Since 2005 the Aeropress has challenged skill-based pour-over coffee methods as well as expensive automatic pour-over machines for the hearts of coffee snobs everywhere. The impulse pricing doesn’t hurt either.
The process is dead simple, and the result is a less bitter cup that newcomers and connoisseurs alike will appreciate.
Hobbyists will enjoy inverting and tweaking the process for different results, while the obsessed might just enter the World Aeropress Competition.
While the Aeropress comes with a fat stack of paper filters, you may know by now that I hate products that have a recurring cost attached. Pick up a stainless steel filter and ditch the bills.
Able also makes stainless steel reusable disks for the AeroPress, called The Disk. It comes with two options, Standard and Fine, which have have different sized holes and levels of durability. The Standard Disk brews a fuller body cup of coffee with a bit more fines and can take a bit of a beating – this one should last for years of brewing and is three times as thick as the Fine Disk. The Fine Disk brews a sweet clean cup of coffee with very little fines – it is much more delicate and should be handled with care.
Again, here you’ll find a big difference when brewing paper versus stainless steel. The paper collects much of the fines and oils that you taste when brewed through a metal disk or cone, so your cup will be less nuanced. If you prefer a cleaner cup, stick with the paper. For a fuller-bodied cup, or if you’re looking to go paper-free, try the Disk. - Stumptown