Last Updated on 04/12/2021 by Miki
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You may hear of the popularity of AeroPress and wonder why. Well, there is a good reason for it. It makes absolutely delicious full-bodied coffee! The Aeropress is a modern take on an old fashioned way to make coffee. Honestly, it would be quite difficult to make terrible coffee with this amazing coffee maker. There are heaps of benefits of using it. Here are some:
- Portability
- Simplicity of Use
- Ease of Cleaning
The Aeropress is a simple brewing device that can be used to prepare a cup of coffee and be used anywhere in the world. It is also a quick and easy solution for those who are on the go. Why not Love it? Well, you may still wonder if it is really that good. Let’s find it out!
What Is The AeroPress?
It is undoubtedly one of the most common coffee makers on the market. It requires a relatively short time to brew coffee and uses air pressure and full immersion for flavour extraction, similar to an espresso machine. In fact, a lot of coffee lovers claim the AeroPress is the best coffee brewer. It consists of the following parts:
- Chamber – It is the main body where you will add ground coffee and water.
- Plunger – It is for extracting the coffee and you will press it down from the top of the chamber.
- Filter Cap – You need to attach it to the chamber bottom to hold the filter. The filter cap will keep the added coffee and water inside the chamber.
You will need either a paper filter or a reusable coffee filter. There is nothing complicated about it at all.
How To Use The AeroPress
The design of the Aeropress makes it very difficult to use incorrectly. The manual is simple and straightforward with instructions for brewing with this coffee maker. It is ideal for short trips, camping, or any other time that you want to have delicious coffee without electricity. They are easy to pack and quick to assemble. Here is a step-by-step guide:
- Place a coffee filter (either paper or reusable) into the filter cap. Attach the cap to the chamber bottom. Set the AeroPress on the top of your mug.
- Grind coffee beans to a medium-fine grind or according to your preference.
- Add the ground coffee into the chamber. Please note that the quantity of coffee depends on your desired strength in the brewed coffee along with the overall quantity of coffee you would like to make.
- Prepare your water by heating up to around 175 degrees Fahrenheit/80 degrees Celsius.
- Slowly pour the heated water into the chamber so that all the ground coffee will be saturated. It is recommended to stir the coffee and water to mix.
- Allow the mixture to sit for approximately 30 seconds.
- Slowly press down the plunger so that the coffee will be pushed through the filter and eventually into your mug. You will want to stop the process once hearing a hissing sound. Enjoy!
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The Best AeroPress Coffee Maker
AeroPress Coffee And Espresso Maker
If you would like to start to make coffee with AeroPress, this is the one for you. This comes with everything you need including the press, funnel to make it easy for you to add ground beans, stirrer, 350 microfilters, and filter holder. This can make full-bodied, low acidic coffee without bitterness that a French press tends to have. There won’t be any muddiness with the help of a microfilter. You can also make espresso-style coffee that is suitable for a latte, cappuccino and any other espresso-based coffee. It will make 1-3 cups of American-style coffee within a minute. How awesome! You can use it not only at home but also anywhere as long as you can get hot water and freshly ground coffee of course.
Furthermore, it is incredibly easy to clean this manual coffee maker. You will need to remove the filter cap, press the plunger down so that the ground coffee and the paper filter will be pushed into your rubbish bin, pull the plunger out from the chamber, and wash all the pars with hot water by hand. Simple, isn’t it?
Is The AeroPress Better Than A French Press?
Although AeroPress and a French press are both manual coffee makers, they have different benefits. The former is a relatively new invention whereas the latter has been around for quite a long time. Let’s look into the benefits of each coffee maker.
Benefits of the AeroPress
- You can brew your coffee straight into your mug.
- The brewed coffee is similar to espresso without an espresso machine.
- The brewing time is conveniently short, generally less than 2 minutes.
- It is extremely portable since it is designed for its portability.
- You won’t have grits in your coffee, which is an issue with a French press.
- It is slightly easier to clean than a French press.
Benefits of a French press
- It is affordable.
- It can make more varieties of coffee than AeroPress.
- You don’t need to use any paper filters.
- It can make more coffee at a time than AeroPress can.
Again, it depends on your preference which will be better. Personally, I would prefer the AeroPress for all the benefits mentioned and I love the richer, full-bodied coffee that it can make.
Is The AeroPress Better Than A Pour-Over?
Just like a French press, it depends on your preference although a pour-over coffee maker has different benefits from a French press or the AeroPress.
Benefits of a pour-over
- You can have full control of how to brew your coffee according to your preference.
- Your choice of coffee beans will be highlighted in their aroma and flavour.
- You will need to practice until you find the best method for you, which is great for anyone who loves brewing experiment!
Again, my choice will be the AeroPress although I completely understand how perfectly a pour-over can make coffee by using the classic brewing method.
The AeroPress FAQ
What Is The Best Grind For It?
A slightly coarser espresso grind is recommended to make rich flavoursome coffee although it may take a bit longer to press. You can use pre-ground coffee for drip coffee makers, but you will need to adjust the quantity of coffee and the brewing time. More coffee and brewing time will be required if you would like to have the same strength as the espresso grind.
What Coffee Goes In It?
Even though it is almost guaranteed to make delicious cups of coffee with AeroPress, it is still important to use good quality coffee beans. My top pick is Lifeboost Coffee since it is a high-quality product with organic and single-origin coffee. You will be surprised when you check their coffee quality. SF Bay Coffee organic rainforest blend is another good option since it is high-quality with 100% Arabica.
Does It Make Real Espresso?
If you define espresso as being made with 9 bars of pressure, it doesn’t brew espresso. However, if you define espresso by its taste, then it can make delicious espresso. You can use the AeroPress brewed coffee to make a latte, cappuccino, and other espresso-based drinks. It delivers a rich and strong cup of coffee that you will enjoy.
Does The AeroPress Filter Out Cafestol?
Cafestol is a chemical element found in the oily part of your coffee and it causes an increase of LDL (low-density lipoproteins) cholesterol in your blood. By using a paper filter, you can prohibit cafestol from passing through your coffee. On the other hand, if you use a mesh or metal filter, cafestol will end up in your coffee and eventually into your body.
If you are health-conscious, you will want to use paper filters. However, flavour-wise, you may want to use a mesh or metal filter because you will have more flavour with either of them after all. The paper filter will filter out the rich flavour from your coffee along with cafestol. Therefore, it’s both good and bad about it.
Should I Get The AeroPress Or The AeroPress Go?
It totally depends on your need if you should get the AeroPress Or the Go.
The Go is slightly lighter and smaller since it is more focused on portability. It includes a mug that can fit the AeroPress and all of the necessary accessories inside. Perfect for travelling!
On the other hand, you can purchase the original AeroPress with a travel tote bag, so this option is still great for travel. It has a bit more brewing capacity of 10oz (approximately 300ml) compared to the Go which is 8oz (approximately 240ml).
You may want to have both as your coffee discoveries continue 🙂
Final Thoughts
There is no wonder that AeroPress is one of the most popular manual coffee makers among coffee lovers. It can first and foremost make rich and strong coffee, it is surely portable, quick to brew and easy to clean. Honestly, what else could you ask for? It is most likely that you will be satisfied with your new coffee maker.
Please keep in mind that you will need to grind whole coffee beans freshly with preferably a burr grinder so that you can achieve the best possible result in your coffee. Just like any other coffee makers. You may want to read this article regarding the best coffee grinders.
