05.26.06
A New Kinda Coffee
I hope it never stops coming. I hope it never ends - the fact that there’s always something new about coffee. And then there are gizmos, gadgetry, other gobsmacking coffee goodies being manufactured as I write. The Aeropress landed on my lap a few months ago. I’ve brewed quite a few cups with it since, but I’ve only now gathered all my thoughts and findings on it.
When I opened the box I immediately thought this is perfect for camping. Sturdy, simple, light.
Brewing is easy. I fitted one filter on to the black cap and screwed the cap on to the brewing chamber.
Then I ground some freshly roasted Colombia Pensilvania on a drip filter grind setting and, using the scoop supplied, dosed 2 level scoops of coffee into the brewing chamber.
As I was intending to make strong brewed coffee, I filled the plunger part - which doubles up as a water measuring tube - up to the top of the #2 oval (later on I measured how much this is in millilitres and it’s 150ml).
As the instructions were insistent on the unusual brewing temperature of 80C, I waited a while to get my water temp down before I poured the water into the main brewing chamber and stirred.
Plunge away!
Minutes earlier I tried a pretend plunge with the plunger and was surprised at how taut it was. Now with filter, coffee and water providing even more resistance, the plunge was a muscle job even with a moistened rubber seal. The cup underneath really need to be made of stern stuff!
(Note: I later brewed with a much coarser grind, and it still required some elbow grease.)
The cup was surprisingly smooth, balanced with a bit of acidity, and some back palate oomph. Mid-palate is paved with a nutty sweetness that is typical of this coffee. There’s undoubtedly body there as the brew fills my mouth and resists my tongue, but I need to compare it with my vacpot brew.
I read the instructions further and it said that I should dilute the brew with hot water. What for? I already like this stuff. More work? Nyah.
BUT IS IT ESPRESSO?
I can be downright dismissive and say no way can that contraption make espresso. But I’ll never know for sure until I’ve tried. I’ve worked long enough with coffee to know it hides a lot of surprises.
So using the same coffee and the same amount, I brewed this time with 70 mls of 80C water.
Ack! First of all it had diddlysquat crema and the cup was shudderingly sharp with overbearing metallic, iodine-like flavours.
I immediately poured the whole beans into my grinder hopper and made myself espressos with the Linea. With much relief, it tasted like how it should taste: full, viscous, coating, syrupy, sweet, short with some fruit and nuts on the nose and a crema that clung to the cup’s bottom. Now this is espresso. The Aeropress brew is not.
(L) Aeropress espresso (not) ; (R) Nice puck
Now, for some cupping comparisons (out of 5):
Aeropress Vacpot
Aroma 3 4
Acidity 3.5 4
Body 2.5 3
Flavour 4 4
Aftertaste 4 4
Conclusion:
I like Aeropress. It’s novel but simple. It makes great coffee, but will I trade in my vacpot for it? No. But at least I now have something I can take with me when I travel or go camping.