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Date: 15 Jun 2006 20:47:54
From: Peter in New Zealand
Subject: New coffee device
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I have just managed to get my hands on an Aeropress, made by the Aerobie
company. You may know them, but they are not widely available in New Zealand
as yet, so it is an object of curiosity whenever friends call and I make
them a cup. Can be seen here http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress.htm
If anyone has any experience with these I would love to ask a question. It
seems to make a pretty decent cup of coffee - I always use freshly ground
beans of course - but there's none of the crema I get with my battered old
French press with the same beans. Could anyone offer any suggestions? Also,
if anyone is using one of these things regularly I would love your thoughts
on it.
--
Peter in New Zealand. (Pull the plug out to reply.)
Collector of old cameras, tropical fish fancier, good coffee nutter, and
compulsive computer fiddler.
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Date: 15 Jun 2006 08:49:18
From: Randy G.
Subject: Re: New coffee device
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"Peter in New Zealand" <peterbalplug@xtra.co.nz > wrote:
>
>I have just managed to get my hands on an Aeropress, made by the Aerobie
>company. You may know them, but they are not widely available in New Zealand
>as yet, so it is an object of curiosity whenever friends call and I make
>them a cup. Can be seen here http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress.htm
>
>If anyone has any experience with these I would love to ask a question. It
>seems to make a pretty decent cup of coffee - I always use freshly ground
>beans of course - but there's none of the crema I get with my battered old
>French press with the same beans. Could anyone offer any suggestions? Also,
>if anyone is using one of these things regularly I would love your thoughts
>on it.
This is a long-standing discussion here. IMO, no, it does not make
espresso. I have a review on my website, and I really like the device.
Yes, it makes a delicious cup of coffee more akin to press pot or moka
pot, but not espresso as we know it (or at leeast as it should be).
Randy "espresso hypo" G.
http://www.EspressoMyEspresso.com
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Date: 15 Jun 2006 17:32:11
From: Jason Castonguay
Subject: Re: New coffee device
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I've heard of and read about the Aeropress and it does sound very
interesting. I am visually impaired, however, and don't know what this
device looks like or how it is operated. I'd love to get a description
from those of you who own one. Is it completely manually operated?
Does it heat the water or must one do that ahead?
Thanks for any and all help.
--
Jason
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Date: 15 Jun 2006 11:00:44
From: Randy G.
Subject: Re: New coffee device
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Jason Castonguay <jcast@snet.net > wrote:
>I've heard of and read about the Aeropress and it does sound very
>interesting. I am visually impaired, however, and don't know what this
>device looks like or how it is operated. I'd love to get a description
>from those of you who own one. Is it completely manually operated?
>Does it heat the water or must one do that ahead?
>
Is is like a big hypodermic syringe that has no needle. It is all
manual, has no mechanical or metal parts, and it does not plug in. It
is very simply and sells for about $30. A small, round, paper filter
goes on the bottom held on by a locking ring and screen which is one
piece. The device is placed on a coffee cup and it rests their with
good stability. A large funnel is supplied to assist in pouring in teh
coffee grounds. The ground coffee goes inside the tube. Water is
heated and poured into the tube. A supplied stirring stick is used to
agitate the coffee and water a bit. It is plastic and the right length
so the filter paper is not disturbed. The plunger portion is separate
and has a rubber piston seal at the bottom. The Plunger is inserted
into the main tube and pressed downward to push the water through the
coffee and filter. The coffee drips directly into the cup.
To clean, the bottom is removed and the puck ejected from the tube by
pressing the plunger the rest of the way.
Hope that helps.
Randy "" G.
http://www.EspressoMyEspresso.com
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Date: 15 Jun 2006 02:55:33
From: dcrehr
Subject: Re: New coffee device
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I'm an enthusiastic user of this device, but crema never seemed to
enter into the equation.
If I understand you... I think you may be confusing "crema" with
"bloom" on the French Press. Bloom, I believe, comes from all the
carbon dioxide released from not only freshly ground, but freshly
roasted beans.
Pressing the plunger on the French Press is a much gentler process than
on the Aeropress... so with the French, some of the bloom survives.
With the Aeropress, the considerable pressure would seem to squeeze it
out, don't you think.
Real crema is an espresso thing, isn't it? Perhaps some of the more
expert folks here can give us some lessons on how this is physically
created... and how, if anything, it relates to bloom.
DR
Peter in New Zealand wrote:
but there's none of the crema I get with my battered old
> French press with the same beans. Could anyone offer any suggestions? Also,
> if anyone is using one of these things regularly I would love your thoughts
> on it.
>
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Date: 15 Jun 2006 10:27:56
From: Bertie Doe
Subject: Re: New coffee device
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"Peter in New Zealand" >
> If anyone has any experience with these I would love to ask a question. It
> seems to make a pretty decent cup of coffee - I always use freshly ground
> beans of course - but there's none of the crema I get with my battered old
> French press with the same beans. Could anyone offer any suggestions?
> Also,
> if anyone is using one of these things regularly I would love your
> thoughts
> on it.
>
Google will show quite a few posts here and in C.Geek on the aeropress. This
one is quite good and post 91 by JJ links to making a permanent filter from
a Braun Gold.
There's a theory that the AP's paper filter, may be healthier, but may
remove some of the subtle tastes.http://tinyurl.com/fdogt
Bertie
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Date: 15 Jun 2006 10:29:17
From: Bertie Doe
Subject: Re: New coffee device
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"Bertie Doe"
> remove some of the subtle tastes.http://tinyurl.com/fdogt
> Bertie
I'll try again
http://tinyurl.com/fdogt
Bertie
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Date: 15 Jun 2006 18:46:43
From:
Subject: Re: New coffee device
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Peter in New Zealand <peterbalplug@xtra.co.nz > wrote:
> I have just managed to get my hands on an Aeropress,
http://www.coffeecrew.com/content/view/345/27/
Something I cobbled together.
Colin
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
www.coffeecrew.com Colin Newell's Daily Grind
rnewell AT vcn DOT bc DOT ca
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
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Date: 16 Jun 2006 16:09:13
From: Peter in New Zealand
Subject: Re: New coffee device
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Well, I'm thoroughly enjoying all the comments. I've been making heaps of
coffee over the past few days, and drinking the stuff until I'm silly, and I
have to agree that it's quick, incredibly clean, and produces a very
acceptable drink. The only thing that fascinates me is this - when the
column has only enough water for just one cup most of the plunger's travel
is spent blowing air through the ground coffee after the water has gone
through first. Is there any point to that, or can the "plunge" stop when the
last of the water has "passed" to save the physical effort of bottoming it
out? I don't suppose blowing air through it does any harm to the newly
brewed coffee in the mug.
Peter.
<rnewell@vcn.bc.ca > wrote in message news:e6s9ui$rt7$1@luna.vcn.bc.ca...
> Peter in New Zealand <peterbalplug@xtra.co.nz> wrote:
> > I have just managed to get my hands on an Aeropress,
>
> http://www.coffeecrew.com/content/view/345/27/
>
> Something I cobbled together.
>
> Colin
>
> /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
> www.coffeecrew.com Colin Newell's Daily Grind
> rnewell AT vcn DOT bc DOT ca
> \/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
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Date: 15 Jun 2006 10:46:26
From:
Subject: Re: New coffee device
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Peter in New Zealand wrote:
> If anyone has any experience with these I would love to ask a question. It
> seems to make a pretty decent cup of coffee - I always use freshly ground
> beans of course - but there's none of the crema I get with my battered old
> French press with the same beans. Could anyone offer any suggestions? Also,
> if anyone is using one of these things regularly I would love your thoughts
> on it.
Crema is emulsified oil, to a large extent, so the best you can do with
an Aeropress is hope to get some natural coffee oil in your extraction.
Depending on how you serve your coffee, this could indeed enhance the
cup dramatically.
In order to get as much oil in your cup as possible with an Aeropress,
though, you have to resort to a deft -- some might say daft --
technique.
Place the plunger rubber-end up on the counter. Press the tube over it,
properly oriented, a bit more than an inch. Leave the cap off. So
basically you have an inverted Aeropress with the "top" open.
At this point, put it away because you don't have what you need for the
next step yet.
Obtain some 5 micron nonwovern (spunbond) polester felt. Give it a good
long wash in boiling water, and use it at your own risk since there may
be binders and manufacturing surfactant residue in it.
Or obtain some woven polypropylene fabric intended for filtering. No
binders or surfactants to worry about -- but wash it anyway.
Or obtain a metal filter with very fine holes. A Swiss Gold, believe it
or not, is not very fine. The famous Clover's mesh is between 40 and
100 microns, depending on which supplied screen the vendor implemented.
All of these will give you fines in the cup, as with a French press. As
far as I can tell, only the fabrics above will totally eliminate fines
AND give you all the oils you want.
OK, now take out that Aeropress again, and set it up as described.
Pre-heat it a bit, if you like. Then add an ounce or less of water to
the bottom, dump in your grind (finer side of drip for an Aero "double"
is the coarsest you'd need to go; you could probably do an espresso
grind but you might have problems terminating extraction in timely
fashion, depending on your press technique (remember, what the coffee
tastes like has nothing to do with the pressure you apply; you're just
pressing to get the coffee out of the grounds in a timely fashion --
sometimes less pressure makes for a faster press: whatever lets you hit
your target time for the grind fineness you're using). Next, again
parse the part before I digressed just there, then add as much water as
you can on top of the grind, consistent with your concern about the
bloom overflowing things and making a mess. Realize that not all the
grind is wet yet, so when you stir all this the bloom will bloom still
more (you could avoid this by pre-wetting the grind before dumping in
the Aero -- still more mess).
Doing the mental (or real) countdown to extraction termination, at the
opportune moment put the cap on the press with one of the two fabrics
above (as I'd recommend), and press while the Aero is still inverted.
When coffee begins to seep through the cap's holes, be prepared to tip
the thing over your receiving mug quickly once it threatens to pool up
and overflow the top of the Aero.
To be sure you get all the oils, I'd suggest repeating this a couple or
three times. Tip, press, repeat. Then "revert" the Aero over your mug,
draw the plunger out a bit to inject some air, and finish the press as
usual -- BUT I suggest you stop before pressing the puck, carefully
withdraw the plunger, and introduce a half ounce or so of hot water,
then press it quickly. That will redeem the last vestiges of worthy
brew from the grind, provided you've been timely with everything thus
far.
This sounds TERRIBLY complicated -- but it's not. It's terribly simple.
It's just ridiculously messy. But it also produces coffee that's better
than a Clover yields, and I'll happily submit that assertion to any
blind cupping comparison anyone might wish to try with a Clover, using
identical parameters in all respects (as far as possible).
The fabrics are re-usable -- for weeks, in my case. They can be had
inexpensively.
I'm working on a simple Aero mod that will make this non-messy. I'll
post more as that becomes real.
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Date: 16 Jun 2006 11:32:54
From: Heat + Beans
Subject: Re: New coffee device
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<<<snip everything I agree with, >>>>
scott.marquardt@gmail.com wrote:
" > It's just ridiculously messy. "
Is not.
I just made my mid-day Aero and am sipping from a 12 oz Bodum hollow
body. Entire operation around 4 minutes, and all without leaving my
desk chair. Water from a gallon jug heated by a HotShot into a 12 oz
metal frothing cup. (All kept under the desk). 2 scoops ground by my
lap Zass. Paper towel from my drawer to give a final wipe after
popping the puck into trash. Not a drop on on the top nor a ground on
the ground.
Martin
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Date: 16 Jun 2006 00:14:59
From: ensenadajim
Subject: Re: New coffee device
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On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 20:47:54 +1200, "Peter in New Zealand"
<peterbalplug@xtra.co.nz > wrote:
>I have just managed to get my hands on an Aeropress, made by the Aerobie
>company. You may know them, but they are not widely available in New Zealand
>as yet, so it is an object of curiosity whenever friends call and I make
>them a cup. Can be seen here http://www.aerobie.com/Products/aeropress.htm
>
>If anyone has any experience with these I would love to ask a question. It
>seems to make a pretty decent cup of coffee - I always use freshly ground
>beans of course - but there's none of the crema I get with my battered old
>French press with the same beans. Could anyone offer any suggestions? Also,
>if anyone is using one of these things regularly I would love your thoughts
>on it.
This thread was just done about two weeks ago, seems to me. They
suffer from two inadequacies in my view: first there are presses of
the same capacity that are cheaper and second, there do not seem to be
aerobies with 30 oz + capacities.
jim
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Date: 16 Jun 2006 11:05:44
From: Randy G.
Subject: Re: New coffee device
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ensenadajim <ensenadaXXXjim@yahoo.com > wrote:
>
>This thread was just done about two weeks ago, seems to me.
>
Except now you have introduced a new variable below:
>They
>suffer from two inadequacies in my view: first there are presses of
>the same capacity that are cheaper and second, there do not seem to be
>aerobies with 30 oz + capacities.
>
Ahh, but the Aeropress is not really a press:
- the filter paper at the bottom of the Aeropress removes virtually
all the sediment from the coffee which is a major detractor from press
pot coffee
- in the Aero the water is forced through the coffee under pressure
more like what happens in an espresso machine or moka pot.
- the Aero is designed to work with a lower ratio of water:coffeee
- the Aero works with a much finer grind
- the Aero has the time the water contacts the coffee mush less than
with a press pot
- complaining that the Aero's capacity is too small is quite the same
as complaining that there are no machine that can make a 10 ounce
espresso.
Other than that, they are about the same. ;-)
Randy "apricots to bananas" G.
http://www.EspressoMyEspresso.com
The filtr paper at the bott
>
>jim
>
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Date: 16 Jun 2006 05:21:17
From: Johnny
Subject: Re: New coffee device
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"ensenadajim" <ensenadaXXXjim@yahoo.com > wrote in message
news:rfm4929at24qliqk4nohfr5u7kpp2s8f21@4ax.com...
>
> This thread was just done about two weeks ago, seems to me. They
> suffer from two inadequacies in my view: first there are presses of
> the same capacity that are cheaper and second, there do not seem to be
> aerobies with 30 oz + capacities.
>
Thanks for the 2 week memory Jim, you could be a replacement for google in
the event of power failure on their server farm ;-)
I think you are comparing apples with oranges. The aeropress is specifically
designed for a single cup as I understand it so for that a single cup it
suffers no inadequacy.
And as for the price comparison to presspots, well it's a different beast
altogether that produces quite a different brew.
Perhaps they'll feed your fantasies at some future time with a 30+oz
aeropress but I'll bet the price won't be to your liking unless they can get
some economies of scale. :-)
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Date: 18 Jun 2006 06:43:21
From:
Subject: Re: New coffee device
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Heat + Beans wrote:
> <<<snip everything I agree with, >>>>
> scott.marquardt@gmail.com wrote:
>
> "> It's just ridiculously messy. "
>
> Is not.
>
> I just made my mid-day Aero
Using the specific Aero method I detail? Yes, it is messy.
Normal use of an Aeropress is distinctly unmessy, I agree. As a daily
user of the thing, I'm always pleased with that aspect of it.
- Scott
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