly grind the beans every time, it would literally take a minute to make - including clean-up! My clean up consists of rinsing off the materials. It's awesome.
The bottom line - this thing is amazing. It is exactly what it ascribes to be, and produces to the quality it advertises. any other product out there that is capable of making espresso/coffee/latte/mocha etc. is way too expensive for the quality of the brew when something like the Aeropress can do the same thing better for a fraction of the price - and trouble - and counter-space!
The only complaint, maybe, is that I wish I had a more efficient way to store all the pieces...I suppose I will just eventually get some kitchen utensil organizer or something.
Buy this produce and you will not regret it.