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I'm the only coffee drinker in the house and I love my AeroPress: * It's fast * It's foolproof * It makes good quality coffee * It's camping friendly All o

I'm the only coffee drinker in the house and I love my AeroPress: * It's fast * It's foolproof * It makes good quality coffee * It's camping friendly All of the tedium and unforced errors of pour over coffee disappears: "blooming", meticulous pouring technique, realtime measuring of water/coffee ratio. The hardest part is I use a hand grinder but even that isn't so bad.

kitotik 7y ago
The camping/road trip scenario is what lead me to AeroPress many years ago. The fact that it was able to replace all the other methods and home and work was a total bonus! Disclaimer: total AeroPress nerd and fanboy
freetime2 7y ago
A pour over doesn’t need to be that complicated, though. For most people it’s just a matter of throwing a scoop of coffee into a filter cone and pouring hot water over it. Sure you can get a more precise outcome with more fiddling, but it’s a tradeoff of effort vs. diminishing rewards.
- dominotw 7y ago
  this is what i do. I just need my fix, takes me all of 10-15 secs to get it.
baldfat 7y ago
My wife is in the same boat as you. She ended up just going back to single serve french press. She thinks it is just simpler and taste great.
- samatman 7y ago
  Same, except I went with a Hario V01 pourover. I do use single serve French press sometimes. The basic tradeoff for Aeropress is more complex flavor but weaker mouth feel, and I decided I wanted a richer texture. Usually drink darker roasts, so squeezing every note out of the beans is less important to me.
  - wideasleep1 7y ago
    The paper element removes some of the oils (mouthfeel/body), and you can use a metal filter to retain the expected mouthfeel.
    - samatman 7y ago
      Presumably you mean with the Aeropress? I've tried it, it makes a difference but there's still a distinct Americano sort of 'hit'. Aeropress is the closest thing to espresso short of a maker, and for an affogado it's peerless, but that's the only way I tend to take a shot of coffee at home. Also using a Porlex these days and the pourover is much more forgiving of a rougher grind. Pulling a decent Areo shot means I have the nut tight enough that the grind takes half again as long.
danbolt 7y ago
Do you use the Hario Mini Slim [1] as well? One thing I love about it is how grinding a full container closely matches a full AeroPress. Dumping from the grinder straight into the press is convenient and less spillage than scooping coffee out of a burr. Also the fact that you can "pop" your grounds with a paper filter straight into the compost. [1] https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Mini-Slim/dp/B001804CLY https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Mini-Slim/dp...
notechback 7y ago
I don't understand the Aeropress love. I have a good full espresso machine for home. For the office I've tried: electric "mocha express" style Italian espresso maker (great coffee but colleagues complained about the strong smell) and a kettle with both a decent French press or Aeropress. While I don't mind the Aeropress I have a much better experience with a good old French press - much less chance of mess (stands well, no need to stir with the paddle/a spoon, no risk of putting too much pressure and something falls over). Tastewise I've tried it with both metal and paper filters and regular and reverse method, as well as different types and grains of coffee - there's no tangible difference to a decent French press. And of course both are far far far away from a proper espresso as you'd expect in a proper Italian or Portuguese café. The only upside I see is that it's light, so if you do carry something else to boil water it might be a good choice for campaign - but a small french press also is not heavy either. And of course if you go camping with a group a good mocha express to put on the fire makes you the hero of any journey (at the cost of an extra kg).
- Talanes 7y ago
  I'd never seen Moka spelled as Mocha, but it's unsurprising that they come from the same word. Mocha was basically synonymous with coffee for three centuries. What a different world it must have been when a city could completely control the market on it's specialty crop.
  - jacobolus 7y ago
    Here’s a French map from 1764 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Bellin_-_Plan_de_la_Ville_de_Moka.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Bellin_-...
- Uhhrrr 7y ago
  I'm also an espresso fan, and agree that it is no contest between the Aeropress and a proper lever or pump espresso machine. For camping though, I've used a couple of different moka pots and recently got an Aeropress, and I think the Aeropress is better. With the moka pot you're sort of crossing your fingers hoping that the tamp and heat are right and the water is getting shoved through the grounds just fast enough to make them expand and make the brew happen, rather than whizzing through or coming out painfully slowly or even blocking up everything so the rest of the water goes out the steam valve. With the Aeropress (or another similar item I've seen with two arms sticking out), you just shove it through. And for cleanup, you don't have to wait to unscrew two blazing hot metal pieces.
JKCalhoun 7y ago
Looks like a French Press. But aero.
- lytfyre 7y ago
  It kind of looks like it, but really isn't, in function or in result, if you try one out.
gambiting 7y ago
I just hate the waste it produces, even if it's "just" paper filters. I use a regular mokka pot, on an induction stove it literally takes <60s to boil, the whole thing is made out of stainless steel so takes 5 seconds to rinse and use again.
- jetk 7y ago
  fwiw, those paper filters are reusable many times without degradation. Even just using them 2-3 times, you'd be using less than an A4 sheet worth of paper over a month. Does that really move the needle in terms of waste? I mean, we probably throw away many times that on food packaging every day...
  - kasey_junk 7y ago
    They are also compostable.
  - adwi 7y ago
    Yes, and the inventor said he went with paper instead of metal because it tastes better and doesn’t allow sediment into the cup. Trying both I came to the same conclusion. I reuse a filter ~5 times. Bonus: you don’t need to “burn” the filter every time to remove paper taste, and after a rinse you can just leave it in the filter holder to dry so it’s ready to go immediately.
  - organsnyder 7y ago
    I was impressed that Aeropress actually recommends reusing the paper filters.
- disposedtrolley 7y ago
  You can buy reusable metal filters for the Aeropress. I use this one with mine and can get a decent espresso shot from it: https://fellowproducts.com/products/prismo https://fellowproducts.com/products/prismo
  - gambiting 7y ago
partlysean 7y ago
I have an AeroPress and like it a lot, but I also love making a pour over every morning precisely for the process (and taste). Bringing the water to the right temperature, weighing and grinding the beans, blooming, managing the flow rate… the ritual is very calming.
pipingdog 7y ago
The Aeropress makes it so that I can take half the materials that go into a crap-ass urn of coffee and turn them into a kick-ass cup of coffee at work. Godsend. I have a 3rd party metal filter, so I don’t have to worry about running out of the paper filters.
- platz 7y ago
  metal filters aren't as effective at removing certain oils as paper, but are good enough to separate out the grounds.
  - masonic 7y ago
    Do you want oils removed?
    - lytfyre 7y ago
      Very much a personal preference / tastes may vary for of thing. If you're used to French press, you'll be used to the oils being part of the taste/mouthfeel experience of coffee, whereas coming from pourover (or the conventional batch brewers that dominate commercial or non-enthusiast home markets) some find them off-putting. No right or wrong answer.
atoav 7y ago
I enjoy the tedium of pour over coffee. It is just a nice ritual and forces me into a different state of beeing for a minute or two. A bit like when taking a shower this sometimes turns out to be one of the moments where the best ideas happen. Beeing unefficient and requiring attention can be a feature and not a bug if you embrace it.
- papito 7y ago
  It's just meditation by doing.
drcongo 7y ago
I recommend blooming in the AeroPress, not only does it slightly improve the coffee, but you're less likely to get a large frothy head on the top taking up space. It only takes an extra 30 seconds or so thanks to the small diameter.

kitotik 7y ago

The camping/road trip scenario is what lead me to AeroPress many years ago. The fact that it was able to replace all the other methods and home and work was a total bonus! Disclaimer: total AeroPress nerd and fanboy

freetime2 7y ago

A pour over doesn’t need to be that complicated, though. For most people it’s just a matter of throwing a scoop of coffee into a filter cone and pouring hot water over it. Sure you can get a more precise outcome with more fiddling, but it’s a tradeoff of effort vs. diminishing rewards.

dominotw 7y ago
this is what i do. I just need my fix, takes me all of 10-15 secs to get it.

baldfat 7y ago

My wife is in the same boat as you. She ended up just going back to single serve french press. She thinks it is just simpler and taste great.

samatman 7y ago
Same, except I went with a Hario V01 pourover. I do use single serve French press sometimes. The basic tradeoff for Aeropress is more complex flavor but weaker mouth feel, and I decided I wanted a richer texture. Usually drink darker roasts, so squeezing every note out of the beans is less important to me.
- wideasleep1 7y ago
  The paper element removes some of the oils (mouthfeel/body), and you can use a metal filter to retain the expected mouthfeel.
  - samatman 7y ago
    Presumably you mean with the Aeropress? I've tried it, it makes a difference but there's still a distinct Americano sort of 'hit'. Aeropress is the closest thing to espresso short of a maker, and for an affogado it's peerless, but that's the only way I tend to take a shot of coffee at home. Also using a Porlex these days and the pourover is much more forgiving of a rougher grind. Pulling a decent Areo shot means I have the nut tight enough that the grind takes half again as long.

danbolt 7y ago

Do you use the Hario Mini Slim [1] as well? One thing I love about it is how grinding a full container closely matches a full AeroPress. Dumping from the grinder straight into the press is convenient and less spillage than scooping coffee out of a burr. Also the fact that you can "pop" your grounds with a paper filter straight into the compost. [1] https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Mini-Slim/dp/B001804CLY https://www.amazon.ca/Hario-Ceramic-Coffee-Mill-Mini-Slim/dp...

notechback 7y ago

I don't understand the Aeropress love. I have a good full espresso machine for home. For the office I've tried: electric "mocha express" style Italian espresso maker (great coffee but colleagues complained about the strong smell) and a kettle with both a decent French press or Aeropress. While I don't mind the Aeropress I have a much better experience with a good old French press - much less chance of mess (stands well, no need to stir with the paddle/a spoon, no risk of putting too much pressure and something falls over). Tastewise I've tried it with both metal and paper filters and regular and reverse method, as well as different types and grains of coffee - there's no tangible difference to a decent French press. And of course both are far far far away from a proper espresso as you'd expect in a proper Italian or Portuguese café. The only upside I see is that it's light, so if you do carry something else to boil water it might be a good choice for campaign - but a small french press also is not heavy either. And of course if you go camping with a group a good mocha express to put on the fire makes you the hero of any journey (at the cost of an extra kg).

Talanes 7y ago
I'd never seen Moka spelled as Mocha, but it's unsurprising that they come from the same word. Mocha was basically synonymous with coffee for three centuries. What a different world it must have been when a city could completely control the market on it's specialty crop.
- jacobolus 7y ago
  Here’s a French map from 1764 https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Bellin_-_Plan_de_la_Ville_de_Moka.png https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Bellin_-...
Uhhrrr 7y ago
I'm also an espresso fan, and agree that it is no contest between the Aeropress and a proper lever or pump espresso machine. For camping though, I've used a couple of different moka pots and recently got an Aeropress, and I think the Aeropress is better. With the moka pot you're sort of crossing your fingers hoping that the tamp and heat are right and the water is getting shoved through the grounds just fast enough to make them expand and make the brew happen, rather than whizzing through or coming out painfully slowly or even blocking up everything so the rest of the water goes out the steam valve. With the Aeropress (or another similar item I've seen with two arms sticking out), you just shove it through. And for cleanup, you don't have to wait to unscrew two blazing hot metal pieces.

JKCalhoun 7y ago

Looks like a French Press. But aero.

lytfyre 7y ago
It kind of looks like it, but really isn't, in function or in result, if you try one out.

gambiting 7y ago

I just hate the waste it produces, even if it's "just" paper filters. I use a regular mokka pot, on an induction stove it literally takes <60s to boil, the whole thing is made out of stainless steel so takes 5 seconds to rinse and use again.

jetk 7y ago
fwiw, those paper filters are reusable many times without degradation. Even just using them 2-3 times, you'd be using less than an A4 sheet worth of paper over a month. Does that really move the needle in terms of waste? I mean, we probably throw away many times that on food packaging every day...
- kasey_junk 7y ago
  They are also compostable.
- adwi 7y ago
  Yes, and the inventor said he went with paper instead of metal because it tastes better and doesn’t allow sediment into the cup. Trying both I came to the same conclusion. I reuse a filter ~5 times. Bonus: you don’t need to “burn” the filter every time to remove paper taste, and after a rinse you can just leave it in the filter holder to dry so it’s ready to go immediately.
- organsnyder 7y ago
  I was impressed that Aeropress actually recommends reusing the paper filters.
disposedtrolley 7y ago
You can buy reusable metal filters for the Aeropress. I use this one with mine and can get a decent espresso shot from it: https://fellowproducts.com/products/prismo https://fellowproducts.com/products/prismo
- gambiting 7y ago

partlysean 7y ago

I have an AeroPress and like it a lot, but I also love making a pour over every morning precisely for the process (and taste). Bringing the water to the right temperature, weighing and grinding the beans, blooming, managing the flow rate… the ritual is very calming.

pipingdog 7y ago

The Aeropress makes it so that I can take half the materials that go into a crap-ass urn of coffee and turn them into a kick-ass cup of coffee at work. Godsend. I have a 3rd party metal filter, so I don’t have to worry about running out of the paper filters.

platz 7y ago
metal filters aren't as effective at removing certain oils as paper, but are good enough to separate out the grounds.
- masonic 7y ago
  Do you want oils removed?
  - lytfyre 7y ago
    Very much a personal preference / tastes may vary for of thing. If you're used to French press, you'll be used to the oils being part of the taste/mouthfeel experience of coffee, whereas coming from pourover (or the conventional batch brewers that dominate commercial or non-enthusiast home markets) some find them off-putting. No right or wrong answer.

atoav 7y ago

I enjoy the tedium of pour over coffee. It is just a nice ritual and forces me into a different state of beeing for a minute or two. A bit like when taking a shower this sometimes turns out to be one of the moments where the best ideas happen. Beeing unefficient and requiring attention can be a feature and not a bug if you embrace it.

papito 7y ago
It's just meditation by doing.

drcongo 7y ago

I recommend blooming in the AeroPress, not only does it slightly improve the coffee, but you're less likely to get a large frothy head on the top taking up space. It only takes an extra 30 seconds or so thanks to the small diameter.