The Aeropress: Neither A French Press Nor An Espresso Maker Be
If you're reading this, then you're probably considering purchasing an Aeropress coffee maker and wondering if the hype is worth it. Because I had to satisfy my own curiosity, I purchased an Aeropress several months ago, and I now feel qualified to espresso my opinion.
The Aeropress is a method of brewing coffee that combines qualities of both the French press and the espresso machine. It can be used for brewing single or multiple cups of coffee. However, there are distinct differences in the techniques and the coffees.
My initial questions were: 1) can the Aeropress produce quality espresso coffee, and 2) can it produce coffee with the wonderful flavor of the French press? This article compares the Aeropress with the French press. We'll address the first question in the next article.
With both the Aeropress and the French press, you place freshly ground coffee in the bottom of a cylinder. The French press requires a course grind (because of the longer extraction time), while the Aeropress recommends a finer grind (between fine and espresso). Both the French press and the Aeropress use a total immersion technique: hot water is poured over the grounds in the cylinder, then the coffee mixture is stirred while the coffee “blooms.” Several differences occur at this point.
The Aeropress recommends brewing with water at 170-180 degrees to produce the best flavor and least acidity, while the French press normally brews with water 195-205 degrees. Extraction time for the French press is usually about 4 minutes. Extraction time for the Aeropress is about 10-15 seconds, then a “push” time of roughly 20 seconds. Interestingly, the Aeropress uses air pressure rather than the metal filter to push the coffee brew through the paper micro-filter. (You can create a coffee concentrate by increasing the coffee/water ratio, then store in the refrigerator until ready for a cup; just add hot water to taste.)
Cleanup seems much easier with the Aeropress. With the French press, you rinse out the metal filter, pouring out the liquid grounds and washing the press. With the Aeropress, you simply undo the plastic cap holding the paper micro-filter, press the dry “puck” out into a waste container (the paper microfilter can be rinsed and re-used), then rinse the press and let it dry.
Now for the real question: How does the coffee taste? As you probably guessed, the variation of each method on the coffee grind, water temperature and extraction time can create a different flavor profile for the same coffee. Because I believe that paper filters absorb much of the oils in the coffee, I think the French press preserves more of the aromas that contribute to my sense of taste than the Aeropress. To my nose, the French press coffee just smells richer. However, the coffee produced with the Aeropress is remarkably rich; better than any drip coffee I've tasted. Aerobie, the maker of Aeropress, claims that laboratory testing of the Aeropress showed markedly decreased acidity compared to other brewing methods.
With the added bonuses of being able to produce an espresso-strength concentrate, and the speed of both brewing and cleanup, the Aeropress joins my family of regular coffee makers!
