Aeropress

The Aeropress was invented by Alan Adler in 2005, and is now featured in craft coffee shops around the world (a few of which I’ve been able to visit). In the past I used to primarily use a V60 setup or a French Press. However, for the past two years I have used either my Aeropress or my Hario Cold Brew filter. Here are my thoughts on my Aeropress:

Advantages-
Great Coffee-
You can find Aeropresses used in craft coffee shops around the world. The Aeropress has become so popular that there are now worldwide championships to determine who can make the best cup of coffee with an Aeropress. I was able to check out the Cataluña Aeropress championships in Barcelona and see the different varieties of variables such as water temperature, grind size, and timing. At home and while traveling I use an Aeropress myself, and it allows me to make a delicious cup of coffee (assuming, of course, that the beans are freshly ground, good quality beans).

Travel-
The Aeropress is a great way to make coffee when traveling. Devices like a Chemex or a V60 are impractical to travel with due to their fragility and the amount of size they take up when I am traveling with just a backpack. However, the Aeropress is fairly durable, and I can usually fit it and my Hario grinder in my backpack.

Price-
An Aeropress is also one of the cheaper craft coffee making devices. It is usually listed at less than half the price of a Chemex. I picked mine up at Right Side Coffee Roastery in Castelldefels for about thirty euros.

Maintenance-
The Aeropress is very easy to use, clean and maintain. After brewing your coffee, simply pop the “puck” (coffee grinds) into a composter or garbage, then rinse the parts and you are ready to brew another cup.

Filter coffee or espresso-
While I prefer filter coffee to espresso, an Aeropress can also be used to make espresso-like coffee. All you have to do is adjust variables such as grind size, water temperature, and brew time, and you can get a cup of coffee that is very similar to an espresso.

Disadvantages-
Small batches-
While the Aeropress is great for personal use, it is not ideal for making a lot of cups in a short amount of time. The Aeropress is great for personal use or even for very small groups, but if you are planning on hosting large groups of people I would recommend other methods such as a large Chemex or another drip brew method.

Bottom Line-
Unless you are planning on making coffee for large groups of people, I would highly recommend using an Aeropress. An Aeropress is especially handing when traveling.