CoffeeMakersEtc

A quote right on the outside of the box says “The best coffee maker I’ve ever owned.” So, if that’s the standard that the AeroPress is setting, then, that’s the question this review must address.

The AeroPress comes in a box plastered with adulating quotes - some from noted coffee authorities, and some from regular, coffee-drinking people. Upon opening the box, one finds an array of plastic parts. The owners manual explains what the major parts are, but some parts are not described (such as a piece that apparently holds the stack of paper filters, and a funnel piece) and the user must figure out the role that they play.

The AeroPress is basically a press where the filter goes on the bottom of a tube, the coffee grounds goe on top of that, followed by the hot water, and then a piston fits inside the tube and forces the hot water though the coffee grounds and directly into your coffee cup. The instructions do a decent job of describing the process, and it’s not a very hard process.

The process begins by heating the water to 175F degrees (much lower than the usual 195-200F), grinding the coffee to a slightly-finer-than-drip-grind size and inserting a filter into bottom of the tube. With the scoop that is provided, put 1-4 scoops of ground coffee into tube, Each scoop makes the equivalent of a single espresso shot or 5 oz. of Americano coffee.

Pour the hot water into the coffee grounds inside the tube, and then stir for 10 seconds with a stirrer that is included. Next, insert the smaller-diameter tube inside of the larger tube. Slowly press down and force the water through the coffee grounds. Correctly done, this step should take 20-30 seconds.

The coffee ( or at least the espresso shot) is now made. For an Americano, add some more of the hot water to the coffee. For a latte, add steamed milk. Enjoy.

Clean up is very easy with the AeroPress - simply unscrew the bottom of the tube and press the filter and grounds out of the bottom of the tube and into the garbage. Filters can be rescued, cleaned and reused if you want.

How is the coffee? It’s very good at the least, and quite possibly the best I’ve ever had. The low brewing temperature keeps the coffee from being acidic, but the coffee is not sour like most low-temperature brews. The way that the water is forced through the coffee extracts lots of flavor and body (without bitterness) into the finished product.

Altogether, the AeroPress is very impressive, and highly recommended. I have found that it’s great when you just want to brew a cup or two - such as in the afternoon or evening.

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CoffeeMakersEtc is proud to announce that we have added the Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Brewer to our home model product line. The Aeropress was invented by Alan Adler, the same guy who invented the Aerobie flying ring. Numerous reviews by prominent coffee big-wigs tout the quality of coffee that the Aeropress produces. I had my first coffee made by an Aeropress a few weeks ago, and, since then, we have managed to jump through the hoops and become a full-fledged dealer.

Our first shipment will arrive in a few days. At that time, we’ll make a few cups of coffee and post a review.

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Effective immediately, Pasquini has announced a price increase on all of the products. Due to increased costs of stainless steel and transportation, prices have gone up 15-25% on their espresso machines, grinders and accessories.

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Bunn invented the first iced tea brewer in 1978. Before that, many people brewed tea in coffee brewers, which resulted in the tea being contaminated with residue oils from the coffee. If tea was prepared on the stove in a large pot, it became a laborious process.

With the advent of the Bunn TL-3 and TL-6 (3 and 6 gallon brewers, respectively), people were able to produce tea in a dedicated brewer at the correct temperature (195-205F) and steep time (3-7 minutes). The hot tea was brewed into a dispenser that filled with ambient temperature water and the correct 5:1 ratio of ambient water to tea concentrate.

As iced tea has become more popular, Bunn Iced Tea Brewers have evolved to become more productive and stylish. Bunn now offers quick-brew, regular and low-profile models and can brew up to 26.7 gallons per hour. They also have included their infusion technology in a line Infusion Tea Brewers.

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Bunn-O-Matic Corporation has announced a global price increase of approximately 3% will take effect July 1, 2008. The pricing change will affect all products and parts.

In the last 5 years, Bunn has only increased prices about 1% per year, so this move is probably well overdue and not unexpected. With the costs of stainless steel and transportation increasing dramatically in recent months, we would expect other equipment manufacturers to follow suit with their own prices increases in the coming months.

Current prices on Bunn products will be honored until June 1st.

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With an update to the Baratza website, and an ad in the current Roast magazine, Baratza has introduced the digital Vario coffee grinder. Now scheduled to be available in August, it will feature Mahlkönig ceramic flat Burrs, dual-cam grind adjustment, programmable digital control and super quiet operation.

We look forward to offering it on our web site. In the meantime, we have the current line-up of Baratza coffee grinders available.

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The Specialty Coffee Association of America has announced their Board of Directors for the 2008-2009 year. The new president is Mark Inman, president of Taylor Maid Farms LLC in Sebastopol, CA. Other members are as follows:

1st Vice President: Mike Ebert of Coffee Masters, Inc.
2nd Vice President: Peter Giuliano of Counter Culture Coffee
Secretary/Treasurer: Tracy Allen, Brewed Behavior
Al Liu of Atlas Coffee
Ellie Hudson-Matuszak of Coffee Solutions
Jeff Taylor of PT’s Coffee Company
Marty Curtis of RoZark Hills Roasterie
Max Quirin of ANACAFE
Nicholas Cho of murky coffee
Paul Thornton of Coffee Bean International
Price Peterson of Hacienda La Esmeralda

Tags: Coffee, Miscellaneous // Add Comment »

Krups has returned the Krups Moka Brew to the US. We received our first stock a few weeks ago, and I have been looking forward to trying one ever since.

(There have been some reports that the brewer is due to be discontinued in the US market. We asked our contacts at Krups, and the responded with the following: “F468  (Moka Brew) is a mainstay of the specialty store program. It continues for the foreseeable future. Thanks.”)

A little history (about all I know) - the Moka Brew has been a hit with coffee connoisseurs in the past, and it is very popular in Europe. The main advantage to the Moka Brew is that it brews by steam, which means that the water will always be at least 195-200F when it hits the coffee - just the right temperature for brewing.

First impressions: an odd-looking contraption, for sure, but very stylish and modern-looking. Only an 8-cup brewer. Brew time was about 7 minutes - slower than most home brewers, but not interminable. The temperature of the coffee right after brewing was 187F.

The Set-Up: the cold water goes into the tank under the carafe. The paper filter (a small, round disk) and coffee go under the lid of the carafe. (About 100 filters are included with the brewer.) Once everything is in place - including locking the carafe in place using the lever on the top of the brewer, simply press the “on” button to start the process.

Brewing: Total brewing time is about 7 minutes when starting with room temperature water. In the first few minutes, the water is heating. Then, steam begins making it’s way to the top of the brewer and condensing over the grounds. The fact that the process begins slowly helps to wet the grounds before brewing for better flavor extraction. Gradually, the amount of water being forced through the grounds increases, and it all finishes with a cascade of water coming through at the end - fun to watch.

The Coffee: All in all, a very good cup with lots of body and a full range of flavor extraction. Since the brewing process is a bit like brewing espresso with the steam being forced through the coffee grounds, the resulting coffee is a bit stronger than regular drip coffee. The coffee very hot.

Clean-up: Clean-up takes slightly more effort than a drip brewer does, if only because the paper filter tends to stick to the bottom of the filter basket, and, since it is a flat disk, there are no edges to grab to pull it out. Besides that, just rinse out the carafe and the brewing process is ready to be repeated.

Notes: The carafe is heated by a warmer, and there is no automatic turn-off. For better coffee, it would be better to transfer the coffee to a thermal carafe or airpot after brewing.

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At their annual convention, The Specialty Coffee Association experts will determine the Coffee of the Year at the 2008 Roasters Guild Coffee of the Year Competition. The event, in Minneapolis, MN, beginning May 3, will attract coffee from over 120 producers from throughout the world.

Fetco is an equipment sponser for this year’s SCAA convention.

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This list of America’s Best Boutique Coffees comes from Forbes and features independent shops across the country.

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