Hello ,
Having dropped my cafetière and smashed it I’m considering an aeropress.anyone have any experience with one?.i don’t grind my own coffee if that helps.
Any advice much appreciated
Cheers Graeme

Yes they are.

Here is some reading material.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/what-coffee-do-you-aeropress

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/aeropress-what-do-we-think

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/aeropress-then

Hmmmm.

I use one at work. That’s where it’s one major advantage shines – it much less messy to use than a cafetière.

But the coffee that comes out is mediocre.

And given that it’s just a big syringe I don’t think they are good value for money.

However the advantage above means it willl remain my coffee maker of choice at work.

I have one at work as the filter coffee machine produces rancid, burnt tasting brew. The coffee isn’t as nice as that from a stove top, but it’s nice enough, and the process is easy and doesn’t require a lot of cleaning up after.

In terms of ease of use its by far and away the least faffy.

In terms of flavour its not worse than a stove top its just a completey different style of dtink. Extremely clean, no grit or burnyness to the flavour much prefer it over a cafetiere.

As for mediocre coffee from it… you get out what you put in.

V60 would be another option.

I’ve found they’re useful for convenience in situations where other preferred methods aren’t available to you…Camping, hotel rooms, stand duty etc. I wouldn’t use one as my preference for making a brew (although others do, and enjoy the coffee they produce). Usful bit of kit in your coffee making arsenal.

Perhaps a double skinned metal one would stop you from smashing your press?

No better than a cafetiere, just less mess is all.

There is a difference between the drinks produced by a cafetiere and an Aeropress. The paper filter of the Aeropress means that you do not get the fines at the bottom of the cup, and cafetiere tends to be a stronger/harsher/more robust/muddier brew (choose whichever adjective you prefer). Conversely filter coffee is usually described as a ‘cleaner’ cup, and will not be as strong as a cafetiere, although the Aeropress is I think a close second to cafetiere.

At the end of the day, the beans will make more difference to the drink than the method of brewing.

Overrated imho. I’ve gone back to a 3 cup cafetiere (£6 from Sainsburys). To clean just add a bit of water to the compressed grounds, give it a swill and pour it down the plug ‘ole. Simples.

I am not a barrister.

Conversely filter coffee is usually described as a ‘cleaner’ cup…

I’ve certainly been lead to believe it’s the ‘purest’ way of making coffee, assuming you’re after a regular cup of joe and not something Italian-based and American-bastardised, probably involving caramel or whipped cream.

On a sidenote I bought a new Aeropress recently and the instructions on how to make coffee had changed. Previously it recommended making – essentially – a double espresso shot and adding hot water to taste. The newer instructions recommend making a longer ‘shot’ and leaving to brew after stirring for a minute.

Should add: use a mesh filter, the ‘upside-down’ method and espresso-ground beans.

If you use a quality coffee, and get your technique right, the coffee from an aeropress is as good as anything else available if you like a filter coffee.

Re it not being as good as a stove top, they’re two totally different types of method. Like saying chips are better than mash.

A further thought: some of the better coffee shops – but sadly not that many – offer different brewing options in addition to espresso.

According to your profile location, I suspect the best coffee shop near you is Little Red Roaster in Poole (not been there myself, but heard a positive review of it from a friend). According to this 2015 blog post , they offer cafetiere and pour over (i.e. filter, albeit not Aeropress), so you could try the drinks there to get an idea of the difference (although be preparared to be spoilt by getting drinks made with freshly ground high quality beans).

I only use mine when I go camping or stay at someone’s house who doesn’t have proper coffee 🙂 The bean to cup machine does all my coffee at home.

I am not a barrister.

Waste of money if you are using stale pre-ground coffee, better off getting a Hario/rhino grinder and some fresh roasted beans and using them with your cafetière or getting a V60 filter.

Like having a wood fired pizza oven built to cook £1.99 frozen pizzas.

Biggest bonus is ease of cleaning, but I also really like the ‘clean’ taste you get from it.

Like having a wood fired pizza oven built to cook £1.99 frozen pizzas.

😆

Like having a wood fired pizza oven built to cook £1.99 frozen pizzas.

It’s not though, is it?.

Maybe a £500 bean to cup machine could be considered in your analogy, but a cheap plastic syringe? Na.

To clean just add a bit of water to the compressed grounds, give it a swill and pour it down the plug ‘ole. Simples

That’s a quick way to block up your drain. Coffee grounds mix with fat and food to form pretty solid blockages.
I keep a strainer next to the sink, run a bit of water into the cafetière, pour grounds through the strainer and then empty into the food waste bin. Very easy, and a lot less likely to bugger up your sink outlet. Unless you’re really lazy 😉

To clean just add a bit of water to the compressed grounds, give it a swill and pour it down the plug ‘ole. Simples.

Ffs don’t do that.

Re it not being as good as a stove top, they’re two totally different types of method. Like saying chips are better than mash.

Logical fallacy! Chips *are* better than mash

Just throw the grounds and water mix outside. Or into a house plant.

I like the aeropress at work, i even bring it home when on leave. I think I prefer it to the cafetiere now and the stove top isn’t available at work. For the sake of only £20 or whatever it is it’s worth having though.

the coffee makes the most difference. Aeropress needs quite a large scoop to get the right amount.

A lot of the posh coffee shops around here use them to make coffee.

Grow some mushrooms with your used coffee grounds here.

Aeropress makes great coffee, I just find you need to brew for a lot longer than the instructions, and use the upside down method.
Next for me is to try a metal filter but they are seriously pricy!

That’s a quick way to block up your boss’s drain.

ftfy

Everything mixes with fat to form fatbergs. Stop being so precious. Nobody is going to think of the children.

That’s a quick way to block up your drain. Coffee grounds mix with fat and food to form pretty solid blockages.

My Nan lead me to believe that coffee ground helps keep drains clear…

Edit: seems it’s quite a divisive subject:
https://www.chowhound.com/post/disposing-coffee-grounds-393294
https://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/7044/will-disposing-of-coffee-grounds-in-the-sink-cause-drain-blockage

Next for me is to try a metal filter but they are seriously pricy!

I have one it gets clogged.

Back to filters

I’ve heard that some people get a Crema on thier coffee. Is this so and how?

In addition, how long does this increase stirring go on for? Im using the upside down method and stirring for about 30 secs before pressing.

Kryton57 – Member
I’ve heard that some people get a Crema on thier coffee. Is this so and how?

In addition, how long does this increase stirring go on for? Im using the upside down method and stirring for about 30 secs before pressing.

I find it’s very coffee dependent. I have APs both at home and work. At home I grind the beans but at work I use pre-ground.

If the beans are from a pack which has just been opened, freshly ground and the water is the right temperature, you can get a half-decent crema. Which, of course, disappears the minute you adulterate the shot with water to fill up the cup.

I find sometimes wetting the coffee before adding the rest of the water can help to release the crema as well.

Every now and again on a newly-opened bag of ground I’ll get some as well, but it’s far more hit and miss.

That said, I like it fairly weak, so with less coffee there’s likely to be less crema.

Next for me is to try a metal filter but they are seriously pricy!

I use one. On the whole I like it and it saves the planet, one paper filter at a time.

I use a metal filter. It stops me from inadvertently listening to Nickleback.

Metal filter….
I have one it gets clogged.

Mine never gets clogged. It also makes the coffee taste slightly different to using the paper filters, it’s as if the paper stops oils or very, very fine particles from getting through, but the metal one doesn’t.

one of the great things about the aeropress is the fact that you can just fire the remains into the nearest bin, give it a quick rinse and it’s ready to go again. Having to fish about to find a metal filter, does slightly undermine that advantage.

Having to fish about to find a metal filter, does slightly undermine that advantage.

I just take my (non-clogging) metal filter off before i fire the remnants into the sink then give it a rinse

I use a metal filter too. The only problem is because it is silver, thin and flat; I’ve left it in campsite sinks a few times and had to run back to get it.
I got it from US eBay. They are about $5, the postage costs more so I bought 2.

@nickc – “Having to fish about to find a metal filter, does slightly undermine that advantage.”
The simple solution is to remove the metal filter before ejecting your spent coffee into the bin. Use some lateral thought, it’s hardly rocket science.

Use some lateral thought, it’s hardly rocket science.

@nickc – we’re too beautiful to fall out, let’s have a coffe break
[video]https://youtu.be/VeTPZtZtW44[/video]

😆

You can’t really get crema with the paper filters so need a metal one for that.

As for time, I stir for about 3 seconds then leave it to brew for 2-4 mins depending on beans and grind.

At 30s I’d get some seriously weak coffee…