From the email:
Our in-store Boxing Day Sale will launch on the 26th of December!
Enjoy 10% off our brewing equipment and accessories.
PLUS
Grab an Aeropress for $39! (RRP $49)
Participating stores:
Sensory Lab Little Collins Street
Sensory Lab Bourke Street
We hope to see you for a cup of coffee.
With Love, Sensory Lab XO
just got one and all my coffees taste super burnt/bitter
any tips for making a good cuppa? i have a normal espresso machine, but bought the aeropress for when i cbb waiting for it to heat up and cleaning it etc
I think you should only extract for 90 seconds and then invert and press. Try some of these recipes I suppose: https://www.worldaeropresschampionship.com/recipes/
Terrible idea for most espresso roasts - world aeropress champs use really light roasts, akin to speciality filter coffee. 90seconds will be underwhelming for most espresso coffees.
@yojabbajabba: i do have both light roasts for the aeropress and espresso beans
so youre saying longer or shorter extraction for espresso?
Extracting for less time is usually the diagnosis for burnt/bitter coffee. Also not stirring too vigorously. I do 90-120s and it's fine. Some like to do 10 min extractions too. All a matter of taste.
@furythree: longer. In this semi-passive brew method you can afford to give more time for the coffee to brew. For filter, those recipes are excellent.
@yojabbajabba: Of course. If I recall correctly, the instructions recommend slowly depressing the plunger after 10 seconds.
The coffee shouldn't be burnt in taste due to the water as the water is poured in boiling/just under. I'd highly recommend the following brew recipe as a start:
1) pre-rinse and invert the aeropress with the plunger almost fully pulled out.
2) add 15g of freshly ground coffee (preferably ground for filter, although your espresso ground should be okay, if a bit too fine)
3) fill to the top with off-boiling water (240g). Let it stand for 1min then stir carefully, making sure all the coffee is saturated at the bottom of the aeropress
4) put on the filter lid with pre-washed paper filter and leave standing for a further 3mins
5) invert over a sturdy mug and extract. Aim for a full extraction in <30 seconds, stopping as you hear the first hiss.
so a few questions
does it matter whether you invert first or not? i accidentally did it in reverse this morning in that i had it over the cup first, filled/poured/stirred and then pressed all in the normal upright position
with the grounds, i have both filter and espresso roasted beans, in either case is it better to grind them coarser? anything differrent i ahve to do with the espresso
And when i extract, i dont need to press all the way to the bottom right? its as you say, until i hear a hiss suggesting that the water has been pressed out?
Is the 3 minute guide for both espresso and light roasted beans?
also, if i dont press and just let it drip all the way into the cup….does that work as a "drip coffee" or would that overdo it and make it burnt somehow?
Last question, can i make a cold brew with this while it is upside down in the fridge?
@furythree:
-does it matter whether you invert first or not? i accidentally did it in reverse this morning in that i had it over the cup first, filled/poured/stirred and then pressed all in the normal upright position
I brew inverted as it's more controlled in variables and less messy!
-with the grounds, i have both filter and espresso roasted beans, in either case is it better to grind them coarser? anything differrent i ahve to do with the espresso
I grind both at the same fine-ness (I use a Ditting KR804 and grind on Setting 5 - Filter). I try and control my other variables first before adjusting grind. Putting espresso grounds in there will clog up my paper filters too quickly, too coarse and it doesn't brew as well.
-And when i extract, i dont need to press all the way to the bottom right? its as you say, until i hear a hiss suggesting that the water has been pressed out?
Yep, that's what I've been trained to do.
-Is the 3 minute guide for both espresso and light roasted beans?
4 minutes for espresso roasts, if you're buying filter roasts and the roaster gives you a recipe I'd follow that first and foremost.
-also, if i dont press and just let it drip all the way into the cup….does that work as a "drip coffee" or would that overdo it and make it burnt somehow?
Unsure of the mechanics of the best way to do cold drip. I use a Manna Beans Brewover for my cold drips and I've never had a bitter cold brew from it!
-Last question, can i make a cold brew with this while it is upside down in the fridge?
Do it! I'd love to hear the results. Great idea :)
@yojabbajabba: thanks for the reply!
so i tried a cold brew this morning
upside down
coarse grind
warm/cold water
stirred for longer
let it sit upside down in the fridge for a few hours
pressed for 20-30 seconds
and it tasted so much better! a nice bitterness, very smooth and almost naturally sweet
added a scoop of icecream directly and it was one of the best icecoffees ive had!
Sounds like over extract. Drop water temp for a few degrees and coarser grind.
I'd avoid using boiling or near boiled water. Let it cool down a bit. I prefer around 85/90°. Also the filter makes a big difference. Using paper filters taints the coffeee. I use a perforated metal disk. I also leave it for a very short time before pressing - 10-15 seconds max. But I prefer a mild extraction so yrmv.
This is what I do
i have a metal disk, i just want to use up the paper filters first
also short time is what i do. but its contradictory to the advice above?
think you missed the .au in the url
Fixed by the amazing OzB Mods :)
Fixed by the amazing OzB Mods :)
overpriced piece of plastic
It's made in the USA. 'Overpriced' in comparison to Chinese exploitation standards?
tbh i'd rather have bought one made in china as i wouldn't have wasted so much money on an overhyped -overpriced- piece of plastic that yields no better tasting coffee than instant
why? no pressure.
Any Better options for a portable pressure coffee maker?
A small french press with a filter paper or a pour over cone + filter (for 1 mug).
It's like an aeropress but cheaper.
MacGyver!
@yojabbajabba:
The Aeropress is just a cheap french press made of plastic ;)
pour water -> stir and wait -> press and voilĂ !
@jutsu: the difference is in the filter. The mesh in a French Press is holier than Swiss cheese. This means that a lot of Coffee fines/particles end up in your cup, and they continue to brew/extract in your cup. I hear what you're saying, but I think there is a bit more to it.
But does it matter? Not really; if you can make a tasty brew then that's what matters'
@yojabbajabba:
Yep, that's why I added the words filter paper. The cheapest french press are made of plastic and cost near $3-$6 for 3 small cups.
Why 3cups size ? Because it's as small as an aeropress so the main idea is to use the same filter (stainless or paper) and the same recipe/process.
The coffee won't be cryspy.
You don't really have pressure in a french press, where you push coffee through water. It's the other way around with an Aeropress. I think that makes a big difference.
@wolfshooter:
Yeah, the crema won't be the same: adding an extra filter on the french press will "clean" the coffee so the crema will remain on the filter (the pressure is really too low to create bubbles!) Well at least it's better than ground coffee topping…It's also possible to lower the airflow to increase the pressure (thicker filter + better seal) but I don't think it's useful because it's impossible too reach 15bar (espresso machine).
Or use a sifter before putting the coarse grind inside the french press (without an extra filter paper) to keep the "oily cream" without tiny ground coffee. Of course, the timing will be different.
Besides, the pressure is too low on the aeropress to create as much crema as an espresso machine (high pressure + steam).
So with the same filter, the same coffee grind and the same process, the taste should be the same between a coffee made with a french press and a coffee made with an aeropress.
@jutsu: yeah there's not much crema but I enjoy the taste. I've also got the handpresso which creates a nice single shot with 16bar pressure but it's a little too slow when you want more than 1 shot.
@wolfshooter: you're kidding me, there's no pressure in the aeropress. a few bubbles from gravity does not = pressure. it's the same damn thing and ends up being far more expensive in the short and long run….for plastic.
a drip coffee maker like the americans use is better than this crap!
I think you're using it wrong if you're only relying on gravity. You can use the Aeropress on top of scales to measure the force.
@octagonalman: i refer to gravity of the coffee going into the cup, creating a few bubbles.
i'm using it correctly. handheld force is not the required pressure to make crema and good tasting coffee.
edit: jutsu just said what i just said in more detail and before i did. i didnt see it.
This one seems to be designed in Australia and uses a bike pump! http://www.airspresso.com.au/index.html
Mines been going strong for 4 years. Good quality.
mine too! because i don't use the damn thing!
The Aeropress can be had for <$44 delivered from Ebay. eg http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/AEROPRESS-FREE-COFFEE-Geniune-Aer…
Those who are less keen to make it to the store may find that to be an acceptable premium.
Love our aeropress. Had it for the last 2 yrs now and it's the only way we make coffees. Well the nespresso comes out every once in awhile. But mainly only when guests come over.
Recommend aeropress. đź‘Ť Very happy with mine