The Aeropress Coffee Maker
by Donald Ray Burger

I have had my Aeropress Coffee Maker for a few months now. I love gadgets, and the overwhelmingly favorable reviews of this coffee maker intrigued me to no end. I think I read at least fifty Amazon reviews of this wonderful device. Most everybody loved the thing. The price was under thirty dollars, so I figured I couldn't go far wrong.

The Aeropress applies science to the art of coffee making. The inventor, Alan Adler, runs Aerobie, Inc. out of Palo Alto, California. He is an engineer extraordinaire, and is also the inventor of the Aerobie Pro Ring, which holds the Guinness World Record for farthest throw of a flying ring. To call it a Frisbee is not even to touch its aerodynamic virtues. Aerobie also makes the Aerobie Orbiter Boomerang.

Adler put his inventive mind to work on figuring out how to make the perfect cup of coffee. He wanted a smooth cup, without the bitterness and acidity one usually finds in coffee. He examined the results from drip coffee makers, espresso machines, and French Press coffee makers. All had their virtues, but all also had various difficulties. He decided the world needed a better mousetrap. The result was his Aeropress Coffee Maker.

In my experience, one can make a perfect cup of coffee in the three minutes it takes to heat the water in a microwave. That includes grinding the whole beans, but does not include the thirty seconds required for cleanup of all of the equipment! You can make a double espresso, or a regular eight ounce cup of coffee. Each scoop of whole beans or ground coffee yields one shot of espresso or five ounces of coffee when water is added.

Here are my steps to coffee paradise:

1. Heat 14 ounces of water in a two-cup Pyrex container in the microwave. On my microwave, it takes approximately three minutes to get the filtered tap water to the recommended 175 degrees F.

2. While the water is heating, I get out the Aeropress and the whole coffee beans.

3. Next, I grind two scoops of beans in a small coffee grinder, using the scoop included with the Aeropress. I use a Krups grinder. I grind the beans for about 15 to 20 seconds.

4. Next, I get out the coffee mug.

5. I take out an Aeropress paper filter and place it in the chamber cap and wet the filter. I then screw the cap on the bottom of the chamber and set the chamber on top of the mug.

6. I place the included funnel on top of the chamber and pour in the ground coffee. I then wait for the water to finish heating.

7. Next, I add water to the "2" mark on the chamber.

8. I then stir the grounds inside the chamber with the included stirrer. I usually stir for ten to fifteen seconds.

9. I then dip the plunger into the remaining heated water and then put the rubber plunger into the chamber and gently press the plunger down, just like one would do for French press coffee. Because the rubber on the plunger is so tight fitting, it is really the air in the chamber that is forcing the water through the grounds. Also, absolutely no grinds will get into your finished coffee!

10. You are really done. If you want a double espresso, just begin drinking. If you want a typical American cup of coffee, add the remaining hot water until you get the desired amount. I like using a glass Bodum cup so I can see the rich coffee color. It holds eight ounces of coffee.

11. Cleanup is a snap. Take the chamber to the trash and unscrew the cap. A quick thrust of the plunger will cause the small puck of coffee to fall into the trash, along with the paper filter. Then, just rinse off the stirrer, funnel, plunger and the chamber and cap and you are finished with the making and cleanup phases.

12. Now, sit back and enjoy the perfect cup of coffee.

As you can probably guess, I give high marks to this coffee maker. It is quick, easy and portable. If you travel, this coffee maker can be purchased in a zippered nylon bag so it is easy to haul around. Also, cleanup uses just plain water, so being in a motel is no problem. Rinse and dry everything off and you are ready to check out, with a great mug of coffee in your hand.

Give this coffee maker a try. I think you will love it.

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