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I've had one for 2 years and I absolutely love it. It allows you to make really good coffee simply, or endlessly tweak recipes and really deep dive into specialty coffee. So the best of both worlds!
There are some really good community recipes here: https://aeroprecipe.com/
I love the inversion method of brewing with this device. It’s produced some of most memorable cups to date! Nowadays I favor a simple pour over machine made coffee since I’ve had to significantly lower my caffeine intake over the years.
People are asking what the difference between an Aero Press and French Press. The benefit to an aero press is the paper filters. They filter out some of the oils when making a cup. French press you get the oils or whatever you want to call it. I have tried several coffee makers over the years, gadgets like the vacuum coffee maker from bodium etc, and nothing comes close to the simplistic aero press for a decent cup of coffee.
Do the permanent stainless steel filters work as well as paper filters?
Depends what you mean. I've used one before, and it worked well, but with mesh filters you will always get the oils coming through that paper removes. Some people like it that way, others don't. James Hoffman prefers paper filters; when I heard him say that and why, I gave them another try and decided he was right. They do give a "cleaner" quality to the taste.
Not to mention you get fine particulate with a French press compared to aeropress. There are better ways to make coffee out there, but I don't think there's better value for money/time than an aeropress.
Call me weird, but I've done somewhat ok attempting to avoid the oils/fines with a French press by basically putting a paper towel over the glass before putting the plunger thing back into it. So the paper towel wraps around the metal mesh, not only adding its filtering to the mesh but also improving the seal it makes against the side of the glass. It does mean that I have to press it down more slowly before pouring, but that's just because it's doing its job so I don't mind. It also means that the mesh/plunger bit requires less cleaning afterward.
We have an AeroPress and a Delter press, and they're both fantastic.
AeroPress is better for more espresso-ish coffee, and of course its market dominance means there's a great ecosystem for add-ons, accessories, mods, and technique/tutorial content. The Delter IMO gives a more pourover-ish result, so it's really just down to what kind of cuppa you're generally in the mood for.
I've been interested in upgrading from ground coffee with a french press, to this with a grinder as the Aeropress is very affordable for what it does.
Only problem is I can't gauge what grinder to match with it, seems like grinders can cost hundreds of £/$/EuroDollars.
Any kind of burr mill grinder in your price range is recommended. For my first couple years of use I would daily a hand crank burr grinder I ordered from Amazon around $30 usd.
I got this Rhino hand grinder that works great. Bonus 'feature' is the crank fits onto a hex shaft that also fits my cordless drill when I'm feeling lazy :)
A conical burr grinder with incremental adjustments is my recommendation. I hand a Bartaza Encore and it was a great grinder but I gave up caffeine for a while and gave it away. I picked up a 1Zpresso Q2 S after I decided to ease back into the coffee world and I don’t have many complaints.
James Hoffmanns reviews led me to get a baratza encore. Quite pleased with it.
I'm curious about these, but, like... how is it not just a French press?
It uses small round paper filters, so you can grind finer and get different types of extraction and faster.
If you want to get closer to Espresso, an Aeropress allows you to rather than a French press.