DISCLAIMER: This might change you worldview forever.

Preliminary note: don't take this post to be condemning how you do things. I am only offering my point of view. I roast my own coffee (air roaster, Freshroast SR500) and I use a burr grinder.

Coffee is acidic. Personally, I love a nice Kenyan coffee (pretty much the most acidic). The thing about acidity is that it does not produce the bitterness, that is other characteristics from the roasting, grinding, and brewing. What is referred to as the body of the coffee comes from the acidity, and can make the coffee quite smooth tasting (opposite of what one would think). Going back to the Kenyans, they are delicious because they roll of the tongue and hit the back part of the mouth too, increasing the taste (this is what I've heard, I am not that skilled yet). The reason the acidity is generally less with an Aeropress is because of the filter. The paper filter takes away some of the acidity from the coffee. There are reusable metal disk filters (I just ordered a Kaffeologie S filter) which let the coffee keep the acidity while removing the grit at the bottom of the cup.

Two good companies are Cameron's and also Caribou Coffee. I would recommend going with a single-origin coffee (from only one place) to get a better flavor. And I would recommend trying a light/medium roast because then you are tasting the flavor of the bean and not the flavor of the roast (darker usually means more bitter). Also try not to grind too fine, as you can always let the coffee steep for longer.

(I apologize if following this my sentences don't flow together nicely. There's so much info to condense.)

Last thing I want to talk about is freshness. If you were to cut up an apple, you wouldn't leave it sit for a week, it'd go bad. The same goes for coffee, because it is a fruit as well (comes from a cherry). The best thing you can do is to keep coffee in its whole bean form for as long as you can. Whole bean coffee will go stale in about seven days (give or take, depending on quality of air-tight storage). And that number shrinks dramatically when you grind the coffee, down to at most two or three days (also read this: http://starbucksmelody.com/.../). Coffee goes stale because oxygen goes the coffee to oxidize, resulting in a loss of the delicate oils and aromas that make up a coffee cup. When you grind the coffee, the surface area is increased ten-fold and what happens is it oxidizes faster. What I would recommend is to buy a coffee grinder (best is a burr, but a blade one is better than nothing (check Google to find the difference)). Grinding right before you use it will give it the most freshness and will make the cup smell amazing! Also, try weighing your coffee out (and water too, if you don't mind doing it). You'll get a lot more consistent tasting cup out of it and you can adjust the strength a lot easier. If you have any more questions regarding this or any clarification, you can just shoot me an email (or comment) or use Google.

Finally, the Aeropress is one of the most famous brewers among coffee connoisseurs. It is open to so much experimentation and produce a wonderful cup. Because of this, there are so many different recipes for them and so many different ways to brew. I have done hours upon hours of research into coffee, aeropress, roasting, etc. I am by no means an expert in this, but I know more than the average person.

The Aeropress is one of the most famous brewers among coffee connoisseurs. OMG, I have one of these and I don't even drink coffee!
Needless to say Laurie, I can't give any words of wisdom on this subject.

I had an aeropress and it made the worst coffee I ever had.

How do you suggest using the aeropress? I already returned mine.

Annie, I agree .I have fancy burr grinder that spews grinds (grounds?) all,over the kitchen counter. The krups blade grinder did not do that and I cannot tell the difference.

Unless you're using a coffee brewing system that requires an espresso fine grind, I don't think the difference between burr and blade is that significant. But blade grinders don't grind everything all to a uniform small size, which espresso methods require.

Maybe I will go buy it again and give it another try. I'm not sure I can be that precise first thing in the morning. Thanks for the instructions.

I think I recently tossed my aeropress since I hadn't bothered with it in years. Of course now I'll probably regret that.

Eric - One thing that stands out at me in your posts is 185 degree water. That seems really "not hot" considering that one of the most common complaints the "experts" have with cheap coffee makers is that they don't heat up to the "optimal" 195-205 range.

No one can match what Starbucks spends every year in scientific coffee research in making the best cup of coffee. I think over $10 million annually.

What's your opinion of a cup of their coffee? and how they brew their beans ?( not talking about too expensive)

I don't buy their coffee. I don't know how good or bad is their coffee.

dcarch

Interesting, Eric, thanks. Can you link to those award winning recipes?

dcarch - Financials here show 2011 was a huge year for R&D but nothing since.

Interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3BtpkQVOi0

dcarch

foodonastump: Aeropress World Chamionship Recipes

I forgot.

You can infact "roast" green coffee beans in your microwave.

You have to use a ceramic bowl and stir regularly.

dcarch

"-------There has always been a large debate about the effects of microwaves on the safety of food.---"

I am not sure what safety is being widely debated, with trillions of microwaves in used worldwide in every kitchen.

Actually microwave can heat up the beans way beyond 400F. If you are not careful you can easily end up with charcoal pellets or start a fire.

I don't need to use the microwave. I have a convection rotisserie roaster that I can roast more than a pound each time.

dcarch

The debate, at least what I have heard about it (haven't done much research) is more that the use of microwaves is bad because of the radiation from them. Just because there are lots floating around doesn't mean we should add more to them.
I just feel like a microwave isn't very controlled. That's my two cents.

A drum roaster? That's pretty cool!

Eric,

I totally understand your concern. Not trying to turn this
thread into a debate about microwave safety, because there is overwhelming
information out there.

Let me just say that a lot of the confusion stem from the
confusion between electromagnet radiation (you are in a big magnetic field,
earth’s north and south poles), and atomic radioactive radiation (as in atomic
bombs). One has nothing to do with the other.

Yes, my home made roaster works very well. I am very happy
with the end result.

dcarch

I also got great results from the popcorn popper, but cooling the bowls and stirring the beans was kind of cumbersome. I liked the results well enough that Elery bought me the Freshroast. Right now I'm roasting the last quarter pound of some Indonesian I bought, I haven't tried it yet, so we'll see how it is after it spends a day or so off-gassing.

Annie

I've had the Aeropress for a couple of weeks. I like it, but not necessarily for its coffee brewing qualities. It is easy to clean and not breakable, which has been a big plus. It has an adapter gizmo so I can make coffee in all kinds of mugs. I like the way the spent grinds pop out easily, making it even easier to clean. It's high grade plastic so I think it will hold up well and not leach an off flavor into the coffee. As far as the taste, I live in an area where there is not a lot of good coffees available. There is actually a new small independent coffee roasting company just up the street from where my folks live so I might stop in there and get some. I haven't given the business much chance of succeeding but it is nice so might as well patronize it while I can. It does make sense to grind it fresh to have the best flavor but I'm not sure if I will add that additional step to my morning coffee routine. I'm sure I'm not getting the best quality beans around here, or the freshest, by far. I'll try the local roaster and see how that goes.

Well you purchased a good 'gizmo'. It seems to suit your needs. The science behind it is just a simple tight gasket. Actually the same material used for syringes. A pressure plunger similar to what an expresso maker does but does not have the same pressure at all. That was the original idea from the inventor. What was discovered by many is a great cup of coffee and can be personalized by using it different ways to suit. It makes one good cup, and much faster that a french press or a stovetop italian aluminum pot.

Alan Adler is the inventor and is on a couple forum posts on Coffeegeek.com. Two threads are nearly 300 pages long but you can jump to the last pages and read a bit about his method.

Once you find the beans and grind you like and method...as they say about the aeropress, you have found your sweet spot and should stick with it...remember what you did to create that.

Here is one response from Alan in a discussion,

"Perhaps a few guidelines will help. You probably already know these, but here goes:

Hotter water results in more bite. Cooler is smoother. Almost all tasters we've tested with liked 175F best, but a few preferred 165F.

Darker roasts are more bitter.

Lighter roasts are more sour. Some people think 185F water is better with light roasts.

I prefer medium roasts. My beans are the color of Hershey's Milk Chocolate. I've read that this is the most popular roast in America.

Finer grinds produce a richer brew for a given amount of coffee. I use the finest grind that I can press (gently), which works out to espresso grind for a single scoop and a bit coarser for double or triple scoops.

Pressing concentrate, then adding water (as you've done) has less bite than pushing the entire cupful of water through the grounds.

I've had the most consistently delicious results with quality Guatemala beans. But there are many other good beans."

Best,

Alan

Interesting it mentions nothing about timing.

dcarch

I should mention that i have one at work that i use once a week or so...

I roast my own green beans and use a Chemex every morning that suits us. I switch to teas during the day so the aeropress is a handy one cup and great for travel.

We were content for years using the A&P brand grinding at our local grocery, then Costco's yellow bag and grinding there. (they have a grinder at the exit)

We found our 'sweet spot' with the chemex method, roasting our own, and using a Bunn lpg grinder. I don't think all our fussing is necessary if you can find a good bean you like...sounds like you may have found it.

dcarch, are you referring to his post i posted? It is discussed at great length over close to 600 pages...that was just a quick response to another posters question...

I think what is good about the aeropress is how well it suits different needs.

Not everyone agrees on a single method of brewing coffee. The aeropress does seem to make so many different brew styles and very well. A metal re-useable filter is available that some like as it allows more oils through. He himself does not really care for it.

Thanks for the tips Sleevendog! I haven't found my perfect "sweet spot" for coffee but am getting there. I much prefer the Aeropress to the "pour over" method and french press using something that is glass or china. I love the taste of beverages in glass, do not like plastic dishware in general, but experience tells me I need to stick to plastic with this frequently used appliance. I have a big Chemex that I could use if I ever had company. My folks got it in 1960 as a wedding present. Never used it to my knowledge, and I am continuing the trend. But that's because I rarely have company, not because it isn't cool! I may look into a metal filter because with the extra pressure I imagine that the paper does add something perhaps that leaches into the coffee. I was having good luck with bamboo filters for my pour over gizmo but I like the idea of a metal filter. I have tiny living quarters so probably will never invest in any type of larger counter-top appliance for coffee. Also since it is just me most of the time, a single cup method is fine for the vast majority of the days of my life.

I guess I will have to read through the information you posted, but in general I am just wondering about the idea of making really strong coffee and then diluting it which is how they recommend doing it with the Aeropress, aka "cafe Americano." Why not have all the grinds interact with all the water? Also not sure why the espresso grind, other than maximum surface area interacting with the water. I like that with the press I don't get errant grinds in the coffee as I did with my french press. A minor thing really, but it used to bug me. I am also wondering about the "sludge" I get at the bottom of my cup with both the Aeropress and french press. Not a bad thing but not the best "mouth feel" for me with coffee. I'm sure it has all the flavor bits in it.

As for roasts, I prefer the stronger roasts, which actually have less caffeine and acid. I supposedly need to drink low acid coffee but I do well with French roast and Sumatran. I just don't tend to like the Sumatran and other low acid coffees. I know that coffee is acidic so "low acid" is somewhat of a misnomer, but the longer I am on this low acid diet the more I realize it is not the pH/acidity that is the issue, it is the type/kind of acid. I do not know why the acids in tea and wine bother me more than the acids in coffee, but it does. Which is a bummer because I much prefer tea and wine to coffee! I've tried cold-brewing coffee, which supposedly produces a less acidic product, and the taste was underwhelming. Like I said in my previous post, the other thing I may do is go to this new local coffee roaster and try some of their product. Around where I live it is a coffee desert, not much good product available locally, and even what is reasonably good, I imagine doesn't turn over very fast on the shelves due to the cost of it. I could mail order from some good regional roasters, but I am not there yet as far as my persnickity-ness with coffee.