The AeroPress Coffeemaker

My quest to perfect brewed-at-home coffee (rich flavour, smooth texture, not acidic) seemed never-ending. I tried mixing up my variables, different beans and roasts, tap water versus filtered, and countless different devices (automatic drip, espresso maker, pour-over drip, French press, Chemex) and still wasn’t getting the results that I wanted. And then I discovered the AeroPress coffeemaker.

Picture of a automatic drip coffee pot, french press and aeropress to denote the authors coffee-maker journey.

From auto drip to French press to AeroPress — my coffee brewing journey.

About the size of a drinking glass, and made of sturdy BPA-free polypropylene, the AeroPress makes, hands down, the best home coffee I have ever had. It’s just four parts — a chamber, a plunger, a filter cap and a paper filter.

When the coffee grinds and water combine in the chamber, the grinds get fully immersed in the water (they look like they are floating around) and the pressure created when plunging results in a full extraction in the fraction of the time of other methods (just 60 seconds). This short brew time, combined with its unique paper filters (which remove oil and other compounds), creates a less-bitter, less-acidic, richer and fuller-flavoured cup of coffee compared to other methods (drip, French press).

Image of a person brewing coffee using an AeroPress coffeemaker

To brew a cup of coffee using an AeroPress, place a paper filter in the filter cap and screw the cap onto the chamber. Place the chamber over your mug, add grinds and fill with water to the number two. Stir for 10 seconds, fill with more water to the four, insert the plunger and press. Voila, a perfect cup of coffee in 60 seconds. Photo, District Coffee Roasters.

Need to make coffee for a crowd? It’s easy to scale up or down. Brew two to three strong pressings into a carafe and then top it off with hot water. Craving an espresso? Simply add less water. Want a latte? Brew using the espresso ratio, then add steamed milk.

Since I first discovered the AeroPress, I’ve taken it with me on many trips. The AeroPress comes with its own storage bag, so when I’m travelling I just zip it up with all its accessories (filters, stir stick and perfectly portioned scoop), toss it into my suitcase with a container of ground beans, a mini kettle, my favourite travel mug, and I’m all set. And because it’s made of durable plastic, I don’t have to worry about it breaking along the way.

The post Food Crush: How To Get The Best At-Home Coffee — In Just 60 Seconds appeared first on Chatelaine.

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