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My home-made coffee progression: Automatic drip French Press Aeropress Pour-over (using a Hario v60, Chemex filters, and a cheap, non-Hario Gooseneck kettl

by xenihn 8y ago

My home-made coffee progression: Automatic drip French Press Aeropress Pour-over (using a Hario v60, Chemex filters, and a cheap, non-Hario Gooseneck kettle) Next will be a home espresso setup if I can ever get rich enough to justify having one.

marcelluspye 8y ago
I'm currently at step 2, and was deciding between getting an aeropress or a v60. What do you prefer about the pourover setup?
- llukas 8y ago
  Take both :) Also get a good grinder (kinu m47, commandante or similar) if you do not have it already. It gives you controlled repeatable grind - you can make same coffee taste very different depending on the grind.
- el_benhameen 8y ago
  Not op, but I've gone through the same-ish progression, and I prefer the pourover because it ends up being tidier. I always manage to spill grounds getting them into the Aeropress, and cleaning it out is messier, too. Plus there's the risk of your cup flying away with the amount of pressure you're putting on the top of the press. With the pourover, I dump the grounds into the filter, make the coffee, dump the filter with grounds into the compost, and rinse the v60, done. Rarely a spill or a mess.
  - duncanawoods 8y ago
    I think I need a video of you making aeropress! It's super clean for me. Some suggestions: > I always manage to spill grounds getting them into the Aeropress, Use the scoop but don't pour or tap them in - instead put the scoop into the cylinder and then spin the handle to dump out the grounds. Makes it impossible to spill. > Plus there's the risk of your cup flying away with the amount of pressure you're putting on the top of the press That sounds like way too much pressure - some new aeropresses can be tight (which can be remedied) but maybe you have too fine a grind. It should definitely not be espresso level which requires that type of muscle. It's not brewing by the pressure you are applying but time + agitation. The press is just removing the grounds. I have however frequently knocked over a pourover while pouring... my own fault... tend to use a heavy ass kettle which turns it into some weird strength endurance exercise.
    - sjy 8y ago
      > It's not brewing by the pressure you are applying but time + agitation. The press is just removing the grounds. Is that right? I’ve never understood the purpose of the high pressure air pocket inside the Aeropress. If the pressure has no effect, why does the Aeropress brew more quickly than a French press?
      - duncanawoods 8y ago
        Some effect no doubt but not as much as might be imagined by it's pressure pump like appearance. I think the main variable affected by pressure is what is forced through the filter. A faster push and more force means more oils which can have positive or negative taste changes depending on the coffee. You see competitive aeropressers (yeah, I know...) do 60s long presses to reduce pressure. > If the pressure has no effect, why does the Aeropress brew more quickly than a French press? Typically a french press has a coarser grind and less agitation.
- KozmoNau7 8y ago
  Not OP, but I've gone through instant, automatic drip, Aeropress and moka pot to pourover. I use a generic $4 filter holder from the local kitchen supply store, generic size 104 Melitta-style filters, and a basic kettle. I buy good quality coffee in small batches, which I grind at the store and go through in about a week. The fancy Hario etc. stuff is for hipsters IMO. I do bust out the moka pot when I feel like changing it up a little, and it does make a very robust and flavorful, dark chocolate-like brew. I also enjoy the coffee from the Aeropress, but I find it rather fiddly, which is not good for me in the morning.
peatmoss 8y ago
If you enjoy the process of the Aeropress, you might try one of those manual lever espresso machines. I have a La Pavoni Europiccola, which can be had relatively cheaply used. Ultimately I went with the manual lever because I got tired of trying to figure out the espresso machine market, and I knew that the limiting factor in my espresso would be me, not the fact that I didn’t buy a copper boiler, PID-enabled $6k monstrosity. If the frothy milk thing isn’t something you care about, then these things look pretty amazing and get good reviews on Amazon: https://www.flairespresso.com/ https://www.flairespresso.com/ I didn’t go this route because I wanted something that could make my morning latte in addition to espresso, but this looks amazing. You’ll definitely want to get a decent quality (read consistent) burr grinder to get good espresso. I had a ~$80 Capresso grinder that was great for Aeropress, but didn’t deliver enough grind consistency or enough control over grind size. I broke down and bought a Breville grinder on a friend’s recommendation (listed for $400, got for $180 on sale). I love the precise grind times, because I’m lazy. But, in the spirit of cheap and manual, I’ve heard good things about the handheld Kyocerra grinder. That plus a cheap digital scale should get you some amazing results. To recap, you could get the Flair espresso maker for as little as ~$150, and a handheld grinder for <$50 and probably be making as good an espresso as an expensive machine.
johncalvinyoung 8y ago
I skipped straight to espresso using one of the little espresso gadgets, the Staresso. I still wish it wasn't a pressurized portafilter, but I've been pulling decent shots out of it for nearly a year now, and it's one of my favorite toys. It's just a fiddly mess to clean up after, so I have to set aside ten-fifteen minutes to pull my shots. It's a cheap option, but scarcely the most usable one--among other things, you also have to go way beyond their recommendations when it comes to filling and tamping the shot, and pre-heat of the assembly with hot water is kinda essential. But for roughly $100 all in including a hand grinder, it was a cheap stab at seeing if I wanted to tinker with espresso. Turns out I do, so sometime in the next couple of years I'll buy into a mid-grade machine for the countertop.
mrmincent 8y ago
My coffee contraption progression has been instant coffee -> caffettiera -> french press -> aeropress (x4) -> rok espresso -> minipresso -> BES920. I'd recommend going a mini/nanopresso if you enjoy the smallness of a aeropress but want the bite of an espresso-style shot. Really great little machines - not as simple as an aeropress but makes nice short blacks. Much cheaper than getting a home espresso machine as well.

by xenihn 8y ago

marcelluspye 8y ago

I'm currently at step 2, and was deciding between getting an aeropress or a v60. What do you prefer about the pourover setup?

llukas 8y ago
Take both :) Also get a good grinder (kinu m47, commandante or similar) if you do not have it already. It gives you controlled repeatable grind - you can make same coffee taste very different depending on the grind.
el_benhameen 8y ago
Not op, but I've gone through the same-ish progression, and I prefer the pourover because it ends up being tidier. I always manage to spill grounds getting them into the Aeropress, and cleaning it out is messier, too. Plus there's the risk of your cup flying away with the amount of pressure you're putting on the top of the press. With the pourover, I dump the grounds into the filter, make the coffee, dump the filter with grounds into the compost, and rinse the v60, done. Rarely a spill or a mess.
- duncanawoods 8y ago
  I think I need a video of you making aeropress! It's super clean for me. Some suggestions: > I always manage to spill grounds getting them into the Aeropress, Use the scoop but don't pour or tap them in - instead put the scoop into the cylinder and then spin the handle to dump out the grounds. Makes it impossible to spill. > Plus there's the risk of your cup flying away with the amount of pressure you're putting on the top of the press That sounds like way too much pressure - some new aeropresses can be tight (which can be remedied) but maybe you have too fine a grind. It should definitely not be espresso level which requires that type of muscle. It's not brewing by the pressure you are applying but time + agitation. The press is just removing the grounds. I have however frequently knocked over a pourover while pouring... my own fault... tend to use a heavy ass kettle which turns it into some weird strength endurance exercise.
  - sjy 8y ago
    > It's not brewing by the pressure you are applying but time + agitation. The press is just removing the grounds. Is that right? I’ve never understood the purpose of the high pressure air pocket inside the Aeropress. If the pressure has no effect, why does the Aeropress brew more quickly than a French press?
    - duncanawoods 8y ago
      Some effect no doubt but not as much as might be imagined by it's pressure pump like appearance. I think the main variable affected by pressure is what is forced through the filter. A faster push and more force means more oils which can have positive or negative taste changes depending on the coffee. You see competitive aeropressers (yeah, I know...) do 60s long presses to reduce pressure. > If the pressure has no effect, why does the Aeropress brew more quickly than a French press? Typically a french press has a coarser grind and less agitation.
KozmoNau7 8y ago
Not OP, but I've gone through instant, automatic drip, Aeropress and moka pot to pourover. I use a generic $4 filter holder from the local kitchen supply store, generic size 104 Melitta-style filters, and a basic kettle. I buy good quality coffee in small batches, which I grind at the store and go through in about a week. The fancy Hario etc. stuff is for hipsters IMO. I do bust out the moka pot when I feel like changing it up a little, and it does make a very robust and flavorful, dark chocolate-like brew. I also enjoy the coffee from the Aeropress, but I find it rather fiddly, which is not good for me in the morning.

peatmoss 8y ago

If you enjoy the process of the Aeropress, you might try one of those manual lever espresso machines. I have a La Pavoni Europiccola, which can be had relatively cheaply used. Ultimately I went with the manual lever because I got tired of trying to figure out the espresso machine market, and I knew that the limiting factor in my espresso would be me, not the fact that I didn’t buy a copper boiler, PID-enabled $6k monstrosity. If the frothy milk thing isn’t something you care about, then these things look pretty amazing and get good reviews on Amazon: https://www.flairespresso.com/ https://www.flairespresso.com/ I didn’t go this route because I wanted something that could make my morning latte in addition to espresso, but this looks amazing. You’ll definitely want to get a decent quality (read consistent) burr grinder to get good espresso. I had a ~$80 Capresso grinder that was great for Aeropress, but didn’t deliver enough grind consistency or enough control over grind size. I broke down and bought a Breville grinder on a friend’s recommendation (listed for $400, got for $180 on sale). I love the precise grind times, because I’m lazy. But, in the spirit of cheap and manual, I’ve heard good things about the handheld Kyocerra grinder. That plus a cheap digital scale should get you some amazing results. To recap, you could get the Flair espresso maker for as little as ~$150, and a handheld grinder for <$50 and probably be making as good an espresso as an expensive machine.

johncalvinyoung 8y ago

I skipped straight to espresso using one of the little espresso gadgets, the Staresso. I still wish it wasn't a pressurized portafilter, but I've been pulling decent shots out of it for nearly a year now, and it's one of my favorite toys. It's just a fiddly mess to clean up after, so I have to set aside ten-fifteen minutes to pull my shots. It's a cheap option, but scarcely the most usable one--among other things, you also have to go way beyond their recommendations when it comes to filling and tamping the shot, and pre-heat of the assembly with hot water is kinda essential. But for roughly $100 all in including a hand grinder, it was a cheap stab at seeing if I wanted to tinker with espresso. Turns out I do, so sometime in the next couple of years I'll buy into a mid-grade machine for the countertop.

mrmincent 8y ago

My coffee contraption progression has been instant coffee -> caffettiera -> french press -> aeropress (x4) -> rok espresso -> minipresso -> BES920. I'd recommend going a mini/nanopresso if you enjoy the smallness of a aeropress but want the bite of an espresso-style shot. Really great little machines - not as simple as an aeropress but makes nice short blacks. Much cheaper than getting a home espresso machine as well.