Coffee matters: AeroPress Coffee maker

I will take a break from my on going technology theme and get into something that is dear to (almost) everyone in technology: coffee. I like to drink coffee, mostly espresso - which in New Zealand is sometimes called short black, but in some places ordering an espresso can just give you a ristretto.

Anyway,  I used to have an espresso machine at home but lately I have been converted to Nespresso machines. The coffee is actually good, consistent in results and very easy to use. Nespresso uses aluminium capsules filled with coffee grounds, and there are many varieties to choose from. Here is one Nespresso machine (there are many different models) and a capsule:

A lot of people don't like the Nespresso. Many say the coffee in the capsule is stalled and old, but I am not sure many of the critics actually tried the coffee. We don't have a Nespresso store in New Zealand but next time you are in Sydney (King St), stop by their shop there and ask for a free sample.

Anyway, this is not about the Nespresso, but how I posted on my Twitter about making coffee and someone offered me a free trial of their AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker, available in New Zealand through the NZShop.

The AeroPress looks like the well known French Press (or plunger), but it's not. The main difference is that while you let the coffee sit for minutes on a plunger, with the AeroPress you extract it pretty much straight away, creating pressure with a device that looks like a. syringe.

Making coffee is easy: insert a paper filter in the base, use the measure spoon to add ground coffee (in my case I used L'Affare Primo), pour hot water (not boiling), stir for ten seconds, then apply pressure for twenty seconds. Yes, that's it, just check the pictures:

The final picture shows the espresso out of a Nespresso machine on the left and the AeroPress coffee on the right side.

The resulting coffee is good, strong as expected and not too bitter as some espresso. But you won't have any crema on top - some say an espresso will always have crema, so I wouldn't call the coffee out of the AeroPress an espresso, while the manufacturer obviously says it is. Also note because of the size of the device you can't extract directly to a demitasse. I personally drink espresso with nothing else - not even sugar, so I prefer to drink from a demitasse.

Final word: quicker than plunger coffee, stronger but not quite an espresso. Worth having for that quick fix if your office doesn't have a coffee machine.