There really is some truth behind French Press coffee

[Aquila76]

Huh, that AeroPress contraption looks interesting. Who would've thought a good coffee maker would be made by the guys whose main claim-to-fame is a rubberized frisbee!

 

[Descartes]

Originally posted by: destrekor

Originally posted by: Descartes

Originally posted by: JDub02

Originally posted by: TastesLikeChicken

Originally posted by: scott916
I've been using my Aeropress religiously. It goes through a shitload of coffee, but it's awesome.

This.

I used a french press for a couple of years but haven't touched it since I got an Aeropress. It makes coffee in the same fashion as a french press but without the dregs and, imo, it tastes better too. Very smooth, no bitterness.

I bought an Aeropress on a whim around Christmas because it looked interesting and I was $25 curious at the time.

This thing makes the best darn coffee I have ever had. Very flavorful and rich, but also very smooth and no bitterness.

My wife loves it, too. She likes the dessert coffees and this thing makes a pretty good latte.

Oh man, please don't say an Aeropress makes a good latte. It doesn't. It doesn't even make espresso, and it most certainly can't produce the required milk for a latte unless you're using an external steamer of some kind (which they have).

That said, the Aeropress is a great device. They are misleading in their advertising of espresso, but other than that it makes a great cup of coffee. I love mine and generally prefer it to other methods unless I'm brewing large quantities.

I've never heard of the aeropress until now. When I make coffee, it is almost always just two mugs worth, which is about 4 cups according to my drip brewer's carafe.

Is this aeropress really a good replacement for small brewing, specifically compared to french press?

Absolutely. Some other options you might enjoy would be a Chemex, a vacuum pot or even a Moka pot. The Aeropress is about as fool proof as you can get.

It sounds like they recommend you just brew what appears to just be a few ounces, at most, and then top it off with water. Does it still end up being a good cup of coffee by doing it that way?

Absolutely. Essentially the Aeropress gives you something resembling a concentrate. You dilute the concentrate to your taste.

Have you ever tried brewing an entire cup through the press, and if so, how does it taste compared to brewing a short cup and adding water as they suggest?

No. If I use the Aeropress/press pot/etc. I'm looking for a traditional cup (~6oz or more) of coffee. The concentrate produced by the Aeropress is no doubt very good, but in its "raw" form it's not something I'd enjoy. If I want a small amount of concentrated coffee, I'll use my espresso machine and get it at ~130psi of pressure.

I wouldn't look at adding water like you're diluting it in the negative sense. Think of it more like adding water to some Scotches. It's a positive thing.

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

Originally posted by: destrekor
I've never heard of the aeropress until now. When I make coffee, it is almost always just two mugs worth, which is about 4 cups according to my drip brewer's carafe.

Is this aeropress really a good replacement for small brewing, specifically compared to french press?
I've been looking at the website, and cannot quite tell.
It sounds like they recommend you just brew what appears to just be a few ounces, at most, and then top it off with water. Does it still end up being a good cup of coffee by doing it that way? Have you ever tried brewing an entire cup through the press, and if so, how does it taste compared to brewing a short cup and adding water as they suggest?

I haven't tried drinking an undiluted cup straight from the AP yet. However, you can tell by the smell that it's very strong. I add an equal part of hot (just a bit below boiling) water to make my coffee. At first you'll have to play with it some to make it to your particular preference.

For $25 you can't go wrong and you'll probably love it as much as nearly every other Aeropress user. There really is a good reason why they are so highly recommended. It produces a sublime cup o joe.

I wish the Aeropress guys would make a Mega-Aeropress for when I have company. It's fine for one or two people. For more than that you'll be pressing multiple times. Fortunately, cleanup and reloading is a breeze so it's no big deal, but it'd be nice to make one big batch.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

The only problem I have with a French Press is they don't make them in 12 C. size.