Review: Meet the Super Flexible Coffee Maker, AeroPress

AeroPress is one of the easiest and most flexible coffee makers. But before buying it, consider our review here.

Advantages
- Very flexible
- Can make cold brew

Disadvantages
- More expensive than V60 or french press
- Less suitable for a replacement espresso machine

AeroPress was first created in Alan Adler's head when he was dissatisfied with the design of various coffee makers on the market. At that time, he wanted a device that gave freedom to regulate the temperature of water to brew coffee. Whereas the choices available, namely on the espresso machine until the automatic coffee drip machine cannot fulfill it.

Next, Adler then made a tube-shaped device that we now know as AeroPress. The extraction results using AeroPress are different, because they tend to be more full and rich in flavor, while the acidity is lower than steeping using french press.

But in addition to the matter of extraction results, AeroPress is arguably a very flexible brewing tool. After its release in 2005, AeroPress grew to become one of the favorite coffee makers and used from the café to home.

This one is a favorite, because it's so easy to use, carry and produce good coffee. If you are a coffee lover and are considering buying AeroPress, then read this AeroPress review before deciding to buy.

Brew style that varies greatly

It can use hot water or cold water
This tool by Alan Adler was finally truly in accordance with the concept he wanted. At least based on our experience, there are various kinds of brewing styles that can be practiced using AeroPress.

1. Standard AeroPress brewing style, by placing the tube on top of the glass and the filter position below.
2. Inverted style that is often used by baristas in the World AeroPress Championship. The second style works by installing a pusher rubber, flipping the tube and pouring water first before installing the filter.

Based on our experience, the inverted steaming style allows you to ensure that the bottom of the coffee powder can be completely submerged (full immersion brewing), the temperature is easier to reduce due to less water capacity, and to control the duration of soaking as desired
While the standard style, tends to have a full element of surprise because some of the coffee drips first like drip brewing style, and some are still submerged in the style of immersion brew. This combination makes the results of steeping vary.
But on the other hand, actually these two brewing styles don't have much effect on taste. The difference in taste in coffee brewing is due to controlling variables in each brewing force. For example the duration of soaking coffee, stirring while soaking, duration of blooming, coffee beans used and the ratio between water and coffee.

This is not an espresso maker

This Doser is a default tool that helps keep coffee from spilling when it is inserted into AeroPress
We also tried it to make Americano. The result is slightly missed by expectations, although it can still be enjoyed as usual.

Americano is actually made by adding hot water to the espresso. The tools used are espresso machines, as you usually see in various coffee shops. But in this experiment, BukaReview tried to replace the tool with AeroPress.

We use 16 grams of dark roast (espresso) coffee beans with 180 grams of water, and the AeroPress inverted method to mimic espresso. The result is coffee has a thick body, and a little taste of chocolate and nuts. But the taste remains different when compared to the espresso produced by the engine.

Especially when you turn it into Americano. Even though it can still be minimized, the flavors obtained from espresso steaks using AeroPress tend to be less. The resulting taste is not as firm as Amaericano's from a real espresso machine.

Therefore we conclude that AeroPress cannot produce espresso, but only extracts that are close to the taste of espresso.

Can be used very flexibly

On the other hand, the superiority of AeroPress is actually a matter of flexibility that you will find when wearing it. Indeed you can't make real espresso, but you can still brew coffee in other ways.
As mentioned above, you can use normal or inverted styles to get a variety of coffee flavors. The water used for brewing doesn't have to be hot. You can install the AeroPress in an inverted position to brew one glass of cold brew coffee.
The other flexibility that you feel is, you can easily carry it around. Only one AeroPress tube, coffee beans, grinder, and paper or metal filter. Then you can brew delicious coffee wherever you are.

Some recipe recommendations

To make it easier for you to try brewing coffee using AeroPress, here we attach a few recipes that we have told you from Handground.

1. AeroPress recipes for coffee with bright and fruity profiles
This is steeping the results of a mixture of barista Nelson Griffin from City & State Roastery
Brew style: Inverted
Coffee: 18 grams
Milling size: around number 3
Water: 200 grams at 96 Celsius
Water-coffee ratio: 11: 1
Steeping duration: 2 minutes

Brew method
1. Add 100 grams of water at 96 degrees, wait 30 seconds and stir
2. Add the remaining water (100 grams) then attach the lid that has been installed by the filter
3. Wait until it reaches 2 minutes, then reverse the position of the AeroPress tube and press it for about 20-30 seconds

2. Recipes for coffee with chocolate, nutty and low-acid profiles
This is a recipe for the barista concoction Brock Beauclair from Big Mike’s Coffee
Brew style: Inverted
Coffee: 20 grams
Milling size: Number 4
Water: 230 grams at 80 Celsius
Water-coffee ratio: 12: 1
Duration of steeping: 1:30

Brew method
1. Add 50 grams of water at 80 Celsius
2. Rotate AeroPress for 15 seconds
3. Leave the blooming for 30 seconds
4. Add 170 grams of water in 10 seconds
5. Press for 30 seconds and let it flow into the room temperature cup

Good luck with coffee using AeroPress!