aghast by Rivendells aeropressing technique.

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Manuel Acosta

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Feb 12, 2014, 11:46:42 PM2/12/14
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Found on the blug.
Glad rivendell is selling aeropresses at the BBH but traditional aeropress technique? Come on!
I bet a test taste on My inverted method of aeropress style.
Next time Im over,like true dojo challenge style, Imma brew them some really coffee.
Also Imma grab some beans from Keven with his UnderWater coffee.


Christopher Chen

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Feb 12, 2014, 11:49:22 PM2/12/14
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you cannot beat my trangia pourover iron monkey style




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Coconutbill

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Feb 12, 2014, 11:52:00 PM2/12/14
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nor my kettle-drippage !


Christopher Chen

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Feb 12, 2014, 11:52:39 PM2/12/14
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it's on. So Cal vs No Cal vs No No Cal COFFEE SHOWDOWN


On Wed, Feb 12, 2014 at 8:52 PM, Coconutbill <evan....@gmail.com> wrote:
nor my kettle-drippage !


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Michael

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Feb 12, 2014, 11:57:42 PM2/12/14
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Ouch! I'd be afraid that is a scald waiting to happen!!

I can just see someone starting to press down and either the liquid shoots out all over (or even jets up into your face if the seal isn't perfect), or they tip the thing and slam the press part into the picnic table.


Christopher Chen

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Feb 12, 2014, 11:59:24 PM2/12/14
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...then they flip the table and blame it all on the equipment.

TYPICAL CYCLISTS


On Wed, Feb 12, 2014 at 8:57 PM, Michael <john1...@gmail.com> wrote:

Ouch! I'd be afraid that is a scald waiting to happen!!

I can just see someone starting to press down and either the liquid shoots out all over (or even jets up into your face if the seal isn't perfect), or they tip the thing and slam the press part into the picnic table.


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eflayer

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Feb 13, 2014, 8:48:57 AM2/13/14
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Aeropress - Let me know how that test goes. Aeropress - right side up or up side down = incredible home brewed coffee. Got one. Never looked back. Maybe plastic, but a finely tuned intrument that suits its intended purpose better than most simply, yet quite elegant tools. Sorta like a bike.

Bill Lindsay

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Feb 13, 2014, 10:38:12 AM2/13/14
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"showdown"!?!?!

You mean SMACKDOWN

Avery Wilson

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Feb 13, 2014, 11:00:29 AM2/13/14
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Forget the aeropress technique.. :) I want to know how BIG those tires are on that Sam at the left edge of the beginning frame of the video. They look positively huge! 

Mike S.

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Feb 13, 2014, 11:04:26 AM2/13/14
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the aeropress makes any coffee taste good. got one for my birthday last year and haven't used anything since. the only problem is, in my experience, it uses much more coffee than I would normally use for pour over. but taste is everything, makes cheap coffee taste like expensive coffee so in the end it's worth it.

Ron Mc

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Feb 13, 2014, 11:25:58 AM2/13/14
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it's all about the VOCs.  What we need is a Trangia bean roaster and grinder

Eric

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Feb 13, 2014, 2:15:18 PM2/13/14
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Love my Aeropress!

But I can buy one a bunch of places.

Give me a nice sport-wool Rivendell jersey that I'm longing for!

Zack

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Feb 13, 2014, 2:24:02 PM2/13/14
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I am with Manny.  Not sure where that leaves me as far as the battle lines are concerned, but INVERTED AEROPRESS IS THE ONLY WAY TO AEROPRESS (!)  

For the record, I use the inverted aeropress brew method on all of our early-morning coffee rides in Portland, and have never scalded myself or broken a table or had any other catastrophes.  I think Aeropress is pretty much perfect as far as a brewing method for being on the road (whether by bike or otherwise) is concerned.  It's a very forgiving method of brewing coffee, which means, to me, you can get a decent cup even if your beans to water ratio, water temperature, or brew time is a bit off.  I find if any of those things are off using pour over methods I end up with bitter, bright cups of coffee.

Two pro-tips:

1.  If you are pressing down on the aeropress and it's giving you crazy resistance, your grind is too fine, next time make it a little bit coarser until you get it dialed into a place where you are giving moderate pressure and able to move the plunger downward.

2.  This thing is pretty sweet: http://ablebrewing.com/collections/products/#travel-cap-for-aeropress.  You can put beans and filters (or whatever you'd like) in the cylinder of the aeropress, which is handy for bike ridin.



justin...@gmail.com

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Feb 13, 2014, 2:30:32 PM2/13/14
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Inverted is all there is. Get the Coava Coffee stainless disc and it's even better.

Then again - I like a nice pourover at 202 degrees F using 20.5g coffee with 340g water. 30 second bloom with 60g water. Use a natural bean and it's heaven. Sweet, smooth and delicious.

Mmmmmmmm coffee.

Justin "in PHL till" August

Michael

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Feb 13, 2014, 5:04:45 PM2/13/14
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I don't drink coffee 'cuz it gives me the jitters, but would it work if I threw in:

1 teabag, 7 cardamom pods, 2 cloves, piece o' cinnamon stick, and two lumps o' sugar,

to make Indian Tea?

Addison Wilhite

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Feb 13, 2014, 5:15:23 PM2/13/14
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Hmmmm, that's an interesting idea.  How long do items like the cloves, pods, cinnamon need to steep normally.

I love my aeropress and don't leave home without it.  I just bought the stainless steel filter and that's a really nice edition to the process.


Addison Wilhite, M.A. 

Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology 

“Blazing the Trail to College and Career Success”

Educator: Professional Portfolio

Blogger: Reno Rambler 

Bicycle Advocate: Regional Transportation Commission, Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee




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Rick

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Feb 14, 2014, 1:29:07 PM2/14/14
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And this little fellow fits not-too-bad in that aeropress cylinder:

 

Edwin W

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Feb 14, 2014, 4:37:33 PM2/14/14
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I approve of the music, though. It sounds like Justin Townes Earle...a Nashville son.

Livin' Music City,

Edwin

true

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Feb 13, 2014, 10:49:18 AM2/13/14
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Forgot to mention those used coffee grounds are great for composting and flower beds.
I also reuse my filter for the aeropress about 3 or 4 times before throwing in compost pile.
If I go beyond that I have had the filter fail and dump grounds into cup & then
I have to get my tea strainer to filter them out.
 
Paul in Dallas
----- Original Message -----
From: true
Sent: Thursday, February 13, 2014 9:37 AM
Subject: aghast by Rivendells aeropressing technique.

I have also been using an aeropress for about a year now & really like it.
 
I grind whole beans right before adding them into the aeropress.
 
Some mornings smelling the aroma of fresh ground beans is almost as good as the coffee, but not quite.
For me the wonderful aroma does add to the enjoyment.
 
I need to get it together and try riding out somewhere to brew some coffee on the trail
like I have read of some of you folks have done.
 
Paul in Dallas
 
 

true

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Feb 13, 2014, 10:37:03 AM2/13/14
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George Schick

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Feb 21, 2014, 9:27:35 AM2/21/14
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Having been intrigued by the discussion on this aeropress thread, curiosity got the best of me and I ordered one.  Made the first brew with it this morning and I have to say that it's the best tasting cup of coffee I've had in a long, long time (including the overpriced, hyped-up stuff you get at those boutique bistros).  Thanks for the recommendation! [even the dog seemed to like the aroma]


On Thursday, February 13, 2014 9:49:18 AM UTC-6, truegolden wrote:


eflayer

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Feb 21, 2014, 10:38:38 AM2/21/14
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Before the Aero, I used to make drip coffee with Melita plastic cone and paper filter that fit the cone. Made good coffee that way for years. Even after 2 cups in the morning, I would occasionally like to treat myself to some stronger rocket fuel from our local Peet's. I still make my coffee with the same house brand French Roast from Costco that I have been buying forever, but with the great taste of Aeropressed coffee, I almost never crave an ooh la la from someplace else.
 
I think the many youtube vids about the right way to do Aeropress coffee are actually quite funny, cause I think it is challenging to screw it up.

On Wednesday, February 12, 2014 8:46:42 PM UTC-8, Manuel Acosta wrote:

Coconutbill

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Feb 23, 2014, 1:26:32 PM2/23/14
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I've been converted to part-time aeropresser... although I still like my pour over style coffee.

Manny, what's this inverted aeropress technique you are talking about? I haven't yet figure out how to pack the thing up!

 

Zack

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Feb 23, 2014, 2:54:21 PM2/23/14
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George Schick

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Feb 23, 2014, 2:57:38 PM2/23/14
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I've only had mine for a few days now so I've yet to try either the inverted or the Riv method, but I'll get there sooner or later.  So far it makes great tasting coffee just following the instructions that came with it.

justin...@gmail.com

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Feb 23, 2014, 6:15:31 PM2/23/14
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Pour over still gets a cleaner, more balanced taste in my opinion. Then again - I prefer a sweeter, fruitier coffee over a darker, more extracted one.

They both exist comfortably side by side.

-J

Chris Lampe 2

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Apr 19, 2015, 3:39:17 PM4/19/15
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I received my Aeropress today and immediately brewed up a cup of coffee by the Aeropress instructions.  The result was a very bitter cup of coffee.  :(

I poured that one down the drain and tried the inverted method with one scoop of coffee, a 10-second stir and a 50 second steep time, all precisely controlled by my one-one thousand....two-one thousand......three-one thousand.  The result was a good cup of coffee, on par with the best cups I occasionally luck out and get from my drip machine and my French press.  I was surprised by how little coffee it produced.  The Riv video looked like it made twice as much coffee.  Are there two sizes of Aeropress?

I guess the next step is to play around with grind.  I just used the same grind I use for my drip machine.  I'll tighten it up for a finer grind next time.  

Now, I'm going back and re-reading this thread for more helpful hints!


Deacon Patrick

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Apr 19, 2015, 4:08:41 PM4/19/15
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The inverted method works great, until the silicon seal loosens enough to be a problem. I grind directly into the Aeropress, and shifted to the standard brewing method after a few dumps of grounds on the floor. Play with all methods. I got to where I couldn't' distinguish between standard and inverted. I use a very fine grind, so I can barely press it down, and my brew is ten seconds including a three second stir. Then I add water to taste and it's fantastic!

With abandon,
Patrick

Dan A

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Apr 19, 2015, 8:34:12 PM4/19/15
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I do the inverted method. One trick no matter what method you use for less bitter coffee is stop pressing when you start hearing air getting pressed through (don't plunge all the way to the bottom)

Dan Abelson

Ely Ruth Rodriguez

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Apr 19, 2015, 10:40:03 PM4/19/15
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I would like to volunteer my services as a judge, despite the fact that I have no taste buds.


On Wednesday, February 12, 2014 at 8:52:39 PM UTC-8, Chris Chen wrote:
it's on. So Cal vs No Cal vs No No Cal COFFEE SHOWDOWN
On Wed, Feb 12, 2014 at 8:52 PM, Coconutbill <evan....@gmail.com> wrote:
nor my kettle-drippage !


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Justin August

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Apr 19, 2015, 11:29:01 PM4/19/15
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Bloom with a small amount of water and Stir more for sweeter coffee. Also get a bean that's been roasted less.

-J

doc

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Apr 20, 2015, 9:22:02 AM4/20/15
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Eddie Flayer

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Apr 20, 2015, 10:02:23 AM4/20/15
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I stood on my head this morning while using the inverted method and I got confused about which end was up. I then went back to Costco French roast, same old grinder, non-scientific steep and stir, and gotta another great cupa outa the Aero. If you try too hard you can screw it up.

Montclair BobbyB

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Apr 20, 2015, 12:35:35 PM4/20/15
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After being inspired by legions of coffee cultists, I just ordered and received my Aeropress and Hario MSS-1 grinder... Admittedly my head spins trying to follow the various aero-brewing techniques... and trying to adjust the Hario mill to get the just right grind (when I'm not even sure what IS the right grind) may require many hours of research, meditation and introspection... but I SHALL endeavor to become a proper disciple of the sacred bean... at least for a few more attempts until my patience runs out (I must be crazy).

I hope from the Aeropress Olympics somehow emerges a simple and practical guide to reaching javana with my new coffee syringe... otherwise I may convert mine into a traveling pasta-extruder.

Bobby "Bad-Barista" Birmingham

Chris Lampe 2

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Apr 20, 2015, 1:10:10 PM4/20/15
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Welcome to the club!  I'm right there with you, having only received mine yesterday.  I find myself making coffee several times a day "just to experiment".  My wife just shakes her head .....

velomann

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Apr 20, 2015, 5:18:43 PM4/20/15
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For something completely different. I haven't tried this yet - just released. But for hot days or when you don't happen to have the CoffeeOutside kit, this might do.

It's got Portland including cameo of Mount Tabor and "The Hawk,", bikes, a hatchet, goats (no goatheads) and coffee.

 

Eunice Chang

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Apr 21, 2015, 8:49:52 PM4/21/15
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Given the enthusiasm about the Aeropress, I thought some of you would like this amusing essay from Lapham's Quarterly about "the excessive use of that newfangled, abominable, heathenish liquor called coffee."

-E.
(happily using her new Aeropress)

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Dan Abelson

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Apr 22, 2015, 7:45:36 AM4/22/15
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Bobby,

I too was somewhat frustrated by the precision of several of the methods.  The less precise method I use that works fine is an inverted one (I was ok with the method in the aeropress instructions but it uses a lot of coffee beans). 


 I invert the areopress put the plunger at about the 2;
Add 1 Aeropress scoop of coffee.
Add water almost to the top
Stir a few times
Attach filter (tightly)
Let sit (timing from when water was poured in) for 60-90 seconds
Flip and plunge.
Add hot water to coffee cup so there is a full cup.

I don't measure the coffee or the water in grams or worry about being too exact with the timing and it still makes a pretty darn good cup of coffee. I use lighter roast coffee and grind the beans relatively fine.  I am not super precise in the how I grind the beans using my cheap grinder.  I think the most important element is good coffee beans (I like Intelligensia).


Dan Abelson

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shawn m.

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Apr 22, 2015, 10:22:56 AM4/22/15
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Thank you, Eunice, for that fine bit of reading to accompany my morning cup, even if it made some come out of my nose!

Montclair BobbyB

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Apr 22, 2015, 1:00:08 PM4/22/15
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Thanks, Dan... I think I got it... (actually works swimmingly well... Now, following Step 1...)

Step 2... Remove back... apply pin directly to forehead... wipe away excess blood.
Step 3... Begin pedaling slowly (so as not to spill any of that nasty, bitter, stinking puddle water on your nice tweed jacket...)


Step 4... Admit you're crazy...
Step 5... Just smile and ride 

Peace,
BB

Tony McG

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Apr 23, 2015, 9:16:18 AM4/23/15
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I think you guys are trying too hard.  My Aeropress has never made a bad cup of coffee.  My technique for 15 oz of americano:

fill the tea pot with water from the Brita pitcher.
invert the Aeropress with the plunger set on 4
dump 2 heaping scoops of dark roast beans in the grinder set on 'fine' 
grind the beans and dump them in the press
when the tea pot whistles, fill the press within 1/2 inch of the top and stir for a few seconds
let it sit for a while
attach the filter (I use a stainless filter)
flip it over and place it on top of your cup
slowly press all of the coffee and air into your cup
add the remaining water from the tea pot until the cup is full


John

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Apr 23, 2015, 12:30:49 PM4/23/15
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Thank you Tony...I think I could follow your steps before I'm fully awake.

John

Pondero

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Apr 23, 2015, 1:37:42 PM4/23/15
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My approach almost exactly matches Tony's method.  In outdoor conditions everything is more by feel/habit than by measurement or time.  AeroPress seems very forgiving to me.

Chris Johnson
Sanger, Texas
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