Reply With QuoteLots of threads on them - have a quick go at the search. I got one when it first came out. I used to use it in the office as it was easy to get very good coffee and relatively painless to use. Recommended.
Given the dire taste of instant coffee at work and my ambition to reduce diary, I am thinking of getting a coffee maker for work.
The easiest choice is a small cafeteria, however, someone mentioned an Aeropress.
Has anyone used one, is there a discernible difference in the coffee produced?
thanks
Lots of threads on them - have a quick go at the search. I got one when it first came out. I used to use it in the office as it was easy to get very good coffee and relatively painless to use. Recommended.
I think they're great. Get a decent grinder and beans and you are away.
Http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...ight=Aeropress
Very good to have at work.
Grind beans somewhere between espresso and French press.
I use the paper filters supplied but also have a metal disc, I think paper is best.
Good luck
Thanks and apologies should have done a search first
They're great for work. I found though that you need a fairly loose ground coffee... otherwise you need a serious push from above to get it plunged! Mine is now in the drawer unfortunately. Our mini kitchen in work doesn't have a decent bin for the left overs - so I ended up having to rinse away the grinds. Some other person in the office managed to block the sink but there were coffee grinds in the mix too when they called the plumbers in. I am now banned!
I got one just a couple days ago from amazon for £17 and have no idea what to do with it so good timing for this question.
I really like mine. Use it at home all the time now in preference to my Gaggia classic, it's just so simple. Also have one in the caravan. Very light and portable, great for travelling, better than hotel room instant.
Note though that it doesn't make espresso, so if that's what you want you might need to look elsewhere. It makes a kind of very strong americano. I drink as is, with a splash of milk, but some people dilute down for a more normal strength black coffee
lol.. my first attempt.. I fired coffee grinds all over the place! Its easy..Originally Posted by -Ally-
1. Pop off the filter carrier on the base
2. Place a filter in there and screw it back on (some say wet it.. I never bothered!)
3. Plop some coffee in the main body
4. Place the aeropress over your mug
5. Fill with water.. good and high
6. Agitate the mix with the spatula thingy
7. Gently fit the plunger to the top.. and wait a bit for it all to brew.
8. Press!
9. When empty, screw off the filter and dump the grinds out
10. Rinse! You only need to clean the bottom parts. The main chamber is self cleaning due to the tight seal of the plunger.
Thanks Johnny, I should also have said that I haven't even had a chance to open the box. Will get some coffee and give it a go sometime soon.
Good results but does resemble something that might be considered to be a sex toy.
Be prepared to have the urine extracted by work jokers
SWMBO got me one for christmas, it's a great job, no mess. A new-ish boutique coffee roasters based near Castlelyons, Co. Cork (I don't want to look like I'm advertising for them) is retailing them, they do really good coffee too. I may get another for work, I don't think the coffee shop next door would encourage that though!!
Repeatedly until they:
a) get a coffee and realise......
b) get bored (this takes a while, but is sped up by a).....
I do it the other way up, called the inverted method, i find it easier and you don't have coffee leaking into your cup too soon, or get loads of air trapped in there
Remove filter holder
Put plunger into main body at required cup qty.
Place on level surface plunger down
Put coffee into main body, so it sits on the rubber plunger end
Add water
Stir and let brew for a few seconds
Fit a filter paper to holder (i rinse first, to stop any paper dust getting in your brew)
Fit filter holder to top of main body
Pick the whole thing up, invert onto the top of your mug
Plunge
Last edited by Brighty; 19th January 2017 at 13:25.
Aeropress are great.
Even combined with Lidl's packs of ground coffees you'll get a great cup of coffee for a minimal amount of cost and effort.
+1
Also, I warm the cup with hot water from the kettle which is then discarded. Milk is added to the hot cup and microwaved to warm up the milk. Then aeropress away which I then top up with a bit more hot water for an Americano.
I use Lavazza medium ground coffee which is very reasonable. (The waste grounds I thrown on the lawn and seems to keep a neighbour's cat at bay from using my lawn as a lavatory.)
Recommended 100% too, I also use the inverted method, I find this works better for me. I do get a few strange looks from my work colleagues at time whilst using it
Steve
I'm tempted to try one of theses too
Another vote for the inverted method from me as well
The thing is with the aeropress, once you find the method that works for you, you get a repeatable cup of coffee every time. I use a method used by many at the Aeropress World Championships (I kid you not, it exists!). I use a temperature adjustable kettle (can set the water to 95 deg C) and a timer (2 minute steep, 30s plunge) and you get a great cup of coffee every time
There's plenty of videos on youtube showing the various techniques that people been developed
I use mine at work with a handgrinder with the inverted method. I have also found that the time taken to go for a slash is just right for the steep...
Great for the office but wouldn't replace the espresso machine at home.
Less mess than when I used to use a cafetiere.
Inverted.
I concur.
As you'll see on other threads I love mine.
But take your time when plunging or it will explode all over you as it were.
A slow and constant pressure yields dividends.
Enjoy!
I've been using one for well over 10 years now, excellent it of kit. I think they produce some of the smoothest coffee and as long as you are gentle (as stated above) virtually ground free in the cup.
Agreed. It's a good second-best - though a considerably cheaper initial investment.
I use a Bodum Travel Press Coffee Maker for work, had if for @ six years now. Easy to use, leak free when the lid is sealed and keeps the coffee warm for hours. Bought a second one the other week for £18.
Thanks for all the feedback. I think I will plumb for one.
I've used them for years, my favourite way of brewing up. I've used them at the roadside, on the deck of ships, in hotels, on mountains, in forests, dead easy to use and clean up wherever you are. No excuse for putting up with poor coffee. ;)
I own 3, I have one at home and keep one in each office that I work out of, they're used daily.
While it's a good and practical brewing method, it isn't capable of turning pre-ground commodity-grade beans into anything other than a mediocre cup; it isn't magic.
This^ I would say a grinder and a properly profiled roast of good speciality beans are essential, you can brew them in a cheap plastic filter cone.While it's a good and practical brewing method, it isn't capable of turning pre-ground commodity-grade beans into anything other than a mediocre cup; it isn't magic.
Better than anything from the Cloony cyst system or pre ground supermarket beans.
Have you tried Lidl's single origin ground coffees in an Aeropress? Thought not.
I know you've tried to set yourself up as TZ's Mister Coffee but your comment is pretty daft.
The OP is currently drinking instant and is wondering what the next step on his coffee journey should be. Telling him that everything apart from freshly ground beans is crap doesn't help (it isn't - it's just a matter of degrees). The guy just wants to make a better cup of coffee at work and practising using the Aeropress with cheap, interesting coffee seems a good next step.
Too much grandstanding, not enough practical advice.
Not with an Aeropress, but in a moka pot (stove top) they were definitely mediocre, IMO. Other opinions are available.
I'd say Aeropress with some good quality beans and a grinder would be a realistic progression for the majority of us mere mortals.
That's about my level. Can work your way up and try Lidl, Taylor's etc.
I go to the Algerian coffee store now and am working my way through their range. I have a Hario Skelton grinder but may look at the next level but I'd say that's a good entry level grinder and you can't go far wrong with an Aeropress.
Best of luck to the Op.
Ben
I bet they were better than the office instant.Not with an Aeropress, but in a moka pot (stove top) they were definitely mediocre, IMO. Other opinions are available.
My advice to the OP would be to get an Aeropress and three different bags of different single-origin coffee from Lidl. Have a practise (accepting that a lot of coffee will go down the sink before you get it right).
You should be able, even with mediocre coffee, to discern the different flavours from the different coffees.
See how you like it. Maybe you'll like it enough to invest further and buy more expensive coffee and a grinder.
At home I wouldn't drink either pre-packed coffee or even use and Aeropress, but I know they're a superior alternative to instant.
Last edited by Tony; 21st January 2017 at 11:26.
I've got one I don't use... nice condition with quite a few of the papers
£12 into the FR and I'll post it to anybody who wants it (postage on me)
I'm someone who loves the line of least resistance. For that reason I love cafetière. Minimal faff. The only real faff is I insist on stove warmed milk and therefore only really drink coffee at home
I use what I would consider to be good beans and always reasonably fresh. I buy beans that are ground on purchase.
Would an Aeropress add much to my coffee drinking experience? It seems a little more faff than cafetière but not much more. So worth a shot. But I don't want to buy something that won't add much and just gather dust..
Thoughts?
Would the consensus be that a Porlex Mini is a step up from a Hario Skerton?
I think that your question would get a better response in Coffee grinders... advice please or Porlex Coffee Grinder. Plus, those threads probably already contain some pertinent opinions.
Ah ok. Laziness on my part and failure to use the search function.
Apologies.
I can also confirm these as awesome. I bought a permanent superfine metal mesh filter from kickstarter which has made it even better. Just make sure you don't use a mug with a small base and wide top as it's easy to topple it when pushing hard.
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Thanks
Ben
The Rhino grinder is better than the porlex. I have the porlex and GF has the rhino which has a better handle that doesn't round off the spindle or come off easily when grinding.
Agree. I have both. I ordered a porlex mini from amazon, when it didn't turn up after 3 weeks, i got a refund and ordered the big rhino. The porlex then turned up same day. I use the porlex mini if i'm making coffee just for me and the bigger rhino if making for both of us. The rhino is much better quality, especially the handle.
Brighty
Will have a look at the Rhino. Not heard of that one.
Look, it's obviously an improvement from using instant coffee or near-incinerated beans of the lowest grade, but it's inherently limited how good pre-ground supermarket coffee can be. You can certainly get a drinkable cup that isn't total crap, but it's still going to be pretty far from "great" compared to the quality stuff.
Aeropress isn't much different from any other full-immersion brew method; you'd get similar results out of a vacuum pot, a Clever dripper, an Eva Solo, or even a French press. It's not like APs have special properties that can improve oxidised coffee that's been sitting around on a shelf for who knows how long.
It's not like there's anything wrong with using pre-ground beans, but they still leave a lot to be desired. I don't consider grinding fresh to be that much of an impracticality, considering the improvement that it offers. You can have truly world-class coffee for relatively little expense and bother if you want.
Good point about trying a few bags of better-than-total-crap beans to see if there's enough interest to justify getting the rest of the gear — which isn't much, by the way — but it's best to keep expectations realistic. :)
If you are on a budget then sainsburys do Momentum coffee for £4:50 a bag. Lyndsey the roaster was a cupper and grader for Mercanta who are one of the main speciallity coffee importers, she did a smart thing by setting up a stones throw from the coffee warehouses at Tilbury thus removing one transport cost.You can have truly world-class coffee for relatively little expense and bother if you want.
The coffee is by far the best you will find in a supermarket unless you favour oily over-roasted commodity coffee that tastes ashy and bitter (then you are spoilt for choice on the rest of the shelf)
A bag of bean's a Rhino grinder and aV60 cone is all you need. I have an aeropress which I only use for travel as it's less breakable than a filter cone.
You mean like when I said, when comparing with instant, 'Even combined with Lidl's packs of ground coffees you'll get a great cup of coffee for a minimal amount of cost and effort'. Note the word 'even'.
I know from experience that Lidl's Kenyan from an Aeopress, done well, is great compared to instant.
Thanks for the coffee lesson...
My daily coffee x2!
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Just to update the thread.
I have now tried the aeropress v cafeteria.
The Aeropress is much smooth and I suspect its because the filtration is better. The taste is far less bitter and its smoother to drink. The problem now is that I don't think I can will be able to convince myself to drink cafeteria coffee anymore!
Its also much less hassle for one cup, so thanks to all.
My only other issue, is where to buy a coarse bean grind for making cold coffee. (slightly OT - I need to find the cold coffee thread)
My pleasure!
Of course you can get a perfectly inoffensive cup that way, and that's better than what most people are drinking. Great-compared-to-instant is still quite different from actually being great coffee, though. ;)
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