Customer Reviews

Aerobie AeroPress Coffee and Espresso - w/zippered nylon tote bag

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am very picky about my coffee. I only like espressos I get at restaurants and coffee shops about half the time. If you use a standard meat thermometer to ensure the water is between 175 and 185 degrees F the result is truly outstanding. It makes great espresso as well as coffee. You can easily control the acidity by using hotter water. I have owned espresso machines ranging from $100 to $300 and this little unit beats them hands down. Fantastic product!

Over decades of coffee brewing, I've tried electric & stovetop espresso makers, the Chemex, the Melitta drip filter & the French press pot. The Aeropress, made by the same folks who came up with the Aerobie throwing ring, makes the best coffee ever -- extremely low in acid, intensely high in flavor. It's even fun to clean (you eject the compressed "puck" of used coffee straight into the trash & rinse everything off). Read the directions carefully: it's simple to use but quite different from other methods (for example, the manufacturer recommends using water heated only to 175F). My only problem is figuring out which one of my co-workers has swiped it on a given day.

This is a great coffee maker - especially for someone like me who wants to make only 1 mug at a time. I've tried all different kinds of coffee makers, but they don't seem to be optimized for making a single ~8 oz mug of coffee. I always ended up brewing multiple cups of coffee and throwing the extra away to get the one good cup I wanted.

I got this aeropress for Christmas 2006 and it is great. I followed the initial instructions, but preferred my coffee a bit different. So, I experimented with grind, water temperature, amount of coffee/water, etc., until I found the right combination for *my* personal preference. I use this to make a cup of coffee, not espresso (that is, I add water to the result to get "regular" coffee), so I can't comment on the quality of espresso taste. I have noticed that coffee beans/grind from different sources have their own "sweet spots" for best grind and coffee/water quantity to get the taste I prefer. So, now that I know how I like to brew a couple different types, I try to stick with those so that I don't have to go through the experimenting stage needed if I try a completely new coffee bean/grind. That works for me. This coffee tastes great. :)

Oh, I should mention that I have also used french press coffee makers. I really like the taste of french press coffee, but got sick of the grinds and/or sediment that always ends up in the bottom of the coffee and made the bottom of the cup taste gross. True to its advertising, the aeropress doesn't seem to leave grinds or sediment. I sip my cup kind of slowly and end up zapping it in the microwave to heat it up again several times. The coffee does not get bitter from sitting in my mug because there is not coffee grind sediment soaking at the bottom. That is a huge plus for me!

A few folks mentioned that the plunger can be hard to press. I have to agree. I've had 2 shoulder surgeries and it does take some extra effort to manage to push the plunger straight down. I can still do it, although I only have 2 scoops of coffee grind in at a time. I think it would be extremely difficult to press with too much coffee in it.

All this time of daily use, including travel, and there are no problems, no parts wearing out from stress, no cracks in the plastic. It still looks like new.

I donated my drip coffee machine, french press and espresso machine to Goodwill. :)

PS - I noticed the aeropress is available via third party vendor and Amazon. I can't comment on the vendor, as I put it on my wishlist for Xmas and got it as a gift. I noticed there are separate reviews for each device/vendor, so will post my review under each.

I have bought 3 of these and given two as gifts to friends who thank me almost daily for introducing this into their lives. I don't know why people think it's only for one cup...you can make up to four regular coffees using more grounds for a stronger base, then adding the water to fill the cups afterwards. Simple and delicious. I would only make one expresso at a time though, as with most coffee makers.

For this little gem, I have found that asking for "cone filter grind" makes the perfect cup and you need less coffee. Most "presses" use a coarser ground, but I don't think that's the case with this. I have tried both and hands down a finer, NOT EXPRESSO, grind is the best. Not bitter and you get a perfect cup of coffee each time. I just returned from France and though I had use of a French Press where I was staying, I preferred my Aerobie...as did the host once he tried it.

This item works like a charm, but be sure to read the directions first. The timing of the process affects that taste of the coffee. I bought this to travel with, but I think it will become my regular coffee maker. The "travel bag" is a joke-it's just a nylon bag-no padding or reinforcement to protect the device, so you might want to save your money and just buy the press and filters.

For about 3 years, I've been using the AeroPress in the office snack room to get a great cup of coffee quickly, easily, and without mess. I store the two tube parts and the filter/base, a standard coffee mug, and a bag of espresso at my desk. The stirring paddle and funnel are not needed. I just put a paper filter into the bottom of the base, screw it onto the outer tube and drop in one scoop of coffee. Fill the plunger with water and heat in the microwave to almost boiling, pour it in the tube which is sitting over the mug, wait a few seconds, and use the plunger to force the water through the filter. The coffee grounds pop out of the base into the trash with no mess. A quick rinse and it's clean. It is much easier to clean up than a french press, and the coffee tastes better too, with no sediment at the bottom of the cup.
I have not been able to duplicate good European coffee in the US, but the AeroPress comes pretty close.

AeroPress makes a great cup of coffee with easy clean up; it's perfect for work. The only drawback is that it requires a lot of coffee. I did find that you can reuse the grounds once and it's still quite good; twice not so much. It's affordable, portable and quick. I'm very pleased with it.

I would highly recommend this product.

A very ease to use, one cup, coffee maker.

Pros:
- add hot water, make the coffee the correct temperature
- cup-by-cup, always fresh and newly made
- easy to use, and easy to clean

Cons:
- many parts, even though it is of good quality, some items can be broken and then the coffee maker cannot be used
- none other

I heard a lot of good testimonials on this device but I'm not that happy with it. I give this device a marginal pass. Makes good coffee but uses a lot of it. My Krups xp4010, older version of Krups XP4050 1200-Watt 15-Bar-Pump Programmable Espresso Machine uses about a 1/3rd the coffee. Consider that if you get 20 cups out of a 12 oz bag you'll now get maybe 7 cups. A Melita Filter system seams simpler and makes very good coffee too.

PROs
Makes good strong coffee, but so can any Melita filter system or a French press if you use enough coffee.
Plunger does add speed and some quality over simple Melita filter system
Strong and fairly light, except for numerous parts and for it's size this might make a good travel unit.


CONs
Requires a lot of coffee, more than I ever imagined.

Messy hard to judge volume unless you use a see though cup or pre-measure your quantities. Consider once you add water you will have to install the plunger and push it all the way though. If you put too much water in you'll have to move the dribbling mess to the sink. If you put too little in you will be trying to remove the plunger, and guess again. While you could could devise practices to mitigate these problems, I'm not sure it's worth it, well that's my opinion.

Travel bag is pretty cheaply constructed, and ugly to boot with advertising all over it. Nothing you would ever be proud of.

Almost too bulky to use as travel unit, although fairly light.

I really only drink 1 cup of coffee a day and the AeroPress has worked perfectly for it. It quick, extremely easy to clean and makes a near perfect cup of coffee. It definitely exceeded my expectations.