Aeropress alternative with no plastic?

#1: Post by **greg9840** » April 15th, 2016, 4:21 pm

Hello,

I have read a lot of extremely positive online reviews about the taste of the coffee the AeroPress makes, but I am extremely uncomfortable with the idea of using a plastic device to make coffee, since it's very possible that at least a very small amount of plastic might dissolve into the hot water each time coffee is made. And some online reviews say just that - the plastic parts do literally disintegrate/dissolve over time. If that is true, then I think the only place this missing plastic could be going is into the coffee. And please don't tell me I shouldn't worry because these plastics are FDA approved and so on. Just because something is FDA approved does not necessarily mean it is safe. The FDA generally does not do long term safety testing.
So, I am looking for a product that can make coffee that tastes as about as good as Aeropress coffee that only uses glass and/or metal, so that the hot water never comes into contact with plastic. Is the only option I have a French press? What I would love to buy is a metal/glass version of the AeroPress, but I don't think it exists. I would appreciate any guidance on this. I'm looking to spend $100 or less and I am willing to get a manual one or an electric one, as long as the electric one is high quality and won't break right away.

Thanks!
Greg

#2: Post by **drgary** » April 15th, 2016, 4:36 pm

You could get a French press made of glass and steel. Just search them online and they're easily found. The AeroPress is an immersion brewer, like a French press. You can also brew in a Chemex or similar carafe or get a Hario ceramic drip brewer. These aren't immersion but work well with proper technique. The AeroPress is sold with paper filters only because Alan Adler, its inventor, goes by studies that show that paper filters out components of coffee that can raise cholesterol. There are many espresso machines, vintage ones especially, that use no plastic in the brew path. However they will cost well north of $100. You can also buy stainless steel moka pots where you can brew nice, concentrated coffee, but it won't have the nuanced flavor layering of AeroPress. Many moka pots are made of aluminum, and that may not be to your liking. I use an AeroPress paper filter in my moka pot, which yields a cleaner cup, laying it on top of the coffee cake. You might also find a vintage or used siphon brewer that is all glass.

April 15th, 2016, 4:38 pm

There's also this:
https://trinitycoffee.co/

#4: Post by **drgary** » April 15th, 2016, 4:42 pm

There seem to be plastic components on the Trinity brewer and it's three times his maximum price.

April 15th, 2016, 5:32 pm

Apologies, I missed seeing the $100 budget.

As Gary suggested, there are all metal French presses such as the Espro press. There's also the various ceramic pourover cones or chemex brewers.

Also, moka pots, as Gary mentioned.

There's also the Sowden soft brewer. Parts are porcelain and stainless steel.
Https://www.seattlecoffeegear.com/sowde ... with-scoop

April 15th, 2016, 6:08 pm

Thank you. Are the products listed above good for making espresso? Is there a product out there that can make good espresso, using air pressure like the Aeropress? That is supposed to be part of the reason why it tastes so good.
Thanks!
Greg

#7: Post by **sweaner** » April 15th, 2016, 6:11 pm

The Aeropress does not make espresso.

This does: http://espressoforge.com/

#8: Post by **drgary** » April 15th, 2016, 6:25 pm

greg9840 wrote:Thank you. Are the products listed above good for making espresso? Is there a product out there that can make good espresso, using air pressure like the Aeropress? That is supposed to be part of the reason why it tastes so good.
Thanks!
Greg

Agreed that the AeroPress doesn't make espresso, which requires much higher pressure. There was an ongoing argument with the AeroPress inventor about that in coffee forums. Rather than struggle with semantics I got to know Alan Adler, who was very gracious with me and showed me you can brew with an AeroPress with similar flavor and concentration as you can with espresso. But it takes a higher pressure extraction to yield the mouthfeel of espresso.

What makes Aerobrew (Alan's term) taste so good are:
1. Good temperature control
2. Uniform immersion (done with stirring the grounds in an AeroPress)
3. Avoiding over- and under-extraction (plunging through after a set period of time)

You can get good temperature control with other methods. An excellent burr grinder is essential for similar particle size and avoiding fines (dust) that overextract. You can time your immersion before separating out the coffee you'll drink.

Other methods can also yield concentrated coffee, but that's not essential for good taste. With the EspressoForge it's hard to achieve some of the higher brew temperatures used for lighter roasted coffees in more conventional espresso machines, but people who have used it otherwise seem to like it a lot.

#9: Post by **CwD** » April 15th, 2016, 9:56 pm

There's an Australian guy (artisan smith) making copper Aeropresses, but out of budget.

April 16th, 2016, 4:59 am

Yeah, also appears to be uncoated copper (his instagram comment) and therefore copper toxicity may become an issue if used regularly.