Aerobie 80R08 AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker
by Aerobie
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List Price: Our Price: $25.95 You Save: $6.04 (19%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $16.99 (click here) Category: Kitchen See more product details |
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Aerobie 80R08 AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker
Customer Review: Finally... An Awesome Home Coffee Maker
Summary: 5 Stars
I really, really enjoy good coffee. Unfortunately, I am the only one in my household that drinks coffee. So, making a pot of coffee never makes sense for me. For the last 10 years, Starbucks has been my standard by which I measure all other coffee. I purchased a Keurig single serve coffee maker nine years ago and it was surprisingly good. After many fine years of service, it unexpectedly stopped working about two years ago, so I bought a new fancier Keurig... Unfortunately, the new model really sucked - the coffee was very weak and drop size inconsistent. So, I returned it disappointed to Costco and went on a search for an acceptable replacement. I found a web site, [...], and researched the different makers available. While I had been a K-cup user with the Keurig, I found that there are pods and t-discs as well. After much research, I landed on a Grindmaster OPOD - one of the highest thought of makers in the single serve coffee sub-culture. I have enjoyed the OPOD as it has served me well... but the coffee has never approached the intense quality of my Starbucks standard.
During a casual review of [...], I found a review of the Aerobie AeroPress. The review was off the charts favorable. And the verbatim responses from users agreed emphatically with the review. The inventor even answered a question someone had in the thread. I continued to read more about the inventor - he's a professor at Stanford who used engineering know-how to create a simple, well-made, coffee maker that makes coffee that is better than my Starbucks standard! And for $25! Completely and totally awesome.
This is a manual process that may be worrying some of you - don't let it, it's very, very straight forward and takes just a couple more minutes than the Keurig or the OPOD or any other single serve maker out there. You basically follow these steps:
1. Get your Aeropress out
2. Heat water to 175 deg F (takes 2 minutes in my microwave)
3. Place filter in press
4. Place press onto your coffee cup
5. Scoop coffee into press
6. Pour water (equal to number of scoops)
7. Stir 10 seconds
8. Press water through coffee into cup
9. Pop coffee "puck" into trash
10. Rinse your press off with water in sink and let air dry on towel
11. Top off your espresso with hot water to make American coffee
12. Enjoy coffee better than you would buy at Starbucks!
Totally blows my mind it's that simple.
I highly, highly recommend you try the Aeropress if you enjoy coffee.
Hope you enjoy as much as I do.
Customer Review: Coffee the way you like it
Summary: 5 Stars
I did many hours of research into coffee makers before deciding on an Aeropress. I learned that several factors influence the coffee you end up with: the temperature of the water, the way the water mixes with the coffee, and how the coffee is extracted from the grounds. I found it difficult to find knowledgeable reviews of the various coffee machines, so I decided to take control of my coffee preparation. The aeropress allows you to control how hot the water is and how long you let it mix with the coffee.
The whole coffee making process is explained in the products instructions.
1. Insert a filter and some coffee into the unit. A coffee scoop and some filters are included with the aeropress, they recommend 1 scoop of coffee per cup.
2. Heat the right amount of water. Markers are printed on the side of the Aeropress to show the recommended amount of water for between 1 and 4 (the maximum) espresso shots. The manufacturers recommend water between 75 and 80 degrees. I don't know if this is correct, because I don't have a thermometer in the kitchen, and in any case, I'm not going to stick a thermometer in water to get it to a precise temperature. I boil water in my kettle and let the water sit for a set time before use. Alternatively, you could microwave the water for a set time. A bit of experimentation and you'll find how hot you like the water. I agree with Aeropress that boiling hot water extracts unpleasant flavors.
3. Mix the water with the grounds. The grounds are immersed in water, much like in a french press, but the manufacturers recommend letting the water sit for no more than about 10 seconds. I find that this is about right, but you can experiment and decide for yourself.
4. Insert the plunger and push the water out of the Aeropress. You press the plunger down so that it extracts the water from the grounds over about 20 seconds. The Aeropress needs to be on a strong and stable container, such as a mug, for this part of the process. Pressing the plunger requires a bit of strength if you are making more than one espresso shot. You'll need to press down for about 20 seconds.
5. Drink up, or dilute the espresso shot(s) for American coffee or mix them for cappuccino, or whatever.
I am very happy with the Aeropress. It makes great tasting coffee. It's easy to clean and inexpensive. In my opinion the aeropress is superior to french press or manual drip percolator coffee. It is not as convenient as a machine but I'm willing to spend the effort for good coffee.
Customer Review: You Won't Be Disappointed
Summary: 5 Stars
I have had the AeroPress for about a year now and it is the only thing I use to make coffee now. I am still amazed at what great coffee it makes. Recently I considered that maybe I had only imagined that the AeroPress made better coffee than my standard 12-cup coffee brewer, so I ground up some beans from the same bag as I was using for the AeroPress and made a pot of coffee. Nope. The AeroPress coffee is in a whole other league: smooth, rich, enhances the flavor of the coffee, and is not bitter.
The product packaging and some of the claims made by Aerobie may lead you to believe that this is a gimmick or novelty item: not true! Not only does the AeroPress make great coffee, but it is very easy to use and clean up. Just heat up some water, pour it on the grounds, stir, press the coffee through, rinse off the AeroPress, and you're done. The unit is also very sturdy - I've been using it daily for about a year and it still shows no signs of wear. Here are some of my thoughts on the Aeropress:
PROS:
- Makes great coffee (grind whole bean for best results)
- Versatile: Make yourself a cappuccino, americano, latte, etc.
- Cheap: Starbucks can't make a cup off coffee half as good using equipment that costs 100 times as much!
- Easy to use
- Quick cleanup: Just pop out the "coffee puck" and rinse under hot water and you're done (be sure to pull the plunger back out to ensure that it retains its shape)
- Resists wear and tear
- Space saver: very light and compact, easy to store in a drawer or cabinet, throw it in your suitcase and have great coffee on the road!
- Fun to experiment with as it gives you total control over the brewing process (i.e. amount of water, water temperature, amount of grounds, fineness of grind, length of brewing period, etc.)
CONS:
- Not practical if preparing for more than 2 or 3 people (in my opinion)
- The fineness of the grounds proportionately affects the difficulty of the pressing action. If you use a very fine grind, it can be very difficult to "press" the coffee. On the other hand, maybe it is good strength training? In my opinion, the quality of the result more than makes up for this caveat. Five stars.
Conclusion: The AeroPress will put an end to the littering of your home with half-drunk cups of coffee (my dad calls such people "coffee lookers"). You won't be disappointed. I bought one for my sister and she has since decommissioned her 12-cup coffee maker in favor of the AeroPress. Comments welcome.
Customer Review: A Gift from the Valar
Summary: 5 Stars
Of the all the technological wonders to grace the human existence, these simple pieces of plastic and rubber have transformed my dull, ordinary life into a more fantastic, fulfilled and caffeinated one. Making coffee in this is as if the Valar themselves reached down and handed us a gilded cup full of this sweet and bitter nectar. The scales have fallen from my eyes and I see the foul lies I have fed by drip coffee makers, stove top moka pots and french press fanatics for once I tasted the brew brought forth from the Aeropress' loins, I wept with joy at finally being able to taste what coffee roasters have long been describing in their precious-sounding, wine-like bean notes (hints of chocolate, cardamon and smoke, with a bright, woodsy finish), but also I wept tears of rage at having wasted half my life to over-cooked, over-steeped, gut-gnawing swill which passes as coffee in the United States. My heart sinks a little when I am away from my Aeropress for long and forced to get coffee at a Starbucks or, worst, Dunkin Donuts, which is why I carry my Aeropress, or "coffee-syringe" as I endearingly call it, in a fleece lined bag when travelling. When staying a friend's houses, I mercilessly subject them to the benefits of my coffee syringe like a man who has found the key to eternal happiness and must tell every living soul the good news lest they be thrown into a fiery pit of despair (don't even think of escaping) where there is much crying and gnashing of teeth.
Like many who have reviewed this fine, life-changing, product, I use the upside-down method; whereas you flip the thing so the plunger is at the bottom of the tube and you pour water through where you'd screw the filter on. A digital thermometer tells me when the water is just right and a cannibalized gold-filter coffee cone replaces the stack of paper-filters (much cleaner tasting and less waste). Two scoops of ground coffee and 3 minutes later, you are drinking the finest, smoothest brew to ever pass your lips, never again to return to your newly antiquated and inefficient method of brewing. As one who used to put milk in the coffee to hide the stomach-burning, acid-inducing taste, I now go sans milk just to see what new gifts of taste my Aeropress has bequeathed on me this morning. Is that chocolate and cardamon I taste? Yes it is, my friend, yes it is.
Go forth and purchase this product and rejoice in it's everlasting wonder. You will fall on your knees and thank the gods for it.
Customer Review: A drop in the ocean of reviews but...
Summary: 5 Stars
AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker
My daughter just gave me this AeroPress for dad's day and I thought what a lot of people thought,
".. it can not possibly do what it says it does." I remember thinking that my daughter just had no idea what it takes to make a great shot of espresso...
Obviously, she does. Either that or she'd been reading these reviews.
I took it out the next day and pressed out a 3 shot Americano. It takes a bit of upper body strength to push the air driven water through 3 shots worth of finely ground coffee but when it was finished, from the 1st sip I knew, this was Barista quality espresso. I texted my daughter immediately and told her how wonderful it was and thanked her profusely. The clean up is effortless and even if it were more difficult, I'd still use this puppy over and over (as I have)
I over caffeinated myself the next few days. I've since calmed down and have finally come to the full realization that I have the luxury of a small, portable, top notch espresso maker in my possession.
I buy my own beans green from exclusive coffee ranches around the world, barrel roast and burr grind them to a perfect powder. I have used every espresso maker made to date and this system equals the best of those. I use the same amount of coffee that I did for a $100 Andreja Premium Italian espresso maker so I have no idea where some reviewers came up with the idea you need more coffee. More than drip yes but the same amount as most steam press machines.
The trick to an easier pressing is a good stir before plunging. I'm 58 and reasonably strong. I found out that if you don't follow the directions about paddling the coffee into an evenly suspended solution, you'll have more trouble pressing it through.
You can tailor your roast and amount and of coffee for a lighter brew. You can make a four shot cup of full city or a one shot of second crack light roast and still, this product excels in producing a full bodied cup every time.
My large and quite discerning family from all over the globe has unanimously given the aerobie their highest compliments.
At any price, this would be worth every penny. For under $30, it is a treasure.