
The Invention of the AeroPress - duck
http://priceonomics.com/the-invention-of-the-aeropress/
======
drcode
I am not a coffee nut, but got one of these serendipitously as a present and
can attest it makes a good cup of coffee. Here's some facts (maybe obvious to
others) I found out after the fact that I wish I had known a long time ago:

1\. If you've never owned an electric kettle, you may not know that they will
boil water in mere seconds (!) and are a key part in making an Aeropress
practical. (And they're cheap: [http://goo.gl/8dVnP2](http://goo.gl/8dVnP2))

2\. If you ever get heartburn and drink coffee, you MUST buy one of these
ASAP, it will help immensely. Fast-brewed coffees have very low acidity, so
you should treat yourself with aeropress (or Starbucks Clover coffee, another
fast-brewed method) if you have this problem... you will probably feel better.

3\. That said, these things brew a coffee that is like a hybrid between
espresso and drip coffee, so if that sounds bad/good to you, you'll feel about
the coffee you get from this the same way.

4\. An aeropress is the easiest to clean kitchen appliance I've ever owned.
You will NOT think to yourself "boy this coffeemaker could probably use a
thorough cleaning" every time you want a cup of coffee... no such anxiety with
this device.

~~~
NamTaf
Wait, what? Electric kettles aren't in every house there? That's insane! Here
in Australia, it's like the one thing EVERYONE has. Hell, even hotel rooms
usually contain a microwave and a kettle even if they have absolutely nothing
else.

Maybe it's the fact that in the US, you have 120V/10A max, so your kettles are
1200W peak and therefore take twice as long as ours at 240V/10A and thus
2400W? I don't know. I just find that staggering that someone could _not_ have
an electric kettle.

As an aside, it's always been amazing to me that the 'standard' coffee you buy
here is espresso, everyhwere, whereas the standard there to my knowledge is
usually drip or french press. That in itself (that entire nations can have
substantially different ways of making 'coffee') is pretty incredible to me.

All that said, the whole 'makes 5 or 6 cups minimum' problem is the one I've
always faced with making coffee at home. I might actually pick one of these
things up if it really does solve that and really deliver something that's
more towards espresso rather than drip/press.

~~~
ojbyrne
I think most/all people in North America have electric kettles. With HN,
you're probably dealing with a particular demographic (recent college
graduates) that would have a lower adoption.

~~~
brianbreslin
Most homes I know of in Florida don't have electric kettles. I have one, use
it with my ap. many homes have stove top kettles here.

~~~
drcode
I grew up there, maybe that explains my kettle ignorance.

~~~
brianbreslin
could it be since its a warmer climate, hot drinks aren't consumed at home as
much? or coffee is prepared differently down here (espresso?)

------
deckiedan
I've been using an AeroPress almost every day for over 3 years, and love them.

I've had only one issue with them, in that the inside has become scratched and
discoloured, which somehow messes up the taste as well (after about 2 years
use).

A totally worth-while purchase. I'm now on my second one, hopefully this lasts
longer, but if not, I'll just buy another one in a couple years.

One thing I like is how manual the process is - I can make a much weaker cup
of coffee for guests who don't like it so strong without it becoming bitter.
For different types of coffee, I can brew it in different ways.

And it's odd, but even cheap pre-ground supermarket coffee tastes hugely nicer
with the AP. These days, I buy pretty much whichever the cheapest fairtrade
coffeebeans the supermarket has, and grind enough for each cup, and it tastes
great.

~~~
jseliger
How do you feel about it compared to a Chemex, which is what I used when I
drank more coffee and less tea (now I'm the other way around, in part due to
this:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1934051](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=1934051)).

~~~
deckiedan
I've never used an actual Chemex, but I do quite like other pour-over coffee
makers. They're convenient, and much more controllable than auto machines.

I find that areopress tends to make cleaner coffee - if that makes sense - and
that the flavours come out more. Especially certain kinds of coffee it's nice
to let them brew longer - french press / cafetiere style. The areopress can do
that easily (inverted style), but the pour-over ones can't.

If you want, you can use an areopress pretty similarly to a pour-over, by
simply not pushing down the plunger and letting gravity pull the water
through.

------
fieldforceapp
Just ordered my first AeroPress, wondering what type of grind works best?

> With his plans mapped out, Adler went to Westec Plastics in Livermore,
> California, > ordered $100,000 worth of molds, and put the invention into
> production.

Just how does one go about stepping up from something like 3D printing
(manifold meshes [0] are easy) to something like injection molding?

[0]
[http://www.shapeways.com/tutorials/prepping_blender_files_fo...](http://www.shapeways.com/tutorials/prepping_blender_files_for_3d_printing)

~~~
cpenner461
I use a fairly fine grind, although not as fine as I use for espresso.
According to the stock AeroPress instructions it should take about 20s to
depress the plunger, if it's too hard to press it's too fine, and conversely
if it presses with little to no resistance then it's too coarse.

~~~
joezydeco
I use a very fine grind (actually I cheat and use Cafe Bustelo right out of
the bag). I've noticed using the inverted method makes the plunge step a lot
easier, probably because the grounds are mostly still suspended in the water
and not sitting on the filter right away.

------
thom
For my shame I now mostly use a Nespresso, but my Aeropress is certainly the
best coffee _placebo_ I've ever used. I have no idea if the coffee was better
or worse, but it certainly felt like I was sciencing up the perfectly crafted
liquid with space-age tools. It's a lovely ritual, especially when it breaks
you out of a hard problem at work to grind the exact right number of beans,
measure the exact right temperature, steep for the exact right number of
seconds etc.

------
JasonCEC
For anyone interested in quantitatively measuring the flavor profile of your
coffee, and seeing how dosing and other changes effect your perceived quality
of your daily (hourly?) ritual....

My startup [0] makes an Android App just for the occasion! We run statistical
quality control and flavor profiling for coffee roasters, beer brewers, and
distillers, so your reviews may actually help your favorite coffee companies
make better roasting and sourcing decisions.

[0] www.Gastrograph.com [1]
[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gastrograp...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gastrograph.testggapp)

------
misframer
If you're looking for a grinder to go along with the AeroPress, the Hario hand
grinder[0] is a good choice.

[0] [http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-
Grinder/dp/B001...](http://www.amazon.com/Hario-Coffee-Mill-Slim-
Grinder/dp/B001804CLY)

~~~
djKianoosh
I prefer a conical burr grinder as they give you more control over how
coarse/fine of a grind you need:

[http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-
alias%3Dap...](http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-
alias%3Daps&field-keywords=conical+burr+grinder)

~~~
L_Rahman
The Hario Slim is a conical burr grinder. You can adjust the grind size by
adjusting a small bolt on the underside of the grinder mechanism.

~~~
djKianoosh
gotcha. good to know. i have the capresso which is electric and have had it
for a solid 2 years at least. if you keep it clean, say, every month or so,
it's really convenient.

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udfalkso
Should users be concerned about pouring hot liquid into plastic and then
consuming the result? BPA and such?

~~~
molecule
_> The AeroPress is made of three different plastics. The clear chamber and
plunger are made of copolyester. The hard black filter cap, filter holder,
funnel, and stirrer are made of polypropylene. The rubber like seal on the end
of the plunger is made of a thermoplastic elastomer. All of these materials
are FDA approved for use in contact with food. None of these materials contain
bisphenol-A (BPA) or any phthalates, chemicals that have been in the news
lately because of possible health effects._

 _> Aerobie has been shipping AeroPress coffee makers made of the materials
described above since August 1st, 2009. Prior to that date, the clear chamber
and plunger were made of a very special high humidity and temperature
resistant polycarbonate. Polycarbonate does not contain phthalates but it does
contain BPA. Even though the FDA and other governmental agencies around the
world approve polycarbonate for use in contact with food, we had an
independent lab test coffee brewed in a well used AeroPress to determine how
much, if any, BPA leaches into coffee brewed in a polycarbonate AeroPress.
Absolutely none was detected. Given that result, one could ask why we switched
to using copolyester. The answer is simple. The use of copolyester removes any
perceived risk from BPA and it is a more attractive material._

[http://aerobie.com/Products/Details/AeroPressMaterialsDescri...](http://aerobie.com/Products/Details/AeroPressMaterialsDescription.htm)

~~~
SippinLean
Plastics containing BPA were once FDA-approved too. Copolyester (currently in
Aeropress) may be dangerous.

------
guelo
I used an Aeropress for a while but now I'm back on a glass French press. Its
easier to deal with, glass feels cleaner and more durable, and the coffee is
delicious.

~~~
DontGiveTwoFlux
I switched back to a French press as well. For half the amount of beans I can
get twice the amount of coffee out of the French press.

~~~
nvarsj
Have you tried the inverted method for Aeropress? Pretty similar to french
press, and you use about half the coffee of the 'normal' Aerorpess method. It
also tastes better, IMO.

~~~
JshWright
I don't get the inversion thing... Obviously you invert it after inserting the
plunger (right?)... What does inverting it so for you?

~~~
deckiedan
1) attach filter holder & filter. 2) pour through a bit of hot water to wash
it all. 3) take off the filter & filter holder. 4) put plunger in about 1 inch
5) turn it upside down, so it's sitting on the plunger. 6) put the ground
coffee inside, so it's resting on the plunger rubber head. 7) pour hot water
in 8) let it brew as long as you like - thus the french press type taste using
larger grounds, etc. 9) attach filter & holder 10) turn upside down and place
as normal onto a cup (you need to be fast!), and press as normal

This way, you get a longer brew time, but still get the benefits of finer
paper filtering, easy cleaning, etc.

I often use this method for columbian light roasted coffees, I feel it works
better for some reason. You can use less coffee, and a much coarser grind. For
some coffees, and for "espresso"-ish things, it doesn't work so great though.

That's what's cool - you can tweak so much with how long you brew,
temperature, grind, etc.

~~~
JshWright
Interesting... I have, independently developed a similar method (I didn't
realize there was such a large AeroPress hacking community out there).

I add water and ground as normal, stir for a little while, then top off the
water and put the plunger in place. Depending on the coffee, I then wait 0-90
seconds before depressing the plunger. The plunger seal holds the water in
place with no problem.

I tend to wait the longest with South/Central Americans, and don't wait at all
for Africans. Most Indonesians are somewhere around 30 seconds.

~~~
deckiedan
Funny - I hadn't really connected the dots, but that's pretty much how I do
the different continents too. I guess we're doing something right then! :-)

------
pistle
Have this, enjoyed it. Cut coffee out as my caffeine deliver device, so I
could gift one with a pile of filters.

Very good. You don't get the creme that you get with a French press, but it's
still head and shoulders above drip. I had roughly equivalently good quality
coffee over a wide range of beans and a fairly moderate range of
grinds/grinders from espresso to fine grinds in the cheapy bean/spice grinders
you can get at your grocery or walmart/target.

Cleanup and maintenance is better than my drip ever was and the process is
quicker, somewhat fun even, and a little bit zen.

------
gingerlime
I'm yet to get an aeropress, but what was striking me most about it, was what
I would consider an "internet-age packaging" \- with a customer testimonial
printed on the package. I thought it was brilliant and can't recall any other
product that does it - then again, I don't shop much, so I could be wrong.

I wonder if they A/B tested it ;-)

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SippinLean
Someone PLEASE make a glass or stainless Aeropress. Aerobie refuses to, I
don't want to mix hot water with plastics, and the plastic discolors.

------
blt
I love the Aeropress! It's also lightweight and tough, so you can take it
camping. A big upgrade from instant coffees.

------
elwell
I use the inverted method, which is pictured in the first photo. It helps you
get all the oils, which float to the top.

~~~
ValentineC
I use the inverted method myself, but I found that the paper filter absorbs
the oils. A Kaffeologie S filter [1] seems to help in that aspect.

[1] [http://www.kaffeologie.com/shop/s-filter-for-aeropress-
coffe...](http://www.kaffeologie.com/shop/s-filter-for-aeropress-coffee-
makers)

------
jevin
I'm curious as to how this compares to a percolator. Anyone tried both?

~~~
cpenner461
We've done a few blind taste tests at the office between an AeroPress and
percolator (and keurig and pour over if we're counting). I suspect it's
largely personal preference as the percolator advocate has chosen the
percolator brew and I (the AeroPress advocate) choose the AeroPress. To me the
percolator has a certain (undesirable) taste profile that always tastes like
percolator. Academically I don't like that the percolator keeps "recycling"
the water during the brew cycle.

~~~
jevin
Thanks for the info.

Side note, I just discovered that what I was referring to as a percolator, is
actually called a Moka Pot :
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot)

------
dhughes
I wonder if I could just use a large bore syringe and some cotton wadding?

~~~
jedrek
The aeropress is like 25 bucks.

