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Aeropressers assemble!

I just got my Aeropress today and have made a couple cups of coffee with it. I used freshly ground Starbucks Sumatra beans (no haters, I live in a small town and it was all that was available today). I used two Aeropress scoops and used water from my electric kettle. I put in a little water to let the grounds "bloom" as I have seen suggested online. I then added water to the "2", stirred for 10 seconds, then pressed. It did not take me 20-30 seconds to press as suggested by the instructions. That could be one problem. I then added about 50% more water to the concentrate. I found the cup week. My question is do you add water the the bottom, middle or top of the "2"? My numbers have circles around them. I have seen pictures of what I assume to be older models where the numbers are in more of an oval. Thanks!!
I believe you will need to add more coffee and/or let it extract longer. For the short extraction time you used you will likely need finer ground coffee, but since you are working with pre-ground I would first try letting it brew a little longer, but it that tastes bitter the shorten the brew time and add more coffee. It may take you a few tries to discover what works.
 
I measure 18-20g of beans ground on setting 7-8 on a Baratza Virtuoso. The consistency should feel like table salt granules. Attach filter to AeroPress and pour hot water through it into a mug, detach filter when complete.
Using the inverted method I pour 135ml H2O @ 93°C. Agitate grinds immediately with AeroPress paddle accessory and brew for 1 minute. Attach filter and tilt AeroPress 30 degrees. Twist top portion for 10 seconds to let air escape. Invert and press 20-30 seconds in preheated mug. Pour additional 135ml H2O.
Works pretty good. Get the grind right and at these measurements you should have a good starting point for a rich smooth cup of coffee.
Ask your local trusted Barista to grind you a small sample that they would use for an AeroPress and bring it home. Roll the grinds in your finger tips to get a tactile feel to better replicate the proper grind.
 
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I just got my Aeropress today and have made a couple cups of coffee with it. I used freshly ground Starbucks Sumatra beans (no haters, I live in a small town and it was all that was available today). I used two Aeropress scoops and used water from my electric kettle. I put in a little water to let the grounds "bloom" as I have seen suggested online. I then added water to the "2", stirred for 10 seconds, then pressed. It did not take me 20-30 seconds to press as suggested by the instructions. That could be one problem. I then added about 50% more water to the concentrate. I found the cup week. My question is do you add water the the bottom, middle or top of the "2"? My numbers have circles around them. I have seen pictures of what I assume to be older models where the numbers are in more of an oval. Thanks!!

It sounds like your grind is too coarse. General rule is too easy to push = too coarse, and really hard to press = too fine. You don't really have to press, just let the weight of your arm do the work naturally.
 

rockviper

I got moves like Jagger
It sounds like your grind is too coarse. General rule is too easy to push = too coarse, and really hard to press = too fine. You don't really have to press, just let the weight of your arm do the work naturally.
A chap at work brought in his Aeropress for his daily coffee. He was surprised I knew what it was and even more surprised when I asked if he had the metal filter and brewed inverted or not. (This is a great forum to make me seem edumacated :lol: ) Needless to say, he went a-Googling and now has the metal filter. I was watching him make a cup (he kindly shared some with me... whee!), and his arm was shaking while pressing down. He's about 6' or so, so I'm thinking it shouldn't be that hard. I'll let him know about adjusting the grind.
 
I just picked up an Aeropress. Trying to kick the soda habit. I had a Bodum press but it disappeared. Got a nice electric kettle as a wedding gift last year, and it gets up to temp in 90 seconds or so.

Excited to try it out, then maybe pick up a Hario grinder and get some fresh beans.
 
Two mornings now with Aeropress coffee. Both times, I did the inverted method, then added a bit of water afterwards. I was surprised by how much oil was on the coffee considering the paper filter. I still am using some several month old ground beans I got from Trader Joes, so while it's a robust cup of coffee, it's not overwhelming with flavor of anything.

I found out I have a local bean roasting shop (J&S Bean Factory) about two blocks from my house, so when I do get a grinder, I want to stop by there and get some good stuff.
 
Picked up an Aeropress a month ago and love it. I switched when I realised how much I spent on coffee each week (a cup a day here costs $30 a week and ground coffee is about $6 for the equivalent) and how hard it was to get a consistently decent cup at work. It's really nice! Trying different beans has been one of the highlights (every 2 weeks I think I'll try something new).

The website below is a good read.

http://ineedcoffee.com/upside-aeropress-coffee-brewing-tutorial/
 
Love my Aeropress...thought the same about my Chemex a few years ago, but now use the Aero exclusively (inverted). I find for me it makes the perfect single cup, I struggle with making a double. Seems to be better making two independent cups rather than one big one.

Please be careful when entertaining! I was chatting and having a few drinks over the weekend. Brewed a cup - added the grinds and water, stirred, added more water and got distracted. When I remembered 40 seconds later I grabbed both the mug and Aeropress, flipped it over into the cup and dumped scalding coffee grinds all over my hand. yep, forgot to twist on the cap. Bush league move. Now I always add the cap right after topping off the water...
 
I love my aeropress! It's so simple, that my wife (who is a fan of drinking, but not making the coffee) even gets in the action occasionally. As long as the grinder is set right, she can't really make a bad cup!
 
I'm using an Aeropress and a blade grinder at work instead of the k-cup or maintaining the drip pot. It's also helped my reduce my intake to one cup a day.

I nuke the cup of water while I grind a handful of beans and prep, brew inverted with as much water just off the boil as I can fit in the press, stir after a bit, and press leisurely a bit later. I usually add a little water to the cup as well.

I've tried a few recipes but since I'm usually busy working by this point one good cup of coffee is pretty close to another good cup of coffee.
 
I've had my Aeropress for a few months and still love it. I've quit on k-cups entirely, even though it's a little more work. My Technivorm isn't getting much of a workout either. I'll be traveling over the holidays, and plan to take my Aeropress with me. I won't have access to a good grinder while I'm gone, and would rather not grind my own home roast only to have it go stale over the course of a few weeks. I'm also not going to chance it with bad beans from somewhere local, since the Aeropress brings out all the flavors, good or bad. So my question is this: Porlex, Hario Skerton, or Hario Slim? And more particularly, do any of them fit straight into the Aeropress so that I don't have to fool with the collecting jar at the bottom? I can't seem to find any info on any coffee blogs/sites that sell the grinder and the press together. Anyone have experience with a grinder?
 
Use aeropress at least a few times of week when I have to go out of the office and work, make a quick Togo cup. Also use the able brewing filter instead of paper. I keep one on my desk, the house, and my parents house so I can make coffee for my father when I'm there, oh yeah and the in-laws house.
 
I've had my Aeropress for a few months and still love it. I've quit on k-cups entirely, even though it's a little more work. My Technivorm isn't getting much of a workout either. I'll be traveling over the holidays, and plan to take my Aeropress with me. I won't have access to a good grinder while I'm gone, and would rather not grind my own home roast only to have it go stale over the course of a few weeks. I'm also not going to chance it with bad beans from somewhere local, since the Aeropress brings out all the flavors, good or bad. So my question is this: Porlex, Hario Skerton, or Hario Slim? And more particularly, do any of them fit straight into the Aeropress so that I don't have to fool with the collecting jar at the bottom? I can't seem to find any info on any coffee blogs/sites that sell the grinder and the press together. Anyone have experience with a grinder?
Hario slim works very well especially for the price. Mine produces a consistent grind and also adjustable for fine to coarse grinds. Not actually grinder any for my espresso machine but use it for aeropress, french press and auto drip, at least until I invest in an autogrinder.
 
Hario slim works very well especially for the price. Mine produces a consistent grind and also adjustable for fine to coarse grinds. Not actually grinder any for my espresso machine but use it for aeropress, french press and auto drip, at least until I invest in an autogrinder.
Does the grinder fit inside the Aeropress (without the grinds catcher attached, of course)?
 
Use aeropress at least a few times of week when I have to go out of the office and work, make a quick Togo cup. Also use the able brewing filter instead of paper. I keep one on my desk, the house, and my parents house so I can make coffee for my father when I'm there, oh yeah and the in-laws house.
I looked at all the metal filters out there. Almost pulled the trigger on one from Amazon, but then ran into this: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kohilabs/kohi-labs-filter-for-the-aeropress-coffee-maker
The campaign ended successfully, but they haven't started shipping yet. I'll try to remember to log back in and do a quick write-up. I like the cleanness of the cup I get from paper filters with the Aeropress. I'm hoping the Kohi filter keeps nearly as much sediment out.
 
Does the grinder fit inside the Aeropress (without the grinds catcher attached, of course)?
Yes it will fit, but I just grind into the catch and pour it into the press without any mess and do not use the funnel with the press.
I looked at all the metal filters out there. Almost pulled the trigger on one from Amazon, but then ran into this: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kohilabs/kohi-labs-filter-for-the-aeropress-coffee-maker
The campaign ended successfully, but they haven't started shipping yet. I'll try to remember to log back in and do a quick write-up. I like the cleanness of the cup I get from paper filters with the Aeropress. I'm hoping the Kohi filter keeps nearly as much sediment out.
I have ground too fine before when I was trying the hand grinder out at first and got some "mud" in my cup but have what I would consider perfected my grind for the bean I use the most from a local coffee shop. When I get a brand I'm not really familiar with I will use both paper and metal till I figure out which tastes better to me. It is worth getting the metal IMO. You will probably find that you won't like it with every bean but you will with ones that the extra oils help taste.
 
I've had my Aeropress for a few months and still love it. I've quit on k-cups entirely, even though it's a little more work. My Technivorm isn't getting much of a workout either. I'll be traveling over the holidays, and plan to take my Aeropress with me. I won't have access to a good grinder while I'm gone, and would rather not grind my own home roast only to have it go stale over the course of a few weeks. I'm also not going to chance it with bad beans from somewhere local, since the Aeropress brings out all the flavors, good or bad. So my question is this: Porlex, Hario Skerton, or Hario Slim? And more particularly, do any of them fit straight into the Aeropress so that I don't have to fool with the collecting jar at the bottom? I can't seem to find any info on any coffee blogs/sites that sell the grinder and the press together. Anyone have experience with a grinder?
If memory serves me correctly the Hario slim and Porlex (the short version) will fit inside the plunger for compact storage when traveling.

Given the effort and stability issues when hand grinding I think you will want the grinder's catch basin. I have not heard of a commercial attachment that will make a tight fit between the grinder and aeropress in order to make it easy to forgo the catch basin.
 
If memory serves me correctly the Hario slim and Porlex (the short version) will fit inside the plunger for compact storage when traveling.

Given the effort and stability issues when hand grinding I think you will want the grinder's catch basin. I have not heard of a commercial attachment that will make a tight fit between the grinder and aeropress in order to make it easy to forgo the catch basin.
Thanks! As a follow up, does anyone know where I can find a Bonavita Bona Voyage .5L water kettle? Seems I found them right as everyone else bought them up. No online retailers seem to know when they'll be back in stock. Is the company making a new version (maybe with a collapsible handle?) Or is production just way behind the demand?
 
My wife got me an Aeropress for Christmas this year. I just tried it this morning with some local roasted espresso grind I had at the house. I used just off-boiling water, two level scoops of coffee and let it sit for 2 minutes after stirring. I filled with water to just below the 4, and the press was pretty easy so I guess the grind was not too fine (I was concerned when I used this coffee because it is pretty fine) and the cup was good. Like everyone says, not better or worse than any other method, just different. I noticed different flavors in the beans that I hadn't when I made espresso with it.

I was also surprised at how quick and easy this method was. I expected a lot of fiddling and mucking around, but it was quick, clean and easy.
 

rockviper

I got moves like Jagger
We visited my brother's family yesterday, and there was this long 6-sided package for me. I thought it was a very light squeezebox for me to irritate the neighbours with, but it was just an Aeropress. :lol: This was something we spoke about in the summer (how to make half-decent coffee at work) and I was very much surprised by this gift. Inverted, using the 4-cup mark with a scoop makes just about a mug, so no need for me to add water afterwards. Tastes not too shabby, but we'll hang on to the french press, bialetti, and percolator just in case I need to make more than one cup'o'joe. :thumbup1:
 
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