Hi,

First Time poster, infrequent reader.

Why is the All-clad Presso considered to create real espresso but the Aeropress is not?

the aeropress will not duplicate the pressure parameters needed to create what is generally accepted as espresso. The presso has the ability to be modified so as to produce those parameters. search on this site for info concerning the mod, but it involves a plug to reduce the headspace above the coffee puck.

popeye wrote:The presso has the ability to be modified so as to produce those parameters. search on this site for info concerning the mod, but it involves a plug to reduce the headspace above the coffee puck.

I have a lot of respect for Jim Schulman, but he was just plain wrong about the necessity of making that plug... (I've been using a Presso for about two years, and used the mod for a short time till I found it was unnecessary).

The Presso can make espresso, no doubt about it, but it is more like the espresso produced by home spring-levers (in terms of the amount of crema and some particular flavors produced) then the espresso made by a home pump machine.

There was a big debate on coffeegeek.com about whether or not the aeropress makes espresso, right? Not sure exactly where it is, sorry!

Henry

hbuchtel wrote:There was a big debate on coffeegeek.com about whether or not the aeropress makes espresso, right? Not sure exactly where it is, sorry!

I have used my Aeropress many times, and I really like it. It is the device of choice when we head out in the motorhome. All things considered (quality of beverage, ease of use, ease of cleaning, range of parameters) it is my favorite method of making coffee, second only to espresso. I have given three of them away as gifts, and everyone who uses it that I have spoken to really likes it as well. The coffee it produces is closer to press pot or moka pot coffee. The coffee is rich and has great body. The filters remove the sediment which is the greatest drawback of using a press pot. The lack of sediment also means that the bitterness it creates is also removed.

With that said, I have spoken to Alan, the inventor of the Aeropress (as well as the Aerobie flying/throwing ring) face to face on two or three occasions and have told him that the beverage is not espresso. It produces virtually no crema at all- more like a bit of foam like you get with a Senseo or such. Alan contends that using his method of analysis that the total dissolved solids in the coffee from the Aeropress match what is found in espresso quite closely.

My contention is that all the instruments you can carry cannot tell you what the beverage will taste like nor what it will feel like on the palate. The Aeropress coffee is delicious and a joy to drink, but it isn't espresso... IMO. There are probably more restrictions on what can be called "Catsup" than there are on espresso, so you could sell a special sock that you dip in hot water and call it an espresso maker- but calling it so doesn't make it so.

hbuchtel wrote: (I've been using a Presso for about two years, and used the mod for a short time till I found it was unnecessary).

really? I have a presso sitting around that i was gonna sell on ebay (still new, and unused). I didn't want to even give it a try because I figured it wouldn't be worth making it "used" to satisfy my curiosity. What do you do to counter that air gap? Do you suck in water on the upstroke? Got any good links for me?

popeye wrote:Got any good links for me?

Hello Spencer, I made this page a while ago but haven't really changed my technique much since then.

http://www.unmodifiedpresso.blogspot.com

There I wrote about two different methods for getting all the water out from under the piston. What I found out later is that the air doesn't really matter... it just gets compressed, no problems there... The important thing is getting enough water into the piston-chamber (but not too much!) so that you can maintain pressure for the full shot.

The video in this thread on HB shows the latter method.

There are a lot of Presso users on the coffeesnobs.com.au forum. I haven't used mine for a while 'cause it is too cold indoors for it to be practical (39F today!)

Hope this helps!

Henry

hbuchtel,

I am interested in more information on your modified Presso, particularly the piston you settled on. I saw your Blog posts on it but I would need more information: what is the piston, or what parts is it made from - a materials list would be ideal, and a source of parts. Sorry, but I am just not able to follow your work from what you posted in your blog.

Thanks,
Chic

Hi David,

Actually I wouldn't recommend building a replacement piston the way I did... it was really crap! I ended up getting a replacement piston from the Australian distributer of the Presso. Did yours break? If you are set on making one I can email some photos/info to you.

I've been using the Presso quite a bit recently, with no modifications whatsoever (except for a bottomless PF). It is kind of funny now, but I don't think there is anything wrong with the original design... nothing that a good grinder and good coffee can't fix, that is

Regards, Henry

I used Henry's tutorial when I learned to use my Presso. It's right on and I've made some very nice shots with it. No modifications needed. Thanks Henry! The one recommendation I have is to ignore all of Presso's manual and promotional videos. They are hopeless and could easily convince one that espresso was not possible on this machine.

hbuchtel wrote:Hi David,

Actually I wouldn't recommend building a replacement piston the way I did... it was really crap! I ended up getting a replacement piston from the Australian distributor of the Presso. Did yours break? If you are set on making one I can email some photos/info to you.

I've been using the Presso quite a bit recently, with no modifications whatsoever (except for a bottomless PF). It is kind of funny now, but I don't think there is anything wrong with the original design... nothing that a good grinder and good coffee can't fix, that is

Regards, Henry

Thank you for the reply Henry,

Well, I am actually about to get my first Presso. The only thing that is hanging me up currently is temptation by the Truesso (you know the one), but I never found any plans for that one so I feel intimidated by trying to build one from a few pictures.

Anyways, I will probably get the Presso soon here in the USA and have a go with it. I feel confident about good results given your tutorials, but my other hardware might be lacking... my PeDe that I acquired used must have been run quite awhile misaligned because when I set the burrs to rub they do so intermittently during a revolution, so something is off eh? I could always fall back on my turkish mill that seems to rotate true and can grind to dust. And I have easy access to very good fresh roasted "Dolphin Safe" coffee from Barefoot Roasters, so that is not a problem until I start trying to roast my own!

I learned on a commercial spring-lever machine in Seattle around 1990 so I want to stay manual, but I can't even look at good spring-lever machines currently. I had a good time playing with its return action, modifying the extraction - I suppose with the Presso you can modify your pressure on the arms, in addition to altering the grind/tamp. Based on your YouTube videos I think you settled on a concave tamper, but if you have a specific model to share that would be helpful to me. Based on my reading it seems the Presso's dimensions are not standard (or is there more than one form factor?).

Best Regards,
David