Make your AeroPress more cap-Able!

Coffee preparation techniques besides espresso like pourover.
Bak Ta Lo
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#1: Post by Bak Ta Lo »

Off-topic first, thanks Dan for the new Brewing section! I love brewed coffee, and find the infinite ways to make good brews fascinating. When I visit a new country, I find it is one of those little nuances you can seek out that will for sure have a interesting local variation. I bought the little metal drippers from Vietnam, a fish net dripper from China, and a V60 from Japan. Here in Macau they use giant mesh fish nets with 2 pounds coarse ground dark roast, and drip in to a big commercial heated urn where they then add condensed milk, that stuff will give you one serious belly ache. The other popular coffee is half coffee half milk tea, called Yuenyeung, named after a dissimilar looking pair of :| ducks.

Back on topic! Aeropress and the Able Brewing Disk.

I have used the Aeropress for several years, but only just recently finally bought the Able Brewing Disk re-usable metal filter, previously known as the Coava Disc, from Able Brewing.
http://www.espressoparts.com/ABLE_DISK

I really like the disc for two reasons.
  1. No more washing the paper filter.
  2. The metal filter seems to allow more flavors to pass in to the cup, there is a little sediment, but much less than a french press has.
Now my Aeropress is even more portable, as I do not need to pack filter papers. I keep the Able disc in the Aeropress cap, and pack that with the Lido and some beans, great portable setup, just add hot water.
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SlowRain
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#2: Post by SlowRain »

I have the disc as well, but haven't really played with it that much. Any brewing suggestions?

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drgary
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#3: Post by drgary »

Check these brew methods for AeroPress and other gear at the Coffee Collective.

Also, I stay with the paper filters because they filter out cafestol and kahweol, which have been discussed elsewhere here for potentially raising bad cholesterol and triglycerides.

The effect of espresso drinking on cholesterol

Paper-Filtered Espresso and Cholesterol
Gary
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What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

Bak Ta Lo (original poster)
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#4: Post by Bak Ta Lo (original poster) »

I drink far more espresso than AeroPress. I do not feel the few AeroPresses I have per week, if they had a paper filter, are going to counteract any effects that are a result of the copious amounts of espresso shots I drink. But, it is a good enough reason to use the Clever, Syphon, or Chemex, they are all great and paper filtered.

The threads referenced almost immediately break down in to the regular ping-pong of one study says this, but my anecdotal evidence suggests that. I personally had a full panel done recently, and a year ago, and all my levels were fine.

I read last week that all red meat is bad for you, it seems almost every week I read about something else that is going to kill me, from chemicals in the water, additives in the plastic, poison in the air, and antibiotics in the chicken.

I have an 75 year old father-in-law here, he has smoked his whole life, pounds the rice wine, likes coffee, and he is more active and healthy than some of my 30-some-thing friends in the US. And, he has spent zero hours of his life obsessing over if the coffee he is drinking passes through paper filters.

I don't take drugs, don't drink, don't smoke, I cut out sugars, I exercise daily, I do not even drive a car anymore, my vices are far and few, coffee is something I will keep, clinical studies be damned. I get a great deal of pleasure from talking about, thinking about, making and drinking coffee and espresso, I think the increased happiness and overall feeling of well being I get from keeping coffee in my life must have some health enhancing value that should also be given some value in the equation that determines what is good for my health. :)
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drgary
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#5: Post by drgary »

Bak Ta Lo wrote:I think the increased happiness and overall feeling of well being I get from keeping coffee in my life must have some health enhancing value that should also be given some value in the equation that determines what is good for my health. :)
+1

I only posted about paper filters because you were both eliminating them and there are some who might want to know why only paper is sold by Aerobie. Enough is written about the paper filters and health stuff elsewhere, so I'd be happy keeping this thread on the topic of getting best AeroPress results.
Gary
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Bak Ta Lo (original poster)
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#6: Post by Bak Ta Lo (original poster) »

Right, good point Dr. Gary! The paper filters are serving a purpose for sure. I also think with some beans the paper filters make for a nicer tasting cup. I mainly went metal at first for the ability to re-use them, and travel without filters. But, I still grab a paper filter from time to time when at home, since the AeroPress I bought came with a stack and then they gave me another stack, I have papers to last me until at least the coming end of all coffee, you know, Dec 21st, 2012.
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compliance
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#7: Post by compliance »

drgary wrote:Check these brew methods for AeroPress and other gear at the Coffee Collective.
I read through a few of these and there is one thing that comes up a couple times that i never thought about.

"Stop pressing when water surface is broken by the coffee grounds"
"slowly push the coffee in the cup - stop before you hear the air"

What is going on with the last bit. Is it overextracted? Anyone else notice this before?

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drgary
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#8: Post by drgary »

A good way to test it is like we do for espresso shots. I'll do an AeroPress tomorrow and will press out the last bit in a separate cup and taste it.
Gary
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the_trystero
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#9: Post by the_trystero »

compliance wrote:I read through a few of these and there is one thing that comes up a couple times that i never thought about.

"Stop pressing when water surface is broken by the coffee grounds"
"slowly push the coffee in the cup - stop before you hear the air"

What is going on with the last bit. Is it overextracted? Anyone else notice this before?
One thing I know for sure is that it doesn't push some of the finer grinds through on a metal filter. I'll do the same as drgary when I have the opportunity.
"A screaming comes across the sky..." - Thomas Pynchon

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drgary
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#10: Post by drgary »

I've not noticed a problem -- although haven't tested this -- but the difference might be that I always use paper filters to preserve heart health. I don't have a metal disk to test and won't do that anyway. FWIW Alan Adler (AeroPress inventor) just presses straight through, using a paper filter.
Gary
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What I WOULD do for a good cup of coffee!

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