

Inventor of Aerobie also invented the Aeropress - steven
https://medium.com/backchannel/first-alan-adler-invented-the-aerobie-now-he-s-created-the-perfect-cup-of-coffee-c5e94ccc538e

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tptacek
This is an especially bad HN title because the Aeropress has been coffee-
famous for years and years now. There are Aeropress competitions, an Aeropress
aftermarket, and cafes that use the Aeropress.

The right title --- even though I don't like it either --- is the article's:
"The Invention of the Perfect Cup of Coffee".

~~~
jschulenklopper
"Inventor of Aerobie flying ring created innovative coffee maker in 1994"

~~~
jschulenklopper
BTW, I think that the author (or Alan Adler) has the invention date of the
AeroPress wrong. I copied the date 1994 from the article, but I think it
should be 2004 of 2005. (And the Aerobie ring was invented around 1984.)

Otherwise the period between invention and mass production and sales is over a
decade. I remembered that I ordered a box directly at Aerobie in the USA in
2006 because the AeroPress was not yet for sale in The Netherlands.

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zackcrockett
Alan Adler is an amazing human being. I had the great pleasure of interviewing
him last year. If anyone is interested, this covers his life's work:

[http://priceonomics.com/the-invention-of-the-
aeropress/](http://priceonomics.com/the-invention-of-the-aeropress/)

------
teilo
Sorry, but if you are after optimal extraction, as nice a cup as the AeroPress
can make, it cannot compare to a proper, temperature-controlled pour-over
using a system designed for proper extraction (Hario V60, Kalita Wave, or even
Chemex if made in sufficient volume).

The reason is simple: It can't handle the temperature because it's made of
plastic. _Anyone_ could make a cup of coffee in a pour-over that tastes the
same as the AeroPress. However, those who put the time into making a proper
pourover know better.

The best cup of coffee, for most of us, is _supposed_ to have a certain amount
of those bitter elements that the AeroPress is too cool to extract. Optimal
extraction occurs between 92 and 96 degrees C. 74-80C is just too cool for
optimal extraction. I've tested the SCAA findings in countless experiments.
Their research, based on double-blind taste tests, is well done, and in my
experience, quite accurate.

The information on the AeroPress FAQ, which talks about the grounds on the
bottom of the bed brewed using traditional methods being much cooler, is just
plain wrong. Ridiculously wrong, in fact. Just measure the temperature of the
finished product. If proper preheating is done, it's going to be closer to
90C, probably higher.

To each his own, but the "Perfect Cup of Coffee" it is not.

~~~
e12e
I'm not sure where you get the idea that the aeropress can't handle the
temperature. The plastic has low heat capacity (it takes little energy to
heat, compared to eg water). I usually pour water from my water boiler
directly in -- and while I haven't used a thermometer, it must surely be close
to 100 degrees. And if you're so worried, just prehat the acrylics, and use
the "reverse method"[1].

That said, I'm not going to claim any one method makes the "best" coffee --
I've not tasted them all, and I don't use a thermometer or other extreme
quality (in the industrial sense of reproducible brew) measures.

I much prefer a proper espresso, and I've also tried "cold brew" method -- and
while I can see why some people would prefer that -- that's not for me.

Anyway, for something used to prepare food for oneself, I'm not sure how
relevant blind tests on other people are. I really don't care if 9 out of 10
people disagree with me on how they like their coffee. Why should you? I could
see the value in doing blind tests on oneself (with help, obviously) -- but if
the differences are so minor that you can't tell without blind testing -- do
you really care?

[1] [http://ineedcoffee.com/upside-aeropress-coffee-brewing-
tutor...](http://ineedcoffee.com/upside-aeropress-coffee-brewing-tutorial/)

~~~
teilo
Did you read the part where I said: "To each his own"? If you love your
Aeropress, then fine. But when people make claims like, "The perfect cup of
coffee" or put BS in their FAQs, as Aeropress does, then I'm calling them out
on it.

I have the creds to do so. I _have_ tried every brewing technique you care to
name. I do quantitative measurements, right down to the composition of the
water, TDS, and pH. I have lab-grade equipment. I also am developing a cheap
solution for making an ideal coffee brewing water to SCAA specifications. This
is not my first rodeo.

Now to your "where did you get the idea": This is a known issue with the
Aeropress (google for Aeropress crazing). Because it is plastic, it cannot
handle the higher brewing temperatures required for proper extraction. The
plastic starts to warp and crack.

The recommended "solution" is to use a lower temperature. This produces a
different cup of coffee than higher temperatures would. You may like this cup.
I prefer a cup that is properly extracted. To each his own.

But when people are publishing BS, I'm gonna call it out.

~~~
e12e
I've cracked my aeoropress, pushing a plunger through a cold ... holder? That
other thing that's not a plunger. It was by accident, and not related to
making coffee.

I regularly use boiling water, and I see no issue from that.

As for claims of a "perfect cup of coffee" \-- I agree :-)

------
serve_yay
It's a nice device, but it doesn't make enough. It's only perfect if you're
alone and you want ~8oz of coffee (They recommend you to water down the
Aeropress's output, but I don't know why. It's not strong enough, like
espresso, to water down.)

------
jschulenklopper
Good timing of this article: recent research suggested that there is a health
benefit tied to drinking as much as five cups of coffee each day: a reduced
risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Article in The Washington Post:
[http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/21/i...](http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2015/02/21/its-
official-americans-should-drink-more-coffee/) , now on the HN front page.

~~~
zem
and, sadly (at least in my case) a greatly increased chance of gastric reflux
:(

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david927
Who does the PR for these people? It's astounding! This keeps showing up on
news sites all the time. The Aeropress has been around for years, and while I
use one, I definitely wouldn't use any superlative to describe it. Please, PR
agency, how can keep pawning this off as news? And how can I hire you?

As for everyone else: if it looks like and ad and smells like an ad, for the
love of all that is holy, don't post it.

~~~
serve_yay
It's cheap, you're not really buying into much more than a $20 tube of
plastic. If this is about making a quick buck off suckers falling for good PR,
they should charge more.

------
guscost
> Eventually I developed a little ridge on the perimeter, [like an airfoil].

I think he's referring to the little lip around the outer edge?

Anyway, nice interview. Stories like Mr. Adler's are inspiring, it's hardly an
accident that he comes up with two paradigm-shifting inventions in two
completely different fields.

------
Tloewald
The office coffee geeks had a discussion of coffee-making devices (hardly a
panel of experts, so take it for what it's worth) and the consensus is that
the best way to make coffee is an espresso machine. This is a pretty neat
device, but it's fiddly and slow and has lots of failure modes. Some of the
better espresso machines (such as mine) are almost foolproof, and you can go
from beans to coffee in less than two minutes (using a separate grinder).

~~~
dgacmu
Oof, no. It's fairly the opposite: A high-quality espresso machine is a fiddly
little beast. You have to backflush it daily; you have to cafiza it weekly;
and it's going to lose a temperature or pressure regulator every few years. An
aeropress is trivially cleanable, and mine's been functional for years now
with no problems. After about five years, the plastic might start getting a
little crack-y and the rubber plunger bit gets loose, and then you spend
another $30 and you're good to go.

A good espresso machine makes substantially better coffee, though, assuming
you like espresso.

(I have an aeropress + very nice grinder for home, and an assortment of
espresso machines at work. I prefer the espresso machines, but I don't want to
deal with the hassles and expense of one at home. The grinder, on the other
hand, lasts almost forever and saves a ton of pain.)

~~~
Tloewald
My espresso machine (which is about five years old) makes good coffee despite
not having any of the maintenance you describe. I imagine it would be better
if it did, but I'm lazy. When it finally gives up the ghost, I will buy a new
one.

