Thus far, this is the best coffee maker I have ever owned. When you factor in the low price, this simply has to be the best bargin in coffee making ever!
Positive Product Points
Ease of use
portability
able to get a good cup from a variety of beans, grinds, and water temps.
Negative Product Points
There is almost never any crema, not much when it is present.
The opening is too large for use in a small espresso cup.
Detailed Commentary
I've owned and used this for a year now and it has slowed my yearning for a proper espresso machine. (Which is good, because this coffee snob is on a tight budget.)
My preferred method is to grind fresh, home-roasted beans between drip and espresso and use water around 185 degrees. That gets me a shot with enough body and aroma to stand in for espresso in milk drinks and Americanos. Heck, I drink straight shots of it too. Purists won't call it espresso because it lacks a thick crema. Maybe so- but what ever you call it, I call it delicious!
In the last year, I have tried temps from 175-196, I have used ancient Charbucks beans, canned and ground Illy, the contents of Fratello pods, the contents of Green Mountain K-cups, and many other coffees of noble and dubious origins- and almost every cup has been pretty good with many an excellent cup along the way. In fact, the only bad coffee produced in my Aeropress came from grocery-store famous brand coffees. No surprise there, P&Gs "big red can" makes bad coffee no matter what you do to it.
Buying Experience
Not much to report- I walked in, was treated nicely, bought my Aeropress, and walked out.
