Quantcast

The best cup of coffee you'll ever have.

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
My french press died this morning. Ordered up an Aeropress as a replacement, will report the results.
 

I Are Baboon

The Full Dopey
Aug 6, 2001
32,382
9,286
MTB New England
My french press died this morning. Ordered up an Aeropress as a replacement, will report the results.
How did it die?

The French press is an invaluable piece of camping equipment. And by camping, I mean Burke Mountain kind of camping. I have one at work and it fascinates people. The French press I mean, not a Burke Mountain.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
How did it die?

The French press is an invaluable piece of camping equipment. And by camping, I mean Burke Mountain kind of camping. I have one at work and it fascinates people. The French press I mean, not a Burke Mountain.
The screen/filter thing was warped. My morning coffee this was was rather high in fiber.
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
Got the Aeropress today. Have only made their version of an espresso. I have to say it is pretty damn good. A shot made from a real machine might taste better in a side by side comparison but I could easily be fooled into thinking this did come from a fancy machine. Easily the best i have ever made at home. Will try to make regular 'Merican dilute coffee in the morning. I prefer the higher volumes of warm water, does a better job of urging turds out in the morning.
 

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,138
16,532
Riding the baggage carousel.
Got the Aeropress today. Have only made their version of an espresso. I have to say it is pretty damn good. A shot made from a real machine might taste better in a side by side comparison but I could easily be fooled into thinking this did come from a fancy machine. Easily the best i have ever made at home. Will try to make regular 'Merican dilute coffee in the morning. I prefer the higher volumes of warm water, does a better job of urging turds out in the morning.
:clapping:
 
Last edited:

4xBoy

Turbo Monkey
Jun 20, 2006
7,014
2,847
Minneapolis
First use, sub par.

I will do some moar testing tonight, I believe the filter got folded so it didn't hold water as well, and there was grounds in the cup.
 

mandown

Poopdeck Repost
Jun 1, 2004
20,126
7,674
Transylvania 90210
First cup today. Good news, it worked. I used a very bold espresso blend coffee and the results were very flavorful, but not at all bitter. Prep and cleanup was fast. It will take some tinkering to dial in. For example: they say to use 2 scoops for a double espresso and to fill water to the number "2" on the cannister. Well, when you pour the water in, it starts at the 2, but as it is absorbed and the grinds settle, the level drops, in which case I added more water to bring it back up to the 2 marker. Of course this became a rinse/repeat cycle. The result was a mug full of coffee that looked like more volume than a double espresso from Starbucks, but not a full cup. Instructions indicate to add water for an americano, but felt I was pretty close to almost being there, so I didn't. The instructions also suggest using just-below boiling water for best results, which made for tasty coffee, but heat junkies may find themselves going to the microwave. The last bit of tinkering is on the pressure to press with. It says "gentle" force for 20-30 seconds, until the plunger is bottomed out. I was too gentle, and the plunger hadn't hit bottom, but I peaked and my continued pressing just pushed air through the grounds, so no harm there. In fact, the bottom of the cup, when I finished, had no grounds or sediment, unlike my French press results.

I'd say a damn fine coffee maker. I got it from Amazon for $25 with free shipping, no sales tax, and an extra set of 350 filters (it comes with 350 too, so I'm good for a while).

I also just picked up a "short" bold drip coffee from Starbucks, and man, the difference in bitterness is just silly. I've not been bothered by the Stabucks bitterness before, but now I've got a new yard stick and I'm rethinking my position :think:
 

Westy

the teste
Nov 22, 2002
54,225
20,003
Sleazattle
First cup today. Good news, it worked. I used a very bold espresso blend coffee and the results were very flavorful, but not at all bitter. Prep and cleanup was fast. It will take some tinkering to dial in. For example: they say to use 2 scoops for a double espresso and to fill water to the number "2" on the cannister. Well, when you pour the water in, it starts at the 2, but as it is absorbed and the grinds settle, the level drops, in which case I added more water to bring it back up to the 2 marker. Of course this became a rinse/repeat cycle. The result was a mug full of coffee that looked like more volume than a double espresso from Starbucks, but not a full cup. Instructions indicate to add water for an americano, but felt I was pretty close to almost being there, so I didn't. The instructions also suggest using just-below boiling water for best results, which made for tasty coffee, but heat junkies may find themselves going to the microwave. The last bit of tinkering is on the pressure to press with. It says "gentle" force for 20-30 seconds, until the plunger is bottomed out. I was too gentle, and the plunger hadn't hit bottom, but I peaked and my continued pressing just pushed air through the grounds, so no harm there. In fact, the bottom of the cup, when I finished, had no grounds or sediment, unlike my French press results.

I'd say a damn fine coffee maker. I got it from Amazon for $25 with free shipping, no sales tax, and an extra set of 350 filters (it comes with 350 too, so I'm good for a while).

I also just picked up a "short" bold drip coffee from Starbucks, and man, the difference in bitterness is just silly. I've not been bothered by the Stabucks bitterness before, but now I've got a new yard stick and I'm rethinking my position :think:


I've actually found that by reusing filters the water doesn't really drip out on it's own and requires more pressure to press out. I find this makes a better cup.
 

mandown

Poopdeck Repost
Jun 1, 2004
20,126
7,674
Transylvania 90210
so you just pop the puck out and peel off the filter? i'm assuming you rinse it? lord knows i have 699 filters left, so i'm not worried about saving these things, but if they make it better, then i'm game. how many uses do you get out of each filter?
 

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,138
16,532
Riding the baggage carousel.
I've actually found that by reusing filters the water doesn't really drip out on it's own and requires more pressure to press out. I find this makes a better cup.
:stupid:

so you just pop the puck out and peel off the filter? i'm assuming you rinse it? lord knows i have 699 filters left, so i'm not worried about saving these things, but if they make it better, then i'm game. how many uses do you get out of each filter?
Yup, we rinse and save the little filter. We probably get 5-6 uses out of each one and you could probably use it more but it just starts to look a little funny so I toss it after that. Funny about Starbucks, it was those damn frappachinos that really got me started on coffee and Starbucks grounds was all I bought for years, but then my girlfriend/now wife started working at a little local roaster in college and we discovered real coffee. We found a guy here in the springs who makes/roasts the most amazing coffee ever:drool: He's looking at leaving for family reasons and I just don't know what were going to do without him. :( Starbucks is crap.
As for the water, I just add water to the "3" with a new filter, stir for 10, press. Make sure you get an espresso grind too.
 
Last edited:

Pesqueeb

bicycle in airplane hangar
Feb 2, 2007
40,138
16,532
Riding the baggage carousel.
Our original press lives on, although the upper "collar" that you push down on broke off some time ago. Were probably down to about 25% of the original pack of filters. I figure when those finally run out we'll go ahead and buy a new one.
 

TN

Hey baby, want a hot dog?
Jul 9, 2002
14,301
1,353
Jimtown, CO
anyone use any of those cold brew contraptions?
supposed to be a great cup which makes sense cuz heat extracts tannins from the beans.
 

-BB-

I broke all the rules, but somehow still became mo
Sep 6, 2001
4,254
28
Livin it up in the O.C.
I previously used a french press and as much as I loved it the Aeropress is way better and is not the same, and is nothing like machine coffee :dead: Every French Press I've ever used you always would wind up with a very fine layer of bitter grounds/sludge at the bottom of your cup. The Aeropress paper filters are (i believe) two micron filters. The end result is nothing at the bottom of the cup, and a very different flavor. Serial Midget is correct about the way it works.

edit: LOL... old post.

I do like a nice french press as well, and I too keep one at work. Only way I can stand that cruddy bean they give us. It's free though. Bring in a little 12oz waterbottle of milk from home every monday and that lasts the week.
 
Last edited:

narlus

Eastcoast Softcore
Staff member
Nov 7, 2001
24,658
63
behind the viewfinder
I've found Dunkin' Donuts has the whole coffee thing down.... cheap, they have to buy the machine not me, plus they have donuts...... But my dad uses a cold brew and the coffee is great. I still opt for the Dunk!
DD coffee is among the worst I've ever forced down my gullet.