AeroPress

Last updated
AeroPress
2015 AeroPress and 2020 AeroPress Go.jpg
The AeroPress (left) next to the AeroPress Go (right)
Classification Coffeemaker
Used with Coffee
Inventor Alan Adler
ManufacturerAeroPress, Inc. (formerly Aerobie, Inc.) [lower-alpha 1]
Related

The AeroPress is a manual coffeemaker invented by Alan Adler, founder of AeroPress, Inc. It consists of a cylindrical chamber, and a plunger with an airtight silicone seal, similar to a syringe. Ground coffee beans and water are steeped inside, then forced through a filter at the bottom of the chamber by pressing the plunger down through the chamber. It is capable of brewing highly concentrated coffee, which the manufacturer describes as "espresso style", but can also be used to brew filter strength coffee, or cold brew coffee. [2]

Contents

History and design

The original AeroPress made of clear plastic with its accessories. Not to be confused with the AeroPress Clear. Aeropress setup.jpg
The original AeroPress made of clear plastic with its accessories. Not to be confused with the AeroPress Clear.

The AeroPress was invented by retired Stanford engineering lecturer Alan Adler. Adler began developing the brewer in 2004, with the intention of reducing acidity and bitterness in his daily cup of coffee. [3] Adler had tried brewing with an espresso machine, pour-over brewer, and french press, but expressed dissatisfaction with each brewer's limited control over parameters such as brew time, water temperature, and grind size. [4] He first began prototyping the AeroPress in his garage. [3]

The brewer consists of a translucent cylindrical chamber, and a plunger with an airtight silicone seal, similar to a syringe. A filter cap is screwed onto the end of the chamber, to hold a small round paper filter in place. The AeroPress comes bundled with several accessories, including a scoop and funnel for loading ground coffee, a stirring paddle, a tote bag, and a plastic holder for storing the included 350 filter papers. Metal filters are available directly from AeroPress as an additional purchase.

The chamber and plunger are moulded out of translucent plastic, tinted a grey colour. Early AeroPress models used polycarbonate, but in 2009 switched to BPA-free copolyester, then in 2014 to polypropylene. [5] The company claims that in lab testing, no BPA leached from these early models into brewed coffee. [5] The lettering changed color several times, but the brewer's design was otherwise unchanged between these versions.

In 2019, AeroPress, Inc. released the AeroPress Go, a travel-sized model with a reduced chamber capacity, smaller accessories, and a mug with a lid. In 2023, AeroPress, Inc. released the AeroPress Clear. This is constructed of a new material called Tritan, and comes with only the measuring spoon, stir stick, and 100 paper filters. [6]

In 2021 the company received an investment from Tiny (holding company), a Canadian holding company. [7]

Reception

Release

The device was officially unveiled in November 2005, at the CoffeeFest trade show in Seattle. [3] In the years after its release, it gained a cult following among coffee enthusiasts, who praised it for its flexibility and consistency in brewing. [8]

World AeroPress Championship

The World AeroPress Championship is an international fan-led AeroPress brewing competition. The event is a multi-round, elimination tournament, in which competitors have five minutes to brew coffee. It was first held in Oslo, Norway, in 2008, with only three competitors, but grew in popularity each year after. The 2018 competition attracted 3,157 competitors from 61 countries. [9] The 2020 championship was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [10] The championship resumed in 2021, with both in-person events and a new online format, in which competitors create and submit their recipe remotely. [11]

Operation

Brewing a pot of coffee with the AeroPress 2019 02 AeroPress Pacamara Central Mall Korat.jpg
Brewing a pot of coffee with the AeroPress

Traditional

Fresh coffee produced from the AeroPress Aeropress2.jpg
Fresh coffee produced from the AeroPress

According to the instructions, fine-ground coffee is placed in the bottom of the larger cylinder on top of a paper microfilter. Hot water at approximately 85 °C (185 °F) for dark roast coffee or 79 °C (175 °F) for lighter roast [2] is then poured over the coffee; this mixture is stirred for approximately 10 seconds before being forced through the microfilter by pushing the plunger downwards. [12] In the different coffee competitions worldwide (World Barista Championship, Brewers Cup), the coffee is more often ground slightly finer than 'filter grind', and the dose is between 14 and 20 g (0.49 and 0.71 oz), with about 200 to 230 ml (7.0 to 8.1 imp fl oz; 6.8 to 7.8 US fl oz) of water at 80 to 92 °C (176 to 198 °F) and a steeping time of 30 to 60 seconds. AEROPRESS BREW GUIDE [13]

Inverted

Baristas and coffee drinkers have also developed methods of brewing using the AeroPress with an inverted brewing technique. [14] [15]

In inverted brewing, the plunger is placed into the column from the beginning, close to the "top" of the column, and the entire AeroPress stands upside-down, resting on the top of the plunger. One or two scoops of ground coffee are added, followed by water, and the entire mixture then stirred. While that brews, a filter is placed into the filter cap and moistened to help it stick in place then the AeroPress cap is placed on top of the column and screwed into place. Lastly, once the desired brewing time is complete the AeroPress is either turned right-side-up and plunged normally or held at an angle and plunged horizontally.

This method is more similar to the French press, particularly the extended brewing time in which the grounds and water sit together. This makes it useful for using grinds that wouldn't be optimal in the official method such as coarse grinds that might be used in a French press.

Traditional method coffee properties

Contrasts with other immersion brewing methods

The AeroPress uses finely ground bean, has a short brewing time of 30 seconds and, similar to espresso, uses pressure to extract flavor. French press (cafetière) uses a much coarser grind and has a much longer brewing time of 4–5 minutes; it uses a metal filter and the coffee is brewed without pressure. Siphon brew uses intermediate fine grinds and has a 90-second brewing time, using a cloth filter without pressure. Espresso runs high temperature water at very high pressure through very finely ground coffee.

Third-party reusable metal mesh filters are available for the AeroPress, but AeroPress does not recommend them, saying that coffee made with paper filters has tested better for taste. [17]

Notes

  1. In 2017, the rights to the Aerobie flying ring were sold to Swimways, a subsidiary of Spin Master, and the company was renamed to AeroPress, Inc. [1]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Espresso</span> Type of strong coffee

Espresso is a coffee-brewing method in which a small amount of nearly boiling water is forced under pressure through finely ground coffee beans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barista</span> Person who prepares and serves coffee drinks

A barista is a person, usually a coffeehouse employee, who prepares and serves espresso-based coffee drinks and other beverages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">French press</span> Coffee brewing device

A French press, also known as a cafetière, cafetière à piston, caffettiera a stantuffo, press pot, coffee press, or coffee plunger, is a coffee brewing device, although it can also be used for other tasks. The earliest known device was patented in 1852 in France by Jacques-Victor Delforge and Henri-Otto Mayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drip coffee</span> Drink made by pouring hot water onto ground coffee beans

Drip coffee is made by pouring hot water onto ground coffee beans, allowing it to brew. There are several methods for doing this, including using a filter. Terms used for the resulting coffee often reflect the method used, such as drip-brewed coffee, or, somewhat inaccurately, filtered coffee in general. Manually brewed drip coffee is typically referred to as pour-over coffee. Water seeps through the ground coffee, absorbing its constituent chemical compounds, and then passes through a filter. The used coffee grounds are retained in the filter, while the brewed coffee is collected in a vessel such as a carafe or pot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffee percolator</span> Coffee brewing device

A coffee percolator is a type of pot used for the brewing of coffee by continually cycling the boiling or nearly boiling brew through the grounds using gravity until the required strength is reached. The grounds are held in a perforated metal filter basket.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Espresso machine</span> Device used to brew espresso coffee

An espresso machine brews coffee by forcing pressurized water near boiling point through a "puck" of ground coffee and a filter in order to produce a thick, concentrated coffee called espresso. Multiple machine designs have been created to produce espresso. Several machines share some common elements, such as a grouphead and a portafilter. An espresso machine may also have a steam wand which is used to steam and froth liquids for coffee drinks such as cappuccino and caffè latte.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burr mill</span> Mill used to grind hard food products between two burrs

A burr mill, or burr grinder, is a mill used to grind hard, small food products between two revolving abrasive surfaces separated by a distance usually set by the user. When the two surfaces are set far apart, the resulting ground material is coarser, and when the two surfaces are set closer together, the resulting ground material is finer and smaller. Often, the device includes a revolving screw that pushes the food through. It may be powered electrically or manually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neapolitan flip coffee pot</span> Flip-over coffeemaker that relies on gravity

The Neapolitan flip coffee pot is a drip brew coffeemaker for the stove top that was very popular in Italy until the 20th century. Unlike a moka express, a napoletana does not use the pressure of steam to force the water through the coffee, relying instead on gravity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffee preparation</span> Process of turning coffee beans into a beverage

Coffee preparation is the process of turning coffee beans into liquid coffee. While the particular steps vary with the type of coffee and with the raw materials, the process includes four basic steps: raw coffee beans must be roasted, the roasted coffee beans must then be ground, and the ground coffee must then be mixed with hot or cold water for a specific time (brewed), the liquid coffee extraction must be separated from the used grounds, and finally, if desired, the extracted coffee is combined with other elements of the desired beverage, such as sweeteners, dairy products, dairy alternatives, or toppings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vacuum coffee maker</span> Device used to brew coffee

A vacuum coffee maker brews coffee using two chambers where vapor pressure and gravity produce coffee. This type of coffee maker is also known as vac pot, siphon or syphon coffee maker, and was invented by Loeff of Berlin in the 1830s. These devices have since been used for more than a century in many parts of the world. Design and composition of the vacuum coffee maker varies. The chamber material is borosilicate glass, metal, or plastic, and the filter can be either a glass rod or a screen made of metal, cloth, paper, or nylon. The Napier Vacuum Machine by James Robert Napier, presented in 1840, was an early example of this technique. While vacuum coffee makers generally were excessively complex for everyday use, they were prized for producing a clear brew, and were quite popular until the middle of the twentieth century. Vacuum coffee makers remain popular in some parts of Asia, including Japan and Taiwan. The Bauhaus interpretation of this device can be seen in Gerhard Marcks' Sintrax coffee maker of 1925.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alan Adler</span> American inventor

Alan Adler is an American inventor. His inventions include aerodynamic toys under the Aerobie brand, such as footballs with fins, flying rings and discs, as well as a manual coffee brewing device, the AeroPress. His Aerobie Pro flying ring set several world records for the farthest thrown object.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moka pot</span> Device used for brewing coffee

The moka pot is a stove-top or electric coffee maker that brews coffee by passing hot water driven by vapor pressure through ground coffee. Named after the Yemeni city of Mocha, it was invented by Italian engineer Luigi Di Ponti in 1933 who sold the patent to Alfonso Bialetti, an aluminum vendor. It quickly became one of the staples of Italian culture. Bialetti Industries continues to produce the original model under the trade name "Moka Express".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latte art</span> Type of decoration on coffee

Latte art is a method of preparing coffee created by pouring microfoam into a shot of espresso and resulting in a pattern or design on the surface of the latte. It can also be created or embellished by simply "drawing" in the top layer of foam. Latte art is particularly difficult to create consistently, due to the demanding conditions required of both the espresso shot and milk. This, in turn, is limited by the experience of the barista and quality of the espresso machine. The term also applies to other beverages containing milk foam, such as cappuccino and hot chocolate.

Caffè crema refers to two different coffee drinks:

Coffee extraction occurs when hot water is poured over coffee grounds, causing desirable compounds such as caffeine, carbohydrates, lipids, melanoidins and acids to be extracted from the grounds. The degree to which extraction occurs depends on a number of factors, such as water temperature, brewing time, grind fineness, and quantity of grounds.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemex Coffeemaker</span> Pour-over style glass coffeemaker

The Chemex Coffeemaker is a manual pour-over style glass coffeemaker, invented by Peter Schlumbohm in 1941, manufactured by the Chemex Corporation in Chicopee, Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Easy Serving Espresso Pod</span> Packed coffee pod standard

The Easy Serving Espresso pod, is a small packed coffee pod with a paper filter covering for use in a non-grinding espresso machine. The E.S.E. standard was created by Italian Illy in the 1970s and is maintained by the "Consortium for the Development and the Protection of the E.S.E. Standard." It is open to all coffee roasters and machine manufacturers, making it the self-acclaimed "only open system available to the sector for espresso coffee prepared with paper pods".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coffeemaker</span> Cooking appliance used to brew coffee

A coffeemaker, coffee maker or coffee machine is a cooking appliance used to brew coffee. While there are many different types of coffeemakers, the two most common brewing principles use gravity or pressure to move hot water through coffee grounds. In the most common devices, coffee grounds are placed into a paper or metal filter inside a funnel, which is set over a glass or ceramic coffee pot, a cooking pot in the kettle family. Cold water is poured into a separate chamber, which is then boiled and directed into the funnel and allowed to drip through the grounds under gravity. This is also called automatic drip-brew. Coffee makers that use pressure to force water through the coffee grounds are called espresso makers, and they produce espresso coffee.

The World Brewers Cup is an annual international coffee brewing competition organized by World Coffee Events, an organization founded by the Specialty Coffee Association. The stated goal of the competition is to showcase the craft and skill of filter coffee brewing by hand, promoting manual coffee brewing and quality of service. Contestants qualify for the international competition by winning their respective national championships. As of 2019, there were approximately 40 participating national organizations. The annual location of the event is determined by the World Coffee Events organizing committee, and is typically held in conjunction with the World Barista Championship, the World Coffee Roasting Championship, and the World Latte Art Championship. The first World Brewers Cup was held in 2011 in Maastricht, Netherlands. The 2022 WBrC was held in Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

References

  1. "About AeroPress, Inc. And Alan Adler". AeroPress. 2018-01-04. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  2. 1 2 "FAQs for the AeroPress Coffee Maker". Aeropress. Archived from the original on 4 September 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Gayomali, Chris (2014-04-17). "The AeroPress Inventor's Secret To A Perfect Cup Of Coffee". Fast Company. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  4. Strand, Oliver (2010-10-28). "Ristretto | AeroPress". T: The New York Times Style Magazine. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  5. 1 2 "Materials used in the AeroPress coffee maker". Official AeroPress Announcement
  6. Stanley-Foreman, Zoe (30 August 2023). "Exploring the evolution of the AeroPress". Perfect Daily Grind. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  7. "Tiny Invests in AeroPress, Inc". www.businesswire.com. 10 August 2021. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  8. Hallock, Betty (2011-03-17). "AeroPress coffeemakers brew loyal fans". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  9. Prinsloo, Mitch (2019-03-13). "The History of The AeroPress, From Concept to Championships". Perfect Daily Grind. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  10. "Response to COVID-19". World AeroPress Championship. Retrieved 2021-02-26.
  11. "WAC Is Back In '21". World AeroPress Championship. 2021-04-12. Retrieved 2021-05-16.
  12. "Aeropress story". aerobie.com. Archived from the original on 19 October 2013.
  13. https://alternativebrewing.com.au/blogs/brew-tips/aeropress-brew-tips
  14. "Aeropress Champion Marie Hagemeister's Winning Brew Method". Sprudge. 2010-07-02. Retrieved 2011-01-16.
  15. "Tasty Delicious Coffee Making Recipes". Brew Methods. Archived from the original on 5 February 2011.
  16. 1 2 Inventor brews a faster cup of good coffee Archived 2013-01-16 at the Wayback Machine Knight Ridder Newspapers
  17. "Do you recommend using a metal filter in the AeroPress?". AeroPress. Aerobie.