Aeropress - Well Designed & Good Value

NXT Roasters has a Coffee and Aeropress bundle in limited quantities available at our Roastery.

The picture links were removed because Photobucket decided to change the terms of usage in mid stream, so to say,  It is inconvenient for viewers but it is better to rid yourself of such people as soon as possible.  It is the attitude as much as the action.

Freshly Roasted coffee enhances the Aeropress and vis versa.   This brewer does not require an electric brewer which may bring you better coffee since all decent kettles can boil water but not all electric brewers can deliver water at 90°C or higher.

The coffee is Freshly Roasted On-Site in a roaster of our design that has achieved new levels of consistency and pollution controls.  We are very proud of the taste.



 This is the Aeropress package which consists of the brewer and some handy accessories.  The previous blog links to two videos that demonstrate how to prepare coffee with this unit.

We have found that a fine grind enhances the extraction and quite likely gives you a better exercise.  It is difficult to establish if more calories are "burnt off" during the press.

There has been some controversy about paper filters versus perforated stainless steel discs in the domains of tasted and environment.  The stainless steel discs are nearly the price of the entire unit therefore we opted to make the bundle more affordable rather than a high end offer that would cause many to hesitate.

The coffee is less "strong" than an espresso but stronger than drip.  People adjust to their preference by adding water to the final brew and call it an Americano.

There is a challenge for those who appreciate the espresso because the Aeropress cannot be placed on a demi-tasse, well not yet.  Extracting a small volume into a large cup is not satisfactory so we must accept some limits.  However, before discounting the unit try what it does best which is a smaller cup of coffee.

Scoop:

The Scoop contains about 12 grams of coffee depending on how the coffee is scooped and packed.  The preparation of coffee depends more on consistency than an absolute number because other variables often compensate.  Just don't consistently use stale coffee - nothing compensates for that.

Funnel:
Might also be useful in the kitchen but in this case it helps assure that the caffeine deprived person gets most of the coffee grind inside the brewing chamber.

Stirrer:
This is used to be certain that the grind is dispersed in the hot water (remember the key word is hot).  The top has "wings" which prevent the blade from reaching the bottom and tearing the Paper Filter.  Of course this is a moot point when using the Inverted Method.



 Paper Filter:
This is placed inside the Cap to stop the sediment from reaching your cup.  The Paper Filter can be replaced by a stainless steel perforated disc for the people who feel that the paper absorbs essential oils that rightfully should be in their cup.















                          Brewing Chamber et al.:

                       Brewing Chamber                     Plunger                    Filter Cap                    Paper Filter

Inverted style brewing: This is mentioned first because everyone reads the instructions which illustrate the conventional way of using the brewer.

 Place the Plunger inside the Brewing Chamber. 

The internal volume increases approximately 60cc for every number the Plunger is pulled down. Therefore for those without a calculator:
- 60cc X 4 units X .03519 = 8.4 Canadian ounces
- 60cc X 4 units X .03381 = 8.1 US ounces

Unless you know all about compensating for the meniscus let's call it 8 ounces no matter where you live is the maximum capacity.

For a good Plunger seal keep both components vertical.  We cannot accept responsibility for spillage and "accidents" so we count on your diligence in keeping the hole towards the top.

Pour in the ground coffee without resting on the containers. Use one or two Scoops depending on the concentration your body requires.

Add the hot water without resting on the Brewing Chamber.

NOTE:  If there is unsteadiness or it is a challenge to manipulate these devices when they are full of scaldingly hot water you should resort to the conventional method.  Leave this method to the adventurous who thrive on danger.

Mix the water and coffee with the Stirrer to facilitate the extraction.

Place the Filter Paper in the Filter Cap (it will hold better if wet) and screw it to the top of the Brewing Chamber.  Hold the top of the Brewing Chamber.  Just remember the caveats - the liquid is very hot but bliss is now near.

Turn over the Aeropress and place it on a cup (please use a cup that is big enough for the contents). 

Push down on the Plunger.

It should now look something like the photo to the right.

Most people will now drink the coffee before extruding the Coffee Puck which is visible after removing the Filter Cap.

NXT Roasters has the Aeropress brewer

There are several brewing options available to the consumer but only a few have a "freshly roasted" priority mostly because they cannot deliver their coffee in a timely manner.

We searched  the Internet and wrote many emails to source the brewer that would give the best value to our customers.  The Aeropress is a well designed and built device which does not require an expensive electric brewer.

There are countless videos that address brewing with the Aeropress but most of them are not worth a mention because they exhort what I consider a faux pas i.e.
- advocating coffee is ok up to 40 days after roasting
- coffee should be used within 10 days of grinding
- a presenter attempts to explain how they defy the laws of physics by building unbelievable pressure
- another has concluded that the pressure pushing out the coffee is a vacuum
- for some reason some equate hot water with bitterness rather than improper roasting and staleness
Critical thinking is required on the Internet.  Yes, even now!

The Aeropress is versatile and has well designed accessories.  It can be used in two ways which are best explained by way of videos followed by pictures and explanations.

The KPCC Radio video demonstrates the Filter Down Method (photo to the left).  The temperature is important, it affects the extraction and should be above 90°C  (194°F).  The low temperature advocates probably make or sell machines that are unable to serve hot water.  The simplicity of the electric kettle is not to be scoffed at.  In an anecdotal observation a few tablespoons of coffee are placed on the bottom of your sink (especially appropriate experiment for those that have weeks old coffee but want to move to freshly roasted delights).  Allow some warm water to flow gently against the mini mound (gently - don't power wash it away) then increase the temperature.  You will find that the hot water dissolves while warm water agglomerates.

The Atomic Way video demonstrates the Inverted Method (photo below) which eliminates the dripping into the cup while mixing.

THE GRIND.  We often drink a modified Turkish style coffee where all the ingredients are mixed in the cup.  The finely ground coffee is only produced by a burr style grinder.  A finely ground coffee has a large surface area proportional to its volume which means a rapid extraction and that the grains soak up the water and decant quickly.  A fine grind like this creates a mini disaster in the gravity drained brewers because the water is poured onto the grind faster than the permeability allows it to go through, resulting in the dreaded overflow.  The plunger pressure in the Aeropress appears to circumvent that problem and yields a better extraction.

The end user has to determine the grind by experimentation.   A coarse grind will under extract and the water will be pushed through too quickly.

The Aeropress is then flipped over and placed

on a cup and the process continues as in the

conventional method.

FRESHNESS IS #1  The staling process starts after
roasting and begins to be detected at the end of one week.  Grinding the coffee accelerates the staling process.  The high surface area proportional to the content of a coffee ground means that it is more rapidly affected by oxygen and moisture.  Grind at the last minute.

More will follow shortly when the pictures of the various Aeropress components are taken or downloaded.

When Price is #1 Criteria ! (Who really pays ?)

A Purchaser is able to impose a price importance by choosing what is purchased based uniquely on the monetary cost.  Sellers quickly realize when a low selling price is required to make the sales.  Typically, "quality" is sacrificed to reduce the sellers cost while meeting a few important criteria such as appearance to a non critical eye.

Coffee beans do not visually change when way past their prime apart from having a little more surface oil.   That creates an opportunity for marketing spin that is analogous to a magic act.  The Purchaser may decide the price but the Seller decides everything else including the message that is crafted to give the Purchaser assurance that they received a premium product even when it is not.  In a magic show the spectator's attention is skillfully guided to the advantage of the magician so that the impossible is viewed as real.   The spectator does not suspend disbelief because they know that it is a performance.  Most spectators try to figure out how the magic was carried out.  For some reason low price marketing is not often subjected to the same analysis.

Economies of scale, low quality, and a magic presentation are fundamental to selling many products at low prices.  Foods with low or no nutritional value outsell fresh organic vegetables and are designed for the supply chain rather than the consumer.  The buying criteria are satisfied while other possible benefits are only implied.

Economy of scale can only be achieved with a wide network that can store and distribute a uniform product.  The supply chain optimized product, usually produced in one highly automated factory, to specifications that favour longevity or visual aspects .  The processing or transformation technology is optimized to fulfill the goals of the seller based on the buying criteria of the clients.  A great deal of research is undertaken to understand the buying decision and what common "markers" are used in reaching that decision.

The volume of imported roasted coffee is staggering.  This "Warehouse Coffee" does not reach the client while fresh but it does reach the end user while it is cheap.

My mantra is "Buy from a small batch roaster".   I prefer the freshest coffee over the exotic varietal that was roasted two or more weeks ago.

Updating our Roastery

We updated our Roastery and reception area so that it would not be confused with the workshop.



It is slightly more pleasant to sit down at a Granite table for the morning Espresso than a work bench.  Well, there is the optional bar height table for the devotees of the fitness club.

The main goal is to show that our roaster does not require a lot of room.   There is a full glass door that encourages observation though a full glass wall would yield a better view of the Roasting Theatre.

The coffee roaster is the focal point and the "raison d'être".  The green beans are loaded into the counter height Bean Loader Hopper.  the design of which expresses our opinion about overhead bean loading.  After roasting the beans are pneumatically conveyed to the Packaging area which saves the Roast Master from picking up roasted coffee from the floor area.  It appears that drum roaster designers just do not think of ergonomics and Roast Master comfort. These are important considerations when the Roast Master does sessions of over 20 roasts.

The previous post has some pictures of some of our morning Espresso shots.  Not all shots are photographed since pictures are secondary to tasting.  That series of pictures were intended to illustrate the Crema obtained with Freshly Roasted coffee.

The Coffee Roaster is labelled "Roastaire" which is the distributor for NXT Roasters in Canada.  Check out their site for information about roasting, energy conversion efficiency, and roasting pollution controls.