Tag Archives: aerobie aeropress

Reblog – Pressing Matters: Tips For Using the Aerobie Aeropress

Aeropress, ,

I’m a huge fan of the Aerobie Aeropress. I haven’t come across a more simple machine that makes anywhere close to the quality of espresso that my Aeropress delivers. A simple Google search reveals that I’m not alone in my praise of the Aeropress.

I came across the blog “We Hunt & Gather” through the writer’s twitter page after he followed me. The title of his most recent post sold me the minute I read it. I asked him if I could reblog it, and he gave me permission. Below you’ll find the entire post, and a link to the original. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

The Coffee Guy

PRESSING MATTERS: TIPS FOR USING THE AEROBIE AEROPRESS

For a month now I’ve been the proud owner of an Aerobie Aeropress, that strange, over-sized syringe like coffee brewer. I had been weighing up buying one ever since the coffee shop I worked in started stocking them, but I couldn’t bring myself to purchase such an ugly piece of plastic. I don’t think it helped that every time I had to demonstrate how they worked to a customer, the penis-enlarger scene from Austin Powers replayed through my mind.

Finally I gave in and with the Aeropress in one hand and a bag of freshly roasted coffee beans in the other I headed home to brew my first cup. Despite the internet being awash with good reviews for the product, and there even being a World Aeropress Championship, I was still surprised at just how good the results were. In fact I think you’d really struggle to brew a bad cup.

I’m not going to give any specific recipes or instructions here, as there are plenty out there, (nods to the internet’s horizon line) and to be honest I change my method pretty much weekly. Besides, being able to experiment with how you brew is half the fun of the Aeropress.

Instead I thought I’d share a few tips that I’ve picked up.

Invert It Brewing with the Aeropress upside down with the plunger in and the filter cap off means that you can have more control over the brew time. You dictate when the coffee starts to drip through the filter, letting you brew for longer.

Brew with Water First Brewing a cup without putting any coffee in heats up the Aeropress, rinses the filter of chemically tastes and heats the mug up – the perfect preparation.

Get the grind right Despite the box saying repeatedly that it makes espresso style coffee, you shouldn’t use coffee ground for an espresso machine. Instead use a grind slightly coarser than filter. A finer grind will result in a stronger brew whilst coarser will give you a weaker one.

Re-use the Filter Each filter can be used several times, just rinse off, place back into the Aeropress and push the plunger down on top, keeping it flat whilst it dries. When you come to use it next you won’t even need to rinse it again.

Source link: http://wehuntandgather.tumblr.com/
View the original post here.

Related posts:

BoiseCoffee’s Aeropress Brew Method Test driving my new Aeropress S2 Episode 8: The AeroPress

Test driving my new Aeropress

Aeropress, Brew Methods, ,

I finally got my new Aeropress coffee and espresso maker today! I’ve waited with much anticipation, and I’ll admit, some disbelief. Having worked at a coffee shop in a different life (Ok, it was high school. And yeah, that was only like a year ago. Cut me a little slack.) I didn’t really see how something this…simple could create any kind of decent espresso. Boy was I wrong.

After unboxing the contraption and setting out all the parts, I checked out the instruction fold out/booklet. Making coffee in this thing is too easy: put in filter, put in grounds, put on top of cup, plunge away (a la French Press). The physics/dark arts that make this thing work make sense as well: hot water+coffee+lots of pressure=espresso. Granted, the grind and type of coffee plays into the quality of the coffee, but I found that this factor wasn’t nearly as important as it is in a regular espresso machine.

I had an hour between classes when I checked my mailbox and found this package waiting for me. After unboxing it, playing around with the parts, reading the mini-manual, and making my first double-espresso, only 45 minutes had passed. Yeah, I had to book it to my class, but it was so worth it.

The first type of coffee I used was the special “Hello Gadaffi! Blend” by Starry Night Coffee. Without commenting too much on the taste itself (possible review in the future), I was amazed to find that even though the coffee was ground much courser then espresso (I used a drip grind) the shots pulled from it were still fantastic. I didn’t get much crema on my espresso this time around, but I was also still trying to figure out the press. Diluting my shots with hot water, I had my first homemade Americano ready to drink for my next class.

It was the smoothest Americano that I’ve ever had. It was delicious from the top of the mug to the bottom. This wasn’t “camping coffee” or a “quick fix,” it was a straight-up delicious brew.

This evening I got a second chance to play around with my new toy. While I’m sure my roommate thinks I’m crazy by now, as I’ve done nothing but drink coffee for the last week straight, I had to try another type in my Aeropress. Turning to a bag of flavored coffee that I’ve recently received for a review (again, not focusing on the taste) my convictions were solidified. The flavor popped from the cup, and I once again enjoyed it to the last drop.

I decided to share the love with a fellow espressofile. Emailing my friend who lives in the same dorm as me, I told him to come down for some free coffee. I threw together a double-espresso of the “Hello Gadaffi! Blend” for him, but this time I focused more on quality as opposed to speed. Being deliberate with the press, and making sure I used piping hot water, I was pleasantly surprised when I removed the Aeropress from the top of my friend’s mug. The espresso had a thick caramel-colored layer of creme resting on top of it. My friend definitely enjoyed it, and I was happy to know that great espresso doesn’t take a $200 machine to make.

I would highly suggest getting an Aeropress for yourself. Not only is it an inexpensive alternative to higher end espresso machines, but it actually makes great coffee.

Do you have an Aeropress or something similar? What’s been your experience?

The Coffee Guy

Related posts:

Aero-coffee to the rescue! BoiseCoffee’s Aeropress Brew Method S2 Episode 8: The AeroPress

Aero-coffee to the rescue!

Aeropress, Brew Methods, ,

Living in a confined dormitory has its benefits, such as always having people to hang out with, hearing people scream in either joy or agony when Kentucky got their final four place today, and bumming free food off of upperclassmen. Something it’s extremely not conducive towards is making quality coffee. I have a coffee pot, of course, but it hasn’t really been the same since last semester, when my roommate ran milk through it for his hot chocolate. I’m sure my coffee pot feels rather taken advantage of.

Lately I’ve been using a French press mug that my sister gave me for Christmas. A delicious alternative, to be sure. I generally use my insecure coffee pot to heat up straight water, then combine that with some sort of roast in my french press mug and viola! Coffee for a late night of studying.

Recently, however, I’ve been craving more. I see my friends with their fancy shmancy Keurig-ish machines, putting forward steaming cups of  “quality” coffee as if they’re making a bowl of cereal. I really don’t have a vendetta against Keurigs. In fact, from time to time, I enjoy a cup over at a friend’s room myself. It’s just that I know that there’s better cups of coffee to be made. And as good as a Keurig cup of joe can taste, it can’t be made any better. There’s no way to switch up the coffee/water ratio, no grind to adjust, and no way to truly alter the temperature.

So, I’ve decided to do a little experimentation. I started where I believe anyone wishing to try something out should – with my friend’s advice. A couple months back I explained my situation on facebook, and got back some interesting feedback.

A trusted friend suggested I give the “Aeropress” a try. Basically, it’s a simple mechanism that uses a combination of Newtonian physics and Dumbledorian magic to create enough pressure in order to make espresso. You throw in your grinds and hot water, put it on top of your mug, press down, and you’ve got a couple shots of espresso ready to go. Believe me, I would be more then skeptical had a friend not suggested it to me. This whole shabang was said to cost around $20 online.

To round out my coffee cravings, the same friend recommended I get a milk frothing wand – apparently they go for no more than $2 from IKEA.

It wasn’t until earlier today that the stars aligned (meaning I remembered the suggestion and had the money to purchase these things at the same time). I searched for Aeropress on Amazon and got several entries. After browsing for a while, I decided to go for the standard Aeropress with no additional filters or other nonsense. Due to having a gift card and using some sort of mystery “promotion” the $20 Aeropress was mine for $1.50. Score! (or #winning for all you hipsters out there).

The frothing wand was up next, and there seemed to be more variety here. Indeed, the IKEA version went for a mere $2 on Amazon, however the reviews indicated that it is prone to breaking and the batteries don’t always hold up well. Still, I decided to go for it (what do I have to lose?) After S&S the total cost was $6. Ironic.

So, in the end, I have a full on latte kit headed my way this week. I’m not sure I’ll love it, heck I don’t even know if I’ll like it, but let me assure you that you will be the first to know either way.

Do you have any suggestions for delicious and quick coffee? Or alternatives for people in confined living quarters like me?

The Coffee Guy

Related posts:

Test driving my new Aeropress BoiseCoffee’s Aeropress Brew Method It’s Time to Kill the Keurig, and I Need Your Help