Depressed Espresso

[Mallory Chowansky]

The next decision was the testing environment, do I test this equipment in the outdoors on a trip or in a controlled environment for a true comparison? This was a tough decision so I opted for both. The taste testing was done in a controlled environment but the equipment was also put through the paces in the the real world where water can be limited and dirt always an issue.

Overall: This is a great unit for backpacking weighing in at a measly 131g and is the size of a small lid for a pot. Clean-up after brewing is quick and easy as the filter with grounds is removed and the lid clips on. This was the best unit tested for backcountry camping where size and weight are important or where water is scarce.

For the regular method the coffee and water are poured into the unit as it sits on a cup or pot and then stirred. The plunger is put into place and depressed until a seal is made and then pulled up slightly to stop more coffee from dripping into the cup. After about 75 seconds the plunger depressed in a slow and steady manner.

So what did we think? Well the Aeropress is a bit more work to clean than the Java Drip as the plunger and brew chamber need to be washed or wiped. It takes significantly less work to clean than a traditional press though. Some versions of the Aeropress seem to come with a bag while others do not, the bag is nice as this thing has a lot of parts and pieces.

What about the coffee? Well the Aeropress makes lives up to the hype! We added some hot water americano style to the brew from the press and found that the machine created a very smooth and rich cup of coffee. This was a favorite of the testers.

This particular brewer exudes class. It comes in a black fabric covered box with foam cut-outs that cradle the equipment like a fine single malt. The espresso machine itself is sleek and glossy black with a very distinctive phallic shape. This unit is different from the above coffee makers in that it brews a shot of espresso, not a cup of coffee. Of course hot water can be added Americano style to make a cup of coffee.

Needless to say but using this machine involves a ritual (a 16 step ritual) that takes time to go through. This will call to a certain type of person, someone that enjoys the process of making a good cup of coffee or shot of espresso as much as drinking it. The unit itself is quite heavy (0.5 kg) and needs to be rinsed after each use and so is not really for backpacking. However, if you want to make a good cup of espresso at that fly-in lodge or car camping trip this is a great unit.

Overall: This machine will call to a certain type of coffee fanatic, someone who enjoys the process as much as the product. Because of its heavy weight it may not be ideal for backpacking however for car camping or a fly-in lodge this is the ticket.

So, how does this machine work? Well it also has a complex (14 step) process for brewing, one that took us several tries to get to a point where the espresso produced was palatable. Basically hot water is put in one end of the machine and coffee grounds are put in a container on the other. Then, while holding the end over the included cup, the pump is depressed continuously until no more espresso comes out.

The quality of the espresso produced has a lot to do with the operator. Our first few shots were terrible but they improved dramatically with practice and some finessing of the preparation procedure. In the end the espresso made was smooth and topped with a prefect crema.

Overall: Because it is a little lighter and more compact this unit is great for people that want to take espresso on a trip where weight and size are not critical but still a consideration.

Best Backcountry Coffee Maker: The GSI Outdoors Collapsible Java Drip. This is a great unit for backpacking or backcountry camping where size and weight are important or where water is scarce. It weights in at a measly 131g and is the size of a small pot lid. Clean-up after brewing is quick and easy as the filter with grounds is removed and the lid clips on and it brews a great cup of coffee.

Best Espresso Machine: The Handpresso. For those people that want a shot of espresso and not a cup of coffee. This unit produced a pretty good shot the first time we used it and they just got better with practice. Because of its heavy weight it may not be ideal for backpacking however for car camping or a fly-in lodge this is the ticket. The Wacaco GR is a little lighter and more compact and so may be preferable for people that want to take espresso on a trip where weight and size are not critical but still a consideration.

Some of these coffee makers were given to me for testing while I purchased others, however this did not influenced the review in any way. Most of the photos were taken by Raf (at least the good ones). Lastly, I wanted to thank Tim and Counterpart Coffee for helping us out,if you want some great coffee check out their website, they have a monthly subscription option where fresh roasted beans are shipped right to your door every month!

"It is the inability to feel, it is the sense of being dead, while our body is alive. It is the inability to experience joy, as well as the inability to experience sadness. A depressed person would be greatly relieved if he could feel sad. A state of depression is so unbearable because one is incapable of feeling anything, either joy or sadness."

If we try to define happiness in contrast with depression, we come to define it as a feeling of, as Fromm says, "intensified vitality." Also, we find that happiness must come as a result of productive living. Productive, not in the sense of being industrious, meeting your daily quota, and ticking off all the boxes in your to do list. Productive, in the sense of acting and engaging with the world around you.

It is a fact that, no matter how prosperous our societies become and how high level of comfort and safety we manage to attain, life will always have its share of pain, misfortune, and even tragedy that are outside of our control. However, we must acknowledge that we are at fault for bringing one type of unnecessary misery into our lives: the misery that comes from trying to avoid the unavoidable.

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Before we address why happiness is lacking from our lives, we should agree on what happiness is in the first place. I don\u2019t feel worthy of giving a universal definition of it, but hopefully we can move on with enough clarity if we identify the opposite of happiness.

An that I found to be relatable and helpful in understanding happiness comes from Erich Fromm\u2019s book \u201CThe Sane Society.\u201D According to Erich Fromm, the opposite of happiness is not sadness but depression.

\\\"It is the inability to feel, it is the sense of being dead, while our body is alive. It is the inability to experience joy, as well as the inability to experience sadness. A depressed person would be greatly relieved if he could feel sad. A state of depression is so unbearable because one is incapable of feeling anything, either joy or sadness.\\\"

If we try to define happiness in contrast with depression, we come to define it as a feeling of, as Fromm says, \\\"intensified vitality.\\\" Also, we find that happiness must come as a result of productive living. Productive, not in the sense of being industrious, meeting your daily quota, and ticking off all the boxes in your to do list. Productive, in the sense of acting and engaging with the world around you.

If we take into account Fromm\u2019s definition of happiness, we see that it cannot possibly be achieved in the state of inner passivity and the consumer attitude that characterize the average modern individual.

And here is where we get to see how good humans are in getting in their own way of a fulfilling life. What is one of the main purposes of our constant consumption? It\u2019s precisely avoiding uncomfortable feelings such as sadness and loneliness.

We spend all of our waking hours consuming, whether it\u2019s media, food, drinks, psychoactive substances, or a couple of them together, in order to avoid feeling bad. Because God forbid we experience some internal discomfort, even for a moment!

Don\u2019t get me wrong. I know as well as any of you reading this what it\u2019s like to be too exhausted to sit alone with your pain and sadness. Sometimes, all you want to do is play your favorite show, eat your comfort food, and shut your mind off for a while. And you should as far as I\u2019m concerned. But we must make a distinction between taking some time to relax and recharge and living a life of escapism through constant consumption.

It\u2019s a timeless wisdom, repeated in different traditions across time and space, that the only way out of our suffering is through it. If we allowed this message back into our lives, we would be able to understand how counterproductive our current approach to happiness and fulfillment is. We run away from sadness and pain thinking we will reach happiness, not realizing that we are running in the opposite direction from it.

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