
The Invention of the Aeropress (2014) - cribbles
https://priceonomics.com/the-invention-of-the-aeropress/
======
iscrewyou
I love my AeroPress. It makes some of the best coffee ever. But I had to stop.
Putting hot water in a plastic cup everyday for coffee? I wish there was a
metal version. I’ll still use it once every so many months. But the plastic
nature of the contraption has turned me away.

~~~
xenihn
I'm surprised there isn't a premium version available. There's surely a huge
market for people willing to spend ~$100 on a non-plastic version.

~~~
brians
There is a premium version available. It costs only $30.

As you can see at [https://aeropressinc.com/use-it-now/evolution-of-
aeropress/](https://aeropressinc.com/use-it-now/evolution-of-aeropress/) ,
they’ve continued to re-evaluate materials, including testing for
contamination while brewing coffee.

You can boil an aeropress at pH 5 for an hour without detecting any leaching.
The interesting bit is how it ages—how cracks form, where bacteria might find
a home, that sort of thing.

~~~
acidbaseextract
I'm sure the plastic is fine, I'd just prefer a metal or glass version.

On every discussion of the Aeropress, I've seen the ask for a non-plastic
version pop up. Every time I've then seen essentially your reply above. I'd
just prefer a metal or glass version.

~~~
jsilence
You might be able to re purpose a lab device I don't know the english name
for. See pictures:
[https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=kolbenprober](https://www.google.com/search?tbm=isch&q=kolbenprober)

~~~
jamessb
The English name is "gas syringe".

------
two2two
I'd love for more inventions to be like the AeroPress. It provides a purist
result with pedestrian convenience.

------
latchkey
Use mine daily here in Saigon with amazing Vietnamese coffee.

I bought the metal screen filters off of amazon for cheap. Far better than the
paper filters. I can't really tell the difference between the different metal
filters, but I've settled on using the wire mess screen for some reason.

Interestingly enough, you can get solid knock offs in Vietnam [1] for pretty
cheap (450k vnd / $19.50).

If you haven't tried inverted method, do it! Lots of instruction videos on
youtube.

[1] [http://barista1.viennam.vn/San-pham/dung-cu-pha-cafe-
aeropre...](http://barista1.viennam.vn/San-pham/dung-cu-pha-cafe-aeropres-
ad187703.html)

~~~
neves
There are some research that points that a paper filter will be better for
your health. The inventor of AeroPress compiled some of the research here:
[https://www.dropbox.com/s/v6suj5auwsehn7p/Cholesterol%202.do...](https://www.dropbox.com/s/v6suj5auwsehn7p/Cholesterol%202.doc?dl=0)

That's why he won't make a metal filter himself.

~~~
latchkey
There is also other research that says that LDL isn't bad [1]. The pollution
from living in Saigon will probably kill me long before drinking coffee does.
I also only drink 1-2 cups of coffee and tea/water for the rest of the day. At
this rate, I'll go for flavor over potential minor health effects.

[1]
[https://www.google.com/search?q=LDL+isn%27t+bad](https://www.google.com/search?q=LDL+isn%27t+bad)

------
a012
Aeropress is awesome, I'm still using mine for 7 years with Able brewing's
fine filter. You can make coffee for two by use more coffee ground and dilute
with hot water.

~~~
sinis
What’s your recipe for two?

~~~
tyldum
Ground principle with coffee is to increase amount of coffee and water. Do not
increase immersion time, as that will only make it bitter. If the press is too
small to add enough water, then just dilute as needed after brewing.

But "never" increase the immersion to make stronger coffee.

------
xenihn
My home-made coffee progression:

Automatic drip

French Press

Aeropress

Pour-over (using a Hario v60, Chemex filters, and a cheap, non-Hario Gooseneck
kettle)

Next will be a home espresso setup if I can ever get rich enough to justify
having one.

~~~
marcelluspye
I'm currently at step 2, and was deciding between getting an aeropress or a
v60. What do you prefer about the pourover setup?

~~~
el_benhameen
Not op, but I've gone through the same-ish progression, and I prefer the
pourover because it ends up being tidier. I always manage to spill grounds
getting them into the Aeropress, and cleaning it out is messier, too. Plus
there's the risk of your cup flying away with the amount of pressure you're
putting on the top of the press. With the pourover, I dump the grounds into
the filter, make the coffee, dump the filter with grounds into the compost,
and rinse the v60, done. Rarely a spill or a mess.

~~~
duncanawoods
I think I need a video of you making aeropress! It's super clean for me. Some
suggestions:

> I always manage to spill grounds getting them into the Aeropress,

Use the scoop but don't pour or tap them in - instead put the scoop into the
cylinder and then spin the handle to dump out the grounds. Makes it impossible
to spill.

> Plus there's the risk of your cup flying away with the amount of pressure
> you're putting on the top of the press

That sounds like way too much pressure - some new aeropresses can be tight
(which can be remedied) but maybe you have too fine a grind. It should
definitely not be espresso level which requires that type of muscle. It's not
brewing by the pressure you are applying but time + agitation. The press is
just removing the grounds.

I have however frequently knocked over a pourover while pouring... my own
fault... tend to use a heavy ass kettle which turns it into some weird
strength endurance exercise.

~~~
sjy
> It's not brewing by the pressure you are applying but time + agitation. The
> press is just removing the grounds.

Is that right? I’ve never understood the purpose of the high pressure air
pocket inside the Aeropress. If the pressure has no effect, why does the
Aeropress brew more quickly than a French press?

~~~
duncanawoods
Some effect no doubt but not as much as might be imagined by it's pressure
pump like appearance.

I think the main variable affected by pressure is what is forced through the
filter. A faster push and more force means more oils which can have positive
or negative taste changes depending on the coffee.

You see competitive aeropressers (yeah, I know...) do 60s long presses to
reduce pressure.

> If the pressure has no effect, why does the Aeropress brew more quickly than
> a French press?

Typically a french press has a coarser grind and less agitation.

------
neves
The Alan Adler posts in the Coffee Geeks forum are really enlightening about
how to make a great invention and how to enjoy your coffee:
[http://coffeegeek.com/members/AlanAdler](http://coffeegeek.com/members/AlanAdler)

It is great to learn how a great inventor thinks.

------
pontifier
I really needed to read this, as I've been very discouraged by my lack of
success recently. I've only got 4 patents in various stages, and nothing with
traction, but this is exactly the kind of life I'm aiming for...

------
exodust
There's no chance this plastic contraption makes a nicer coffee than my
espresso machine.

My coffee of choice is a flat white, so I need silky smooth microfoam (not
froth), which the espresso machine does at the same time.

Also in terms of an "exact science" in consistently good taste, and getting
the best from the beans, the extraction process of an espresso brew is
superior and more reliable. Provided you take the time to learn how to do it.

Next best after an espresso machine is a stove-top coffee pot. Best for
coffees where it's mostly water and only some milk.

> " _Proponents of the device claim that drinks made with the AeroPress are
> more delicious than those made with thousand-dollar machines._ "

Yeh that's funny, is this article a paid promo?

~~~
httpsterio
You can't make a good filter coffee drink with an espresso machine, an
americano is just a pale imitation. An aeropress on the other hand is not a
substitute for an espresso machine.

When talking about good coffee it's important to distinguish if you mean
coffee you like to drink or if we're talking about flavours, mouth feel etc.

The coffee used and recommended for good complex espresso shots does not
necessarily translate to good and complex cups of filter coffee. Comparing an
espresso machine with an aeropress is like apples and oranges.

I could tell you several ways in which the aeropress is superior. But it
doesn't matter, they are quite different devices for different purposes.

~~~
peatmoss
That’s a fair criticism of the parent comment. Espresso != brewed coffee. But
the author does quote the article stating that the Aeropress makes a better
tasting (to some) drink than the expensive (presumably espresso) machines.
When I bought my first Aeropress, I think the marketing and commentary by
friends and acquaintances suggested that I’d be drinking something more
similar to espresso at home on the cheap. Of course I did not, even though the
coffee was good.

Lastly, for someone who wants espresso on the cheap, but doesn’t care about
frothy milk, the Flair espresso maker looks like a winner, as I mentioned
elsewhere: [https://www.flairespresso.com/](https://www.flairespresso.com/)

To recap, yes they’re different beasts, both good. There are often
disingenuous comparisons to espresso made on both “sides.”

