Reply With QuoteI like the Ikea mork roast I think it's called. Oh they're beans, you'll need a grinder...
I started with a cafetierre, which was OK, but seemed like an alternative to instant coffee, rather than a different, superior drink. Jump forward several years of drinking instant coffee, where I got Dolce Gusto and Tassimo machines. I didn't find a capsule that tasted nice and didn't have a nasty, bitter after taste. I then tried a Nespresso machine, which I am very happy with. What I'm not so happy with is spending £50 - £60 per month on capsules.
So at £25, I didn't think I had much to lose by trying an Aeropress. I've had one cup so far, so there's obviously a bit of experimenting to do with coffee and water quantities. What I can say is that it's like night and day, compared to the same coffee brewed in the cafetierre. Very happy so far.
I'm not ready to start my own roasting or grinding yet (give me a couple of months), so would anyone care to recommend a coffee that goes well in an Aeropress? I currently have a pack of Lavazza from Tesco.
I like the Ikea mork roast I think it's called. Oh they're beans, you'll need a grinder...
I've got an aeropress, 2 actually, home and caravan, very happy with it, but for the life of me, i can't figure out what it is doing any different to a cafetierre, but it does something.
I use Illy when it's on offer or Lavazza Qualita Rossa
Brighty
Usually I put the freshly ground beans straight in my mug, give it a stir and wait for it to settle. Sometimes I use the cafetiere. The difference is immense. Would the aeropress give me the same intensity and depth as the in-the-mug method? I like the flavour of the coffee I get from my method but I wouldn't mind not having to keep an eye on the grounds as I near the end of the mug.... (They do usually behave themselves, but still)
Grind size is important, so until you start grinding your own, it's probably best to use espresso, rather than the coarser filter coffee grind. If you can get someone to do it for you, then it'll be between those to sizes.
As for what works well, it's up to you.
I'm partial to the Union Bright Note blend at the moment, which seems like a decent everyday coffee. Quite fruity, but has a nice, smooth mellowness. Lavazza is a little dark for me (although perfect in an espresso). Their new Tierra sounds interesting.
We just need to get you using the "inverted" method next...
Originally Posted by hogthrob
I use tins of Costa for Cafetiere & filter. Loose enough to filter nice and easy. I found some of the finer ground coffees to be REALLY hard to press through.
Inverted, and illy dark.
Bloody good for a ready to go solution.
I like some of the Lidl coffees- finer ground Arabica, they have a few different.
Difference between Aeropress and cafetiere is that the coffee remains in contact with the water in a cafetiere resulting in overextraction (makes it bitter).
Don't use boiling water, leave the kettle for a minute or two after it boils for the water to cool slightly.
I'm now up to three Aeropress (home, work, travel).
Aeropress is brilliant and works with pretty much any varietal and roasting style, but the brew method is of much less importance than having fresh, good-quality beans. There isn't a specific coffee I'd recommend, other than just making sure it's not the typical bulk-roasted commodity-grade stuff that's stale by the time it makes it to the shelf.
Find out who roasts locally or order something from of the multitude of great speciality roasters in the UK; fresh coffee is good coffee.
I agree with most of this article about how to make really good coffee without it taking over your life, by the way. I prefer Aeropress with a bit lower water temperature to their suggested pourover method for minimal-fuss quality coffee brewing, but the principle's the same. (By the way, using a burr grinder makes by far the biggest improvement when it comes to the equipment.)
Absolutely love my Aeropress. I find the espresso ground coffee too fine though, which makes the press hard work. I buy Lavazza Qualita Rossa beans and grind in a burr grinder as I need them.
The Aeropress came out well on this BBC review show against some much more expensive kit:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03jcnxc
Aeropress and a Porlex hand grinder has been my go to for a number of years now
Agree. Well worth a go.
Taylor's Lazy Sunday beans are perfect for everyday supping.
You will notice a difference between pre ground and fresh ground beans, lets just clear that up to start. That said, I think my favourite overall beans are the Monmouth ones.
Just sat enjoying a coffee made with Monmouth espresso in my Aeropress.
I'm drinking a mug of Aeropress brewed Caturra from Rosa Cotacachi in Ecuador, roasted by Joe on 10th March at Small Batch Coffee in Brighton. I'd definitely recommend their coffee subscription. You get a different freshly roasted and ground coffee through your letter box every two weeks.
I have always struggled with my Aeropress and it is very underused. The grind recommended seems to be similar to what I would use in my stove-top - it feels like small grains of sand between the fingers - but when I do this, the pressure required to force coffee out seems excessive. The other thing I don’t like it that the coffee produced tends to be too cold, even when I use water a minute or so after boiling.
Must try harder.
Small Batch do an Aeropress specific grind. It's very similar to a stove top grind, just a fraction coarser. I also realise from my post above Im dangerously close to growing a beard amd becoming a hipster. Someone stop me now!
The inventor says the mistake most people make is pressing too hard which compacts the puck too much early on. Like the M25 slow down a bit and you'll be quicker. I'd also try a slightly coarser grind.
Unless I want black straight away I always go back into the microwave for a minute.
I can't rember where I read it but 1 min 30 secs brew time and then 20 secs to slowly press down is what I do. Try your aero press without anything in it. You can use a tiny amount olive oil to lubricate.
Just finished a moka pot cup of 50% Brazil Santos and 50% Honduras SHG Finca Santa Rosa, both medium dark roast, bought from Redber coffee and mixed at home. God that sounds pretentious...
I've mentioned them on here before and I'd recommend them as they offer a wide choice of beans, the ability to select various levels of roast and good delivery (and they offer subscriptions). It took me a while to go through a variety of their offerings based on their descriptions before settling on the two that I like to mix. At first I tried a dark roast as I like after-dinner blends, but found I didn't need it to get plenty of flavour.
I've learnt that most of the descriptions are geographical rather than varietal, but some do relate to a single estate. It's just as complex as wine and whiskey...what's not to like?
PS I do own an Aeropress...have used it and like it.
Last edited by PickleB; 13th March 2016 at 15:29. Reason: simple editing corrections
This looks really good. Definitely something I'll be buying post exams in about 6 weeks.
I've read that freshly ground is better than pre ground. I normally buy my coffee every 10 days to 2 weeks and have it ground for cafetiere. Will this be okay or should I buy a burr grinder as well? I'm also thinking of subscribing to the small batch thing. 3kg of coffee over 6 months delivered sounds like very good value for £80 given I am paying £30-£45 per kg at the moment and having to go and collect it.
Buying every 10 days to 2 weeks sounds about right. How much do you buy...and how does that stack up against "3kg of coffee over 6 months"?
A burr grinder would be the way to go. There are decent hand grinders for reasonable money (Hario, Porlex etc), but they may become tedious if you're drinking more than two or three cups a day. After that it comes down to what you're drinking. Powered burr grinders are also reasonably priced for anything (eg moka pot, Aeropress, V60 and other drip filters...) that doesn't require a fine espresso grind. Once you need the control to ensure you get the grind you want for a decent espresso machine...it's a minefield! Plenty of threads on here about it...and plenty of advice on the net.
I think I just want to get to the B+ level of home coffee making. In my opinion, I'm not far off with the cafetiere but aeropress gets such good reviews and for minimal fuss, investment and storage space, it is a no brainer to at least try it. Previously I had a rancilio sylvia and rocky grinder that I grew very frustrated of because of the well documented issues of inconsistency. I gave up on coffee for a long time and got back into it perhaps a couple of years ago. My brother (who I live with) has a very expensive JURA machine in the kitchen but I think it is rubbish and don't use it.
I buy 300-450g at a time so 250g every two weeks is a little short. I might opt for two of these things to run on alternate weeks but I know that'll be too much so will start with one and see how I go. I am actually quite excited!
^^^^
Can you subscribe for 2 x 250 g every four weeks...and 'advance next delivery' when you're running out? That was an option with a subscription I had on Amazon, but I don't know that it works with these coffee companies. Incidentally, 2 x 250 g at £1.99 postage with Redber arrives 2-3 days later (NB first delivery was bumped to the next level of postage by the free bag they added).
Upside down Aeropress for me, topped up with a bit of hot water if it's the afternoon, or full strength if the morning.
I've tried some freshly roasted and ground beans that were picked up by a friend when on a job at a nice restaurant, but I'm still partial to Taylors Hot Lava. I will be looking to grind some beans in due course.
Love Aeropress, fully advocate the "inverted" brew technique. I have used at my desk for years, converted the wife too, and have one at home for occasional use; we are a 3 Aeropress family!
I also like Chemex, but I think more relevant to mention in this instance the Hario V60 range which competes directly with Aeropress or convenience and can be had for as little as £5 https://youtu.be/re4gbJW-kEU
Best regards,
Chris
I buy a couple of kilos at a time, and blend and repack using a pretty straightforward vacuum machine. 250g in each pouch and they keep for weeks until used, with no discernible change in taste.
How long does it take you to get through each batch, please?
Sounds sensible. What vacuum machine do you use?
18g a serving is what I aim for, but the grinder isn't entirely accurate, so with a +/-10% deviation, I'd say between 13-15 cups, over 8-9 days. Probably.
Cheap one from Andrew James off Amazon.
Thanks for that. My apologies for not being very clear, but I was after how long between purchases. Working on 250 g lasting just over a week, I'd estimate that you keep your 2 kg for a couple of months in its vacuum packaging. Is that about right, please?
Yes. No more than 6-8 weeks, based on my Ocado bills ;)
I don't *think* that there's any degradation. Certainly hadn't noticed any material impact on flavour over the past couple of years of doing this. Of course, the blends I buy are changing over that time too, so it'd be almost impossible to compare a batch in its original packaging to my rebatched pouches.
Unless, perhaps, you buy the same blend twice in succession? Then you could compare the stored batch with the new one...but that will also compare how successful the blender has been in reproducing what they're after. However, you might be expected to remark on any major difference between your purchases.
Thanks for this info. I don't have a very sensitive palate and so it's good new to learn that home packing can keep beans in a reasonable state for months.
I moved through years of Nespresso to Aeropress but found the results inconsistent. Eventually I bought a Jura bean to cup machine and started using single-estate coffees that I source from HasBean. Order online and they roast the beans that day for delivery next morning. Keeps the product fresh and it tastes great. My friend recommended the single-estate route and if you like to savour a cup a day, as I do and are looking for a bit of complexity, I must say that they are the most interesting coffees I have tried with tremendous variation of characteristics. You can get them ground too if you favour another method.
Just my own personal opinion.
An Aeropress is a great way to make coffee. I paired one with a Rhino hand grinder and freshly roasted beans and was very happy with the results. I now have a Gaggia classic machine and Mignon grinder at home but i still use the Aeropress at work and on holiday.
I used to do it inverted but now i just use the standard method (I found it difficult to make coffee while standing on my head!)
For the money every coffee lover should have one. With little practice you can get better coffee than high street Starbucks and the likes. If someone were to ask me what coffee machine to buy i would tell them to spend their money on a decent grinder and get an Aeropress then get some decent beans. (around 2-3 weeks after roast date is best)
Having the right mug makes all the difference to the whole experience. I like the chunky rimmed, Costa style which retains heat when pre-heated.
I have a Aeoropress and also bought a Dualit 84145 electric Milk Frother from Amazon for about £40, is does hot milk, hot Frothed milk and cold Frothed milk, great for cappuccino.
Crumbs. Perhaps we need a different thread...
I prefer something with no handle and a finer rim. Material is just as important as thickness when it comes to thermal conduction.
Probably.
The Dualit gets a good review (link), but if I was going to spend out on a frother I'd be going for the Severin SM 9688 (link) that has a jug that can go in the dishwasher.
Bone china for me...with a handle. My espresso/moka pot doesn't have time to go cold. I'm not too fussy about it, but chunky porcelain is not my favourite.
Then, I have been known to known to use a glass.
Glass is good.Bone china for me...with a handle. My espresso/moka pot doesn't have time to go cold. I'm not too fussy about it, but chunky porcelain is not my favourite.
Then, I have been known to known to use a glass.
There's a fantastic place for a coffee in Soho called Bar Termini at the top end of Old Compton St.
Stand at the bar and order an espresso for £1.
Illy, but very, very good indeed.
Last edited by Broussard; 17th March 2016 at 22:15.
I like to use French duralex glasses for my coffee.
Just like the ones they used to serve water in at school. They do loads off different sized glasses for different coffees. I prefer the picardie range.
After a few years of using illy and lavazza in my gaggia classic and aeropress, finally decided to give some fresh stuff a go. Got a selection pack of freshly roasted and ground on the way from Redber. If i think it's a vast improvement, i'll try a few other suppliers to find what i like then get a subscription. Works out about the same price as a tin of illy. Suppose then i should look at getting a grinder and buy whole beans.
Brighty
Try Coffee Compass Brighty.. I recieved these today. It even says roasted on...date for ...Your name. on the packet! What more do you want?
If you try the espresso selection you can choose 3x 500g bags for a good price.
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Monmouth is my absolute favourite. Always love a trip to Borough Market to visit their cafe, worth the queue. Luckily found a cafe near me that stocks the beans.
I have an aeropress and a DeLonghi machine and use Illy or Lavazza ground coffee. I'd like to try some of the coffee beans mentioned in this thread. Any recommendations for a good, inexpensive coffee grinder?
Voila.
http://forum.tz-uk.com/showthread.ph...coffee+grinder
Cheers!
Just brewed my first Aeropress and I am humbled to admit the fuss is justified - I used to live in Milan and have since carried some unjustified coffee snobbery around but have never been bothered with an espresso machine at home because I would be too lazy to clean it.
After this thread I relented and have to say the Aeropress makes a great cup of coffee and I didnt even resort to freshly ground beans, just have a cheap tin of Illy which is quite enjoyable.
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