Get one, it is easily the greatest value available in the world of coffee.
Positive Product Points
Easy to use Clean up possibly the most effortless thing I've ever done Nearly the fullest flavour extraction I've ever had Versatile Economical
Negative Product Points
Umm... .... .... A first party reusable filter option would be nice
Detailed Commentary
The small little device changed the way I approached coffee forever. A few years ago a close friend of mine purchased one when they first appeared on Thinkgeek.com. We proceeded to drink our way through nearly every type of decent coffee available to us in one weekend. The experience was life altering.
A few years later after getting back into excessive coffee consumption I had a sudden flashback to that amazing caffinated weekend and purchased this little wonder from Ebay. I have never looked back
The design is one of elegant simplicity. There are essentially 3 parts. A plunger, a cylinder, and a cap with holes in it. essentially it looks and behave like a large syringe, but for coffee. Brewing couldn't be any easier. Place filter in cap Attach cap to cylinder Heat water Grind coffee Add desired amount of coffee and water Stir Press down plunger Enjoy coffee excellence
Clean up takes only a few seconds. All you need to do is unscrew the cap, remove the filter if you intend to re use it, press the spent grounds into the garbage and rinse the tip of the plunger. The entire process is amazing fast.
I have owned my aeropress for 2 years and it has seen daily use the entire time. Not a signle part has broken or even show any signs of wear.
The aeropress work great right out of the box if you follow the directions provided for you you will still end up with an excellent flavourful aromatic cup of coffee. However as with everything else in life the real fun begins when you start tweaking the minute details. I have kettle with a temprature gauge which has allowed me to discover the temperature best suited for each coffee I brew. Having the ability to monitor the the temperature of water used for preparing coffee is somthing I would highly reccomend for anyone using any non electric brew method (aeropress/press pot/ any pour over). I have found that higher than directed brew temps, 180-200, tend to lead to a better taste in the cup .
The second departure from the directions I have taken is that of inverted brewing. This method has its benefits and its short falls. If you choose to use the aeropress upside by inserting the plunger in first and then adding the coffee and water, allowing it to brew, then adding the cap and filter you will find you have a move even extraction but in return you lose some of the already limited brewing space. The reasoning behind using it in this manner is the factthat if used as directed you tend to get some coffee coming through as soon as water is added thereby creating the possibility of under extraction.
Thirdly I have replaced the disposable paper filter with a non absorbant reusable polyester mesh filter. I did this because I am a fan of heavier bodied coffees on occaision. I personally found that the paper filter were absorbing a fair amount of the oils that I wanted in my coffee. However when drinking lighter bodied coffee with fruits or other delicate flavours I often switch back to the paper filters. It would be nice to have the option and the fact that there isnt a reusable filter commercially available for the aeropress is my only point of contention with this wonderful contraption.
I would also reccomend playing with dosing as well. But as with all of my advise it is all a matter of personal preferance
All in all this is quite possibly the easiest and most affordable way to get into true quality coffee at home. Paired with a manual grinder and fresh beans you can have coffee so good is might bring you to tears, all for less than 100 dollars.
Buying Experience
I cant remember the name of the seller on ebay, but the shipping was fast and the price was right.
