Tweening Around the Tworld!

The Aerobie Aeropress is a $30 espresso machine. It takes a totally different approach to making an espresso. Aerobie claims that what makes a good espresso is to flow the water through the coffee relatively quickly. And that a lower temperature (165-175 degrees Fahrenheit) actually produces a better espresso than the high temperature used in a traditional espresso machine. From my personal results, I can say that it produces an excellent espresso and Americano. (As we are not coffee connoisseurs in our home, please take that recommendation with an extra coffee bean [rather than salt]).

The details of the Aeropress are well described at their web site. Hence, I won’t repeat them here. Except that it is a very clever device that packs up exceedingly well for storage on my counter.

What I found most interesting about Aeropressed coffee is the lack of bitterness. I don’t recall this from traditional espresso. There is a downside though. Due to the lower brewing temperature, the resulting cup cools too rapidly. We have found that we need to bring the water for an Americano to boiling before pressing the espresso into it. The other downside, of course, is the lack of a steam frothing tube for milk to make lattes and cappuccinos. Hence, the Aeropress is less versatile than a full espresso machine. Yet at a $30 cost, I’ll take that limitation.