Espresso-Making with the CoffeeJack v2 (Pro) - A Review

CoffeeJack Pro/v2

    A few weeks ago, I made a CoffeeJack Pro Flowchart so I could learn espresso concepts, while also figuring out how to use my newest Kickstarter toy, a well-engineered, heavy-duty little manual machine that makes real espresso and can easily achieve the magic nine bars of pressure... except there's really nothing magic about nine bars, though the CJ can do it if you want it to.

    I'm also a little hesitant to review the CJv2 because I'm an espresso-making newb, and I cannot even compare it to its similar manual cousins, like the Flair 58 or the Picopresso (starting at 1:08), let alone a counter-top model like a De'Longhi or a Gaggia. So my answer to any question that starts with, "how does it compare to the ..." is... I dunno.  

    Before the CJ, I didn't know that making espresso was kind of fiddly, regardless of method, machine or amount of manual effort needed.  Even with non-manual machines, you have to prepare the puck, which involves grinding the beans very finely, mixing the grounds with a porcupine-like needle tool to break up the clumps, and tamping the grounds down into a dense bed (the resistance created by the grounds is what creates the pressure that defines espresso).   You also need to preheat the cup you are brewing into because the volume is so low (a double shot is only 36 ml or 1.25 fluid ounces); a room-temp cup will cool the espresso, and no one likes drinking lukewarm coffee.

    For manual methods, you also have to preheat the tiny water chamber with boiling water, then empty and refill it, install the dense coffee puck, and force the water through, with a crank in the case of CoffeeJack.   Brewing takes about 30 seconds.

   With all espresso-making, things can go wrong. If you grind too fine, you "choke" the machine. If you grind too coarsely, the water almost falls through the puck.  Surprisingly small changes to the grind determine whether it's a good shot or a bad one.  This fiddly process even has a name: "dialing in," which is the trial-and-error needed to find the perfect grind size for that coffee bean.  You can also overfill your portafilter basket, which can cause the machine to leak (the grounds swell, which can interfere with the seal). 

    The CoffeeJack is remarkably forgiving.  Out of the box, nearly all shots are drinkable, and most are better than what you'll get at Starbucks or Caribou Coffee. Only one of my shots has been bad, a truly awful mouth-puckering sour shot caused by grinding far too coarsely.   But once I got past the learning curve, all shots have been at least very good, and a few shots have been divine.  Hopefully I'll continue the upward trend.  The grinder is key, though; the most common problem new users face is that it doesn't build pressure (there's a pressure sensor on the top of the machine), and that's almost always caused by a grind that's too coarse.

    The espresso-maker is 54 mm, which means any 54 mm portafilter basket will work with it.  The one that comes with it makes a fine coffee, but the Ikape 54-to-32 mm step-down portafilter basket changes the taste a remarkable amount, creating a much sweeter shot. Because the basket is taller and narrower, it creates pressure more easily, allowing for a coarser grind (upgrading your portafilter is much cheaper than upgrading your grinder if it cannot grind finely enough).  

    A lever-style manual machine is probably easier to use than cranking, but lever machines are a lot bigger because they depend on a big arm and equally big support feet to gain the mechanical advantage needed to create 9 bars of pressure.  If you've choked the machine, cranking can get downright difficult, but even this middle-aged, out-of-shape woman desk-jockey can manage it.   I do wish it were slightly narrower - a good grip would make cranking a little easier.

    It's also tiny, and when not in use, my entire setup fits on a shelf, taking up less room than a shoebox:

It is small and surprisingly heavy
at 1.3 kg/3 pounds.

    Compare that to a countertop electric model, the smallest of which is about the size of a small microwave oven.  The CJ is heavy enough that taking it backpacking is probably ridiculous for all but the most espresso-mad, but it's great for any other travel.

    If you are starting from scratch, you will need some accessories:

    The stand (in which case you also need the stand adaptor ring that, if you flip it over, doubles as a dosing funnel), or the little stainless steel cup which sockets into the bottom of the device.  If you are only going to make espresso at home, get the stand and adaptor ring. If you plan to travel with it, get the cup.  

    You will need a 53.3 mm tamper. It can be any tamper compatible with a 54mm machine, but CoffeeJack's mini tamper fits inside the portafilter basket or the cup, and it's great for traveling. Their regular tamper is perfectly fine, but I ended up preferring Normcore's clicky 54 mm v4.1 self-leveling tamper for everyday use (I'm apparently really bad at creating a level bed of coffee grounds).

    Finally, while it's not strictly necessary, a WDT (Weiss Distribution Technique) tool is a very good idea. It lets you stir the grounds with several needles at once, breaking up clumps and improving extraction (even extraction = better flavor).  You can find them for about $15-$30 on Amazon.  Make sure you get one with a stand that protects the wires.

    All remaining accessories are optional and fun. I have a $30 milk frother that heats milk and adds foam, perfect for making lattes.

    A final elephant-in-the-room note: The company is a little bit infamous in the coffee world because of what happened during their first Kickstarter campaign, which was launched immediately before COVID broke. Then they got utterly slammed by circumstance in every way that it's possible to be slammed, but still managed to deliver the device, though years late.  They did learn from the painful experience, and their second campaign was run almost as well as it could be - they delivered only a couple of months late (which, in the Kickstarter world, isn't late), and their communication to supporters was frequent and transparent.  There were unanticipated hiccups (like needing to send out sachets of grease after the fact and asking early backers to lube their machines themselves, which was problematic for the not-so-handy), but they handled what was a big problem with grace. 

    I think the only/main issue they still need to work on is responding to communications from individuals. They've gotten somewhat better since their first campaign, but I'd like to see them improve more.  

    So, do I recommend the CoffeeJack Pro? 

    Yeah, I do.  I like it a lot.  It's built like a tank, all metal inside, so I expect to be using it for years and years.  I'm delighted with it, really.  

Links:

• https://www.coffeejack.co.uk/ 
• Kickstarter (ended) with lots of info: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/coffeejack/coffeejack-v2-gear-powered-portable-espresso-machine/description
• Full review video by Lance Hedrick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQmtF_UI9Ps

Aeropress Comparisons Part 3: Temperature Tests and Results

Equipment:

• Flow-control caps. Aeropress steel flow-control cap for the glass and steel versions, and the Fellow Prismo cap for the plastic brewer
• Plastic Aeropress - smoked version purchased during Alan Adler's AeroPress leadership
• Glass Aeropress Premium
• Aeropress Steel
• Preheat water - Mueller electric kettle that heats to boiling
• Brew water - Fellow electric kettle that heats to 200F/93C
• Timemore Millab E01 grinder set to 4.0
• 1 stainless steel carafe for brewing into
• 2 Fellow Carter mugs (12 ounce)
• ThermoWorks Thermapen ONE thermometer

Temperature Tests

Recipe - The Tim Wendelboe from the Aeropress Timer app: 

• Traditional (non-inverted) brewing
• 15g of coffee ground to medium-fine
• Water at 200F (93C). The recipe calls for 195g of water, but I used 240g
• Pour all 240g of water, stir for 5 seconds, steep for 30, stir for 10, and plunge for 30
• Beans: Joe Bean Jeovany Lara Honduras 

Temperature control: 

This test is intended to determine whether or not preheating the individual brewers made a difference in the cup.  One brewer will be tested each day by brewing two sequential 1-serving recipes. The first brew will be done with no preheating, and the second with preheating. I took temperature readings at the following times:

• As soon as the Aeropress was filled with brew water (to see how much the brewer itself drops the temperature)
• Just before plunging (to see how well the brewer maintained temperature during the brew process)
• The temperature in the steel carafe as soon as pressing was complete (before diluting with an additional 100 grams of brew water)
  

Process:

1. Grind beans
2. Heat brew water and assemble brewer
3. Place grounds in brewer
4. Brew according to the recipe above, taking temperature readings
5. Add 100g of additional brew water
6. Transfer brew to Carter insulated flask and close the flask
7. Heat preheat water, then rinse and reassemble the brewer
8. Grind beans
9. Fill brewer with preheat water; wait 10 seconds
10. Pour preheat water from brewer into steel carafe; wait 10 seconds and discard water
11. Place grounds in brewer
12. Brew according to the recipe above, taking temperature readings.
13. Add 100g of additional brew water
14. Transfer brew to Carter insulated flask, close the flask.
15. Wait 4 minutes, and remove the lid of the preheated brew and allow to cool for 2 minutes before performing taste test.

Taste Results:

• Steel - While both were very good, the coffee made in the preheated brewer was noticeably better.
• Plastic - Both were very good. Preheated was slightly better, less astringent.
• Glass - Both were excellent. I'm not sure why this one turned out so much better than the other two in this instance (practice? I've been performing this test all week). Normally, the glass doesn't produce remarkably better cups.  The room-temp brewer produced a smoother flavor, and the preheated brewer produced a more intense flavor.

Temperature Readings

Fahrenheit / Centigrade	AeroPress Classic Plastic	AeroPress Glass	AeroPress Steel
Ambient Room Temperature	65 / 18.3	65 / 18.3	60 / 15.6
Room-Temp Brewers
Brew temp just after filling with water:	183 / 83.9	179 / 81.7	186 / 85.6
Brew temp just before pressing:	173 / 78.3	169 / 76.1	178 / 81.1
Temperature of coffee just after pressing	156 / 68.9	151 / 66.1	159 / 70.6
Preheated Brewers**
Brew temp just after filling with water:	188 / 86.7	189 / 87.2	189 / 87.2
Brew temp just before pressing:	179 / 81.7	180 / 82.2	182 / 83.3
Temperature of coffee just after pressing	162 / 72.2	164 / 73.3	165 / 73.9

Articles in the series:

Aeropress Comparisons Part 1 - First Impressions: Aeropress Steel

Aeropress Comparisons Part 2 - Single and Double Serving Tests and Results

Aeropress Comparisons Part 3: Temperature Tests and Results (this article)

Aeropress Comparisons Part 2 - Single and Double Serving Tests and Results

Equipment (both tests):

• Flow-control caps. I have two flow-control caps and two steel standard caps, so simultaneous brewing with the same kind of cap is impossible (I lost my standard plastic cap, and the steel flow-control cap is too expensive to buy more than one).   Aeropress steel flow-control cap will be used for the glass and steel versions, and the Fellow Prismo cap will be used with the plastic brewer
• Plastic Aeropress - smoked version purchased during Alan Adler's AeroPress leadership
• Glass Aeropress Premium
• Aeropress Steel
• Preheat water - Mueller electric kettle that heats to boiling
• Brew water - Fellow electric kettle that heats to 200F/93C
• Timemore Millab E01 grinder set to 4.1
• 1 stainless steel carafe for brewing into
• 3 Fellow Carter mugs (12 ounce)
• 3 Pretty Dirt Pottery mugs (about 13 ounce)

Single Serving Test

Recipe - The Tim Wendelboe from the Aeropress Timer app: 

• Traditional (non-inverted) brewing
• 15g of coffee ground to medium-fine
• Water at 200F (93C). The recipe calls for 195g of water, but I used 240g
• Pour all 240g of water, stir for 5 seconds, steep for 30, stir for 10, and plunge for 30
• Beans: People Possession Tanzanian & Colombian blend, honey-processed

Temperature control:

The first time I attempted this sequential test, it failed for two reasons: 1) the temperature differences were significant between the first and last brew, making it difficult to taste the differences; and 2) the grind setting was much too coarse (unfamiliar grinder), and all three turned out weak/watery. So for the next try, all three will be poured into preheated Fellow Carter insulated flasks.

Process:

1. Grind beans.
2. Heat water and assemble brewer.
3. Pour preheat water into the brewer; wait 10 seconds.
4. Pour preheat water from brewer into steel carafe; wait 10 seconds. 
5. Pour preheat water from carafe into Carter mug.
6. Place coffee grounds in brewer. 
7. Start the Aeropress Timer app and brew according to recipe above.
8. Empty Carter mug, and transfer coffee into it.
9. Add an additional 100g of brew water to Carter mug, and seal it up.
10. Repeat 2 more times.
11. Wait 4 minutes and transfer to three room-temperature ceramic serving mugs.

Taste Results:

• Plastic - Smooth but slightly stuttery. Very good. 2nd place
• Glass - Smoothest to press, and easiest with a single serving.Very good. 3rd place
• Steel - Slightly sandpapery texture. Hardest to press, though not hard. Very good. 1st place

I thought the coffees were indistinguishable, but my daughter correctly identified which was which in a blind taste test, ranked them for me, and placed the steel in first place.  

Double Serving Test

Recipe - The Wren from the Aeropress Timer app:

• Traditional (non-inverted) brewing
• 45g of coffee ground to medium-fine
• Water at 200F (93C). The recipe calls for 200g of water, but I filled the brewer almost to the top regardless of volume
• Fill brewer, stir for 15 seconds, steep for 25, and plunge for 25
• Beans: Joe Bean Guatemala La Revuelta 

Temperature control:

For this test, I used room-temperature equipment with no preheating, and on sequential days. This isn't really a comparison between brewers, since only differences significant enough to remember from one day to the next will be noted, and I don't expect that to be the case.   Rather, it's a test of whether each brewer can make good coffee from that recipe without preheating (fwiw, I normally preheat my brewer).

Process:

1. Heat water and assemble brewer.
2. Grind beans and place in brewer. 
3. Start the Aeropress Timer app and brew according to recipe above.
4. Add additional brew water to carafe until it reaches 700ml
5. Pour 350 ml into each of two serving mugs.

Taste Results:

• Plastic - made approximately 150 ml of concentrate, so required around 600ml of additional water. The plastic brewer is remarkably easier to press when using a large volume of coffee grounds, perhaps due to the larger diameter of the brew chamber.  The coffee was very good to excellent.
• Glass - made approximately 150 ml of concentrate, so required around 600ml of additional water.  Second easiest to press through this volume of grounds. The coffee was very good.
• Steel - made about 200 ml of concentrate.  Noticeably harder to press through this volume of grounds, though not impossible. It requires a bit of strong-arming (as defined by a middle-aged woman). The coffee was very good.

The plastic happened to make the best coffee by a small margin, but the last time I did tests like this, the brewer that made the best coffee varied from day to day.  It might be the vagaries of memory from one day to the next, or there are variables that I failed to control for. Probably both.

Articles in the series:

Aeropress Comparisons Part 1 - First Impressions: Aeropress Steel

Aeropress Comparisons Part 2 - Single and Double Serving Tests and Results (this article)

Aeropress Comparisons Part 3: Temperature Tests and Results

Aeropress Comparisons Part 1 - First Impressions: Aeropress Steel

Aeropress Steel

I admit it. I am a crow. 

I like shiny new coffee equipment, and I recently got yet another Aeropress.  I have a smoked plastic version that predates Alan Adler's retirement and sale of Aeropress to Tiny Ltd, the overpriced (but beloved) glass version released a couple of years ago, and I now have a just-released Aeropress Steel, along with a steel flow-control cap heavy enough to slay Goliath, should anyone sling it at him. Unless AP releases something extraordinarily different, the Aeropress Steel is my last one.  Really.

Differences from other versions:

• It has additional capacity, about 350 ml vs 315 ml for the glass and plastic versions. I really like that.
• It is made with just two materials: steel and silicon.
• The stir stick isn't as heavy-duty as the one that comes with the glass version. Whether this is good or bad is a matter of personal preference.
• The inside of the chamber has a textured surface, so it makes a slight swishing sound lacking in the other versions.  I don't care for this, but it's an extremely minor issue.
• It's fully dishwasher safe like the plastic one, but unlike that glass, which requires handwashing (I still say that was a stupid decision on their part). 
• Weight of the brewer (including cap, chamber, plunger, and stir stick) - plastic 215g (with Prismo cap instead of the original), steel 699g, glass 889g. So it's heavy, but not as heavy as the glass.
• Like the plastic version, it should be nearly indestructible, though I suspect that if you drop it off a house, it'll dent instead of bounce.
• Of the three, it's the hardest to press, particularly with a two-serving recipe. It's noticeably more difficult to push the brew water through that volume of grounds, though it's not problematic.
• Like the glass, the chamber is double-walled, so the outside doesn't get hot during brewing. You still have to be careful removing the cap, which does get hot. 
• You can't see through it so you have to brew by feel.   

Things I like: 

• It's not going to break
• It's lighter than the glass, so it's better for travel than the glass (but not the plastic)
• Greater capacity
• Dishwasher safe
• It's less expensive than the glass

Things I don't like:

• While it's less expensive than the glass, it's still quite expensive
• This is a minor issue, but the inside of the chamber is textured, and the swishing sound when it rubs is a little unpleasant. I wonder why they didn't use polished stainless steel inside the chamber?
• I can't see through the brew chamber walls (inherent in a non-transparent material). Not much can be done about that, but they should have done a better job providing other indicators. For example, only level 5 is printed on the inside. 1-4 are missing.
• The plunger seal is compressed when the plunger is pushed all the way in. This is a major design flaw, but there's an easy fix.

Level 5 is the only one printed on the inside

It produces about the same cup of coffee as the plastic and glass versions (unsurprising, since it's the same brewer).  I either brew by weight or fill the brewer all the way up, so the lack of markings inside isn't really a big deal, but anyone who uses the level markings for the various recipes will find it annoying. I think they should have printed the levels on both the outside and on the inside.  And putting some sort of markings on the plunger barrel to show progress while plunging would have been really nice.

By far the most significant design flaw, however, is the plunger length. It's too short by about 2 mm. Many people store the plastic AP with the plunger pushed into the chamber, and the seal protrudes out the bottom just enough that it isn't compressed by the walls of the brew chamber.  If you store it compressed, the seal eventually stops expanding properly and starts leaking, requiring a new seal.  The plastic AP was cheap enough that people often replaced the whole unit, rather than chasing down a new part.  That's less likely with the steel version given its price, but the design guarantees the seal will need replacing sooner (it's the only part that will need replacing over time, and it's fortunately inexpensive).  

There is an easy fix, however. Just remove the rubber gasket around the top of the plunger. I think its purpose is to make it easier to remove from the storage stand.  Without the gasket, the seal protrudes fully from the brew chamber.  There are two minor drawbacks to removing the gasket: it's slightly harder to get a hold of the plunger to remove it from the stand, and there is a little up-and-down play when the plunger is pushed fully through the chamber, which means it can rattle if you give it a good shake.

Left: Seal not extending fully with gasket
Right: Seal fully extended after gasket removal 

My initial impression of brewing with it is that it makes coffee that tastes like it came from an Aeropress. It really doesn't make coffee that is all that different from the plastic or glass version. I also think this may be the best value-for-the-money of the two premium versions. It's dishwasher safe, nearly indestructible, has a greater capacity, and is lighter and less expensive than the glass version.

The plastic one is a great brewer, and I used mine for years, even though I don't like brewing in plastic.  I love the glass version - being able to see the brewing is really nice, but it's expensive and breakable. You give up the nice view with the steel version, but otherwise, it's all upsides. I bought the steel version to be my travel brewer until the glass one breaks (when, not if!). Then I'll use the steel one for both everyday use and travel.

Steel Flow Control Cap:

Left: Standard cap
Right: Flow-control cap

Years before the steel and glass versions came out, I discovered that I liked how recipes brewed inverted tasted, but I didn't actually like brewing that way - using the brewer upside-down is wobbly and prone to being knocked over. I happily switched from the regular cap to the Fellow Prismo, which has a valve that prevents flow-through during brewing. The coffee comes out only when you plunge.   The steel flow-control cap was released at about the same time as the AP Steel, and I'm delighted to have a valved cap that works with the glass and steel versions. Not much to say about it - it works perfectly, is heavy, and sometimes makes an amusing farting noise when pressing.  Glad to have it, but it's expensive.

Added: If you like to press hard at the end of brewing to extract every last drop from the brewer, you can tear a hole in the center of the paper filter and let a few grounds into the cup. This is particularly true with recipes that use smaller amounts of beans (it never happened when I brewed double recipes with 45g of beans).  So either be a little gentler at the end of the brew, or use the metal filter disc, either by itself or in conjunction with a paper filter. 

Articles in the series:

Aeropress Comparisons Part 1 - First Impressions: Aeropress Steel (this article)

Aeropress Comparisons Part 2 - Single and Double Serving Tests and Results

Aeropress Comparisons Part 3: Temperature Tests and Results

Espresso-making with the CoffeeJack v2 (Pro)

    No, this isn't a review (not yet ... one is coming), but because I'm a regular coffee brewer and not really an espresso maker, I needed to understand espresso a bit better before I could use this cool little device.

    Because I'm a tech writer and a flowchart and process nerd, I made myself a flowchart, which I'm just dying to show off:

    Click to enlarge:

    It's a crash course in espresso-making concepts and how they apply to this machine.   It definitely violates some best-practice rules for flowcharting, but I decided that keeping it all on one page was more important to me.

    Pretty cool, huh?  I do love a nice flowchart. I'm giving it away under a Creative Commons license (there's info at the bottom of the image on how to get an editable version). Or you can click here (you need a google/gmail account to save and edit the file, though).

    Anyway, I will eventually write a review of the CoffeeJack v2, but I have to learn how to dial in a shot first, so it'll be a while.  But the early impressions in the online groups are quite promising.

 Here's the introductory video from the Kickstarter campaign, so you can at least see how cool this thing is.   The campaign has ended, and they are in their shipping phase, and it's not yet available for sale, so unless you were a backer, you'll have to wait a bit to get one. I've linked info below.

Those gears give it an almost steampunk vibe, am I right?

Links:

• Kickstarter (ended) with lots of info: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/coffeejack/coffeejack-v2-gear-powered-portable-espresso-machine/description
• https://www.coffeejack.co.uk/ (the v2 isn't available for purchase at the time this article was published - if you go to the buy now button, only the v1 is listed for sale).
• Full review video by Lance Hedrick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQmtF_UI9Ps
• Full review of the v1 (which brews very differently) by James Hoffman, detailing how the company got slammed by COVID during their first campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnSUFXfRddE&t=2s Note: their v2 campaign went FAR better, and they delivered on time, though there were some mishaps along the way (what crowd-funded campaign doesn't?)

Coffee Product Review: Fellow's Electric Atmos Vacuum Cannister

 

Coffee beans are spoiled by oxygen, light, heat, and moisture, so storing them in an opaque vacuum canister is a great idea ... in theory. I've tried several different vacuum storage canisters for coffee over the years, and they all suck (pun intended).

They mostly don't hold a vacuum, and it's just all too common to start your coffee routine by finding that the vacuum canister has equalized overnight, exposing your beans to at least oxygen and humidity.  Some of that can be explained by fresh beans giving off CO2, so the vessel may be filling carbon dioxide (harmless) and not oxygen, but the vast majority of outgassing is done 3 days post-roasting ... and I regularly find broken seals weeks after roasting. Sometimes bits of bean build up on the gaskets, breaking the seal, but even regular cleaning didn't solve it.

So for years, I've used the Airscape canister, which was one of the best solutions inexpensive solutions out there, and it works by using a valved collapsing lid (it's the equivalent of squeezing all the air out of a plastic bag), which reduces the volume of air that comes into contact with the beans. I kept a week's worth of beans in the Airscape and stored the rest of my coffee in canning jars that I vacuum-sealed with a jar sealer.   Canning lids and rings tended to hold a vacuum reasonably (but not perfectly) reliably.

Fortunately, Fellow recently released a coffee storage solution that doesn't suck, their electric Atmos canister (it's battery-operated and only needs charging every couple of months). It's super easy to use. You push a button, and it vacuums itself closed. Push it again, and the vacuum releases so you can get the lid off.  And best of all, it monitors the pressure in the canister and automatically adjusts should the pressure change inside.  

I've been using mine for several months, and I'm delighted with it. It keeps my current bag of coffee fresher than the Airscape, but it's not cheap ($75-$85 depending on size) but it does a really good job. Whenever I put a fresh bag of coffee inside, I brush down the rubber gaskets, and along the inside/top of the canister to prevent bean bits from interfering with the seals.  The top section contains electronic equipment so it's strictly wipe-down only. No running water, and definitely no dishwasher.  But I'm finding that it doesn't need much cleaning anyway.

The bigger size is good if you tend to buy your coffee in 1-pound bags (454g), and the smaller will hold 12-ounce bags (340g).

First impressions: Aeropress Premium Review

Aeropress Premium - Glass and Metal

 I love coffee, and one method of brewing that I fell in love with years ago was the Aeropress, which is an oddball brewer that is basically a giant syringe, but the plunger pushes concentrated coffee through a filter instead of a needle.

It's an incredibly flexible way to brew, and there are thousands of recipes out there. I've created my very best cups of coffee using the Aeropress.

The only problem? It's made of plastic, and I don't like brewing in plastic, because plastic absorbs off-flavors, and I don't believe that even BPA-free plastic isn't leaching something into my coffee.  I do use plastic for food storage, but I try to limit its use to things that are room temperature and below, as chemical leaching happens far more at hot temperatures than cold.

But that means that I decided not to use the Aeropress as an every-day brewer, and limited its use to traveling (it's lightweight and nearly unbreakable), and for a few days each month to mix it up with other methods of brewing.  I've wanted a glass or metal version ever since.

Alan Adler, the inventor (incidentally, he also invented the Aerobie frisbee), resisted the call for a glass or metal version for nearly two decades because he thought it was a terrible idea.  And, to be fair to Mr. Adler, there really are significant downsides. Glass and metal get hot, and are heat sinks, expensive, breakable and heavy.   The AP was also beloved because not only did it make excellent coffee, it was also cheap. They were originally sold for $20 back in 2005. Even today, the basic versions retail for $30-$40. 

But, eventually, Mr. Adler got old and sold the company, and the investment firm that bought the business started releasing new versions left and right (Adler was notoriously cautious about implementing new ideas), but most didn't interest me. But a year and a half ago, they teased coffee lovers with a glimpse of a glass and metal version, which DID, and a few weeks ago (finally!) they released the Aeropress Premium, made of double-walled borosilicate glass, steel, aluminum, and silicon (the plunger disk/seal).  It came with a premium price tag, too, one that rather shocked the world of specialty coffee: $150. Even I think it should have been priced in the $80-$100 range.  I had a coupon, so I got mine for $120, but still.    

I decided to skip the new stand/caddy they were offering to go with the Premium, because it too was shockingly expensive; $100 for the caddy. No thanks. I just hoped my existing stand might work.

The packaging was well-designed to protect the glass

Besides the price tag, am I happy with it? Yes and no, but mostly yes. I can get delicious cups of coffee with the thing, just as good as with the plastic one. But the damn thing feels a bit like a showpiece (it is undeniably attractive) rather than a convenient, practical, everyday piece of equipment for one reason: IT IS NOT DISHWASHER SAFE. What the hell were they thinking?  

The plunger and (I think) also the collar at the bottom of the brew chamber are made out of coated aluminum, and aluminum does ugly things in the dishwasher. Even the brew cap filter holder is made of coated stainless steel, and the coating isn't dishwasher safe.    And in the end, if the coatings aren't safe in the dishwasher, are they safe for coffee brewing?  Hopefully.

So, it is not exactly what I was looking for. I would have preferred they not use aluminum or coat the stainless (which don't need coatings anyway), and make the collar that holds the brew chamber and the plunger out of heavy-duty plastic or hollow stainless steel. I'd have been fine with plastic parts as long as they don't touch the coffee.  We called for a metal/glass version not because we wanted something fancy but because we wanted something that couldn't leach unwanted chemicals into our coffee.

Now, handwashing aside - I'm happy with the fact that they used double-walled borosilicate glass.  The outer diameter is the same as before, so existing accessories might still work.  But the double-walls are MUCH thicker than in the Original, which means they had to make the Premium significantly taller in order to keep the capacity the same (both hold about 320 ml if you are curious). That also means the plunger and stirrer had to be longer as well. So my existing Aeropress caddy only sort of works with the Premium. 

Here it is first with the Original AP, then with the new Premium:

Existing after-market stand holding plastic AP Original.

Premium AP in the existing stand.
Note how the brew chamber extends down over the funnel

Note the changes in shape between the tools.

The stand accommodated the plastic funnel that came with the AP Original, though the AP Premium ditched the funnel entirely. I actually use the funnel and will keep using it.

The new scoop doesn't fit in the scoop spot, but DOES fit in the existing stirrer slot, though I pretty much never use the scoop much anyway (I brew by weight).  The new stirrer is too fat to fit in the stirrer slot, but it can be suspended inside the plunger instead.  The only true problem is the way the funnel is enclosed inside the bottom of the brew chamber. I don't just use the funnel for the AP, but also when I'm brewing with the Stagg dripper - the funnel works way better than the one Fellow included with the dripper.  So the inconvenient access to the funnel (you have to use two hands, one to lift the brew chamber out of the way, and one to grab the funnel) is annoying.

AP Original funnel in use with Fellow's Stagg dripper.

Then it occurred to me that the stand is held together with screws and that we could "just" replace the legs with taller ones.  I talked to my husband who disassembled it, and after spending $11 at Menards, he replaced the legs with 12" (30 cm) threaded steel rods, a few nuts, and 4 plastic feet, and voilà:

$11 worth of materials and
my old stand now fits nicely.

As for how it works ... well, about the same as the original. You have to be a little gentler with the glass, and pre-heating the brewer is a must to avoid dropping the temperature of the water too much.  The new stainless filter cap isn't valved, so I may have to go back to inverted brewing, which is a little annoying (I hope they add a metal valved filter cap later).

Inverted brewing (left), and normal (right)

When using the brewer as intended, you set it on a mug or carafe, and because the filter cap has holes in it, coffee drains slowly out while brewing except when the plunger is in place, and then the liquid stays in the brewer for the same reason it does when you cover the end of a straw: capillary action, surface tension, and air pressure (and yes, I just looked that up).  When you push on the plunger, pressure builds in the chamber as you force the coffee through the grounds and the filter, and into the mug.

Because baristas wanted the coffee to stay in the brew chamber during brewing, they invented the inverted method, brewing upside-down; then when you are ready to plunge, you put the filter/filter cap on, flip it, and plunge. It takes some practice, but it can be done without making a mess.  But it's still a hassle, and I loved my valved filter holder that held the coffee inside even when brewing right-side up.  But it, like the rest of the AP, was plastic, so now that I have a glass brewer, I probably won't use it anymore.

The diameter of the flanged end of the plunger is very slightly wider (maybe 2 or 3 mm?) than on the Original and between that and the added weight, the Premium is actually a little more stable in the inverted position which is a Very Good Thing.  

Between the added height in both the brew chamber and the plunger, it's nearly 4" (10cm) taller when inverted, which puts it roughly even with my breast-bone (I'm on the short side, at about 5'3"/1.6m), which is decidedly less convenient (I prefer to pour 200F/93C liquids into vessels that are a little lower than that). But, it is not the end of the world by any means, and it is probably a non-issue for folks who are taller than I am.  

Most people who have an AP have knocked over an inverted brewer at least once, and I'd hate to do that with this expensive (and breakable!) version, and right now I'm thinking I'm just not going to use inverted brewing anymore, and I'll modify my inverted recipes to work right-side up.

Inverted brewing height:
Original (L) and Premium (R) 

How does it brew?  Fine.  My first brewing was delicious, and there isn't that much difference in quality between what comes from the Premium vs. from the Original, but I didn't really expect it to, as the brewer is essentially the same. Because plastic can absorb odors and flavors, the Premium should remain more neutral-smelling over time. And if you are careful to preheat the brewer, the glass being a heat sink should become a non-issue, with the temperature remaining steady during brewing. I preheat all of my brewers anyway, so it doesn't even represent a change in my brewing habits.

I never upgraded to the AP Clear that the company released a year or so ago, so this was the first time I could actually see the coffee brewing in the brew chamber, and that was really neat.  

The filter cap is easier to screw onto the brewer than with the plastic version, and that is quite nice.

All in all, it is a pleasure to use and felt nice in my hands. It's not perfect due to the ergonomics and lack of a metal flow control filter cap, but really, really nice.  And yes, I think it'll be worth the handwashing hassle, though I hope the company releases a dishwasher-safe version at some point.

I do plan to continue using my Aeropress Original while traveling through. 

Coffee Storage - 10-step method for cheaply preserving coffee beans

    Oxygen, light, humidity, and heat are the enemies of the bean. 

    I've been experimenting (though not very methodically) with bean storage for years, and because I don't roast my own beans, nor live close to a roaster, I rely on mail-order for my freshly-roasted beans. 

    But ... postage is expensive, and I can often get free postage if I order more than $50 or $75 worth of coffee at a time, and that's great and all... but I have one cup of coffee per day. It takes me a bit over two weeks to finish one bag, and six-eight weeks to finish all the coffee I buy to get the free shipping. And by then, it's it's lost that lovin' feeling (er, gone stale).

    So, what's a girl to do?

    Simple:

    1. Empty half of one bag into a small Airscape canister for use that week.  

Definitely go for the metal or ceramic version,
as the glass Airscape exposes the beans to light.
 $27. https://a.co/d/g5DnVPf

    2. I empty the other half of the bag into a 16-ounce/pint/470 ml wide-mouth canning jar (NOT the regular mouth - more on that below). I prefer the amber jars to the regular jars, to shut out more light. This size holds about 1/2 a 12-ounce bag of coffee very nicely.

4 Pack amber: https://amzn.to/48q5JpT
$15 - 12 pack clear: https://amzn.to/3HqX1M1

    3. Place the flat canning lid on the jar.

    4. Place the wide-mouth lid of a FoodSaver jar sealer onto the jar, pressing down until it's fully-seated.

The FoodSaver Jar Sealer kit comes with both wide- and regular-mouth lids. 
The wide-mouth version works great. The regular one does not.
$12 - https://amzn.to/48URyJm

    5. Using a cheap automotive hand-pump (or an electric Food-Saver pump, but that's more expensive), vacuum seal it to 20 psi. (There are pictures at the end of the article that show how to connect the pump to the FoodSaver lid).

Technically this is called a "Brake Bleeder Kit Hand held Vacuum Pump Test Set"
$18 - https://amzn.to/3TWzV7J

    I find that depending on the weather, it takes 40-60 pumps to achieve the desired vacuum level. To save my hands, I rest the handle farthest from the gauge on the table, and push the other handle up and down until it reaches 20 psi on the gauge.

    6.  Press the tiny pin on the barrel of the pump. This will release pressure outside of the jar, causing the lid to seal down. You'll probably hear a tiny ping. 

    7. Remove the jar sealer lid. The flat lid should be sealed down. Screw a canning ring on tightly.

    8.  Place the jar in a dedicated mini-fridge. I can already hear the horrified gasps of coffee enthusiasts everywhere, who will tell you that the coffee will absorb odors, or go stale more quickly due to the humid environment. But this is a dedicated mini-fridge that holds only coffee, cream, and simple syrup. The coffee is well-sealed in the jar, so that should also protect it from the humidity, and it's also dark and cool, further protecting the beans. I also suspect that they'd do fine in a regular fridge, but that's up to you.

    9. When I need a fresh jar of beans, I take it out of the fridge the night before to let the beans come up to temperature overnight (If you open the jar while the beans are still cold, humidity in the air will condense on the beans and they really will go stale very quickly).

    10. Pry open the flat canning lid, and empty the beans into the Airscape for use over the next few days.  Enjoy.  

    The beans seem to hold their flavor far better than with any other method I've tried (vacuum bags, Vacuvin or even the Atmos, etc.).  But ... maybe I just got tired of trying things? I'd love for others to test out my method and tell me what they think.

    The flat canning lids are indefinitely reusable.  If they stop holding pressure, it might be because coffee-bean bits are preventing a good seal, so wash them in hot soapy water, and that should fix it. Eventually, you may need to replace the flat lids, but I've been using the same set for 3 years now, and they are doing fine.  I usually pack the jars about 5 days after roasting, but the beans will give off some CO2 in the next few weeks, and by the time I open the jars, the seal is often much weaker than it was on the day I sealed them up.  Only rarely is the jar fully equalized, but the ring lid should keep things airtight.

Forgetting to take a jar out of the fridge:

I regularly forget to take the jar out of the fridge the night before. When I discover that I don't have enough beans for my morning cup, I take the fresh jar out of the fridge, and set it aside for the next morning. Then I grab a bag of beans I keep in the freezer and opening the bag as little as possible, I take out just what I need for that day. 

Connecting the handpump to the FoodSaver jar sealer:

Click to enlarge

    The tubing that comes with the jar sealer has an adapter on both ends. Plug one end directly into the lid. The hand pump comes with a bunch of little black rubber adapters and short pieces of tubing. Find an black rubber adapter that will accommodate the jar sealer adapter, and plug the other end into a piece of tubing, then connect that to the pump.

 

Good coffee on the cheap (sort of)

 Coffee can be an expensive habit, no doubt.

But, it doesn't have to be.  

Here are some easy ways to improve your coffee game without breaking the bank. I ranked these from most important to least, so start at the top of your list, and work your way down, stopping at any time you want. But, if you do nothing else, I'd at least follow the first two suggestions (grinding just before brewing, and buying fresher beans).

Buy whole beans and grind just before brewing.  Purchasing pre-ground coffee guarantees a stale cup within a day or two.  So, get a grinder and buy whole beans.  Grinders start under $20. 

• Hand crank burr grinder. Burr grinders produce a consistent grind (though you'll need to experiment until you get a good grind size, so expect to get a few bad cups at first). Cheapest are hand-cranked, something like this: https://a.co/d/9Ty0UD6. $19.
• Blade grinders are not as good because they don't produce consistent particle sizes. BUT, a blade grinder is still a huge step up from buying pre-ground coffee. Coarseness/fineness is determined by the time spent grinding (a longer grind time results in finer grounds, a shorter one results in a coarser grind). Grind for 15 seconds and see how the coffee tastes, then grind for longer/shorter times until you get a cup you like.
• Any electric burr grinder of your choice. They start around $40 and go on up in price. BUT DO NOT USE THE HOPPER. They do a poor job of storing the coffee, exposing the beans to light and air, causing the beans to go stale. Do what is called "single dosing" and pour just what you need for that batch of coffee into the grinder.

Buy freshly-roasted beans. If they come in a can, they aren't fresh.  Beans are best about 3 days after roasting, to let the CO2 outgas.  They will start at about $10 per 16-ounce bag. I usually spend about $15-$20 for 12 ounces. That still works out to be wildly less expensive than buying brewed coffee at a coffee shop.  Buy your beans from coffee shops and local roasters, or by mail order. Some grocery stores carry fresh beans, but you'll need to check roast dates.  Look for beans that have been roasted within the last week, but if the bags are well-sealed, then buying them up to 1-2 months after roasting may be fine (it's a matter of preference, but I don't buy beans that are more than a week post-roast).

Improve your coffee storage.  Keep your coffee fresh, by storing it away from light,  heat, humidity, and oxygen.  Believe it or not, this is one of the cheapest and easiest things to improve. If you use beans quickly, then keep them at room temperature. Otherwise, wrap them well and freeze or refrigerate (most coffee snobs think the fridge is bad for beans, but I've found that if they are well-wrapped, it's fine). In either case bring them fully to room temp before using so that moisture doesn't condense on the beans and make them go stale.

• Store it in the bag: the bag the beans are sold in usually have a little one-way valve on them. Just store it in the bag, and get an alligator cup measuring spoon. Squeeze excess air from the bag, and clip it closed with one of these. https://a.co/d/4wP0VPD. $5.
• If you go through a 12 ounce bag of coffee relatively quickly (say, in a week or so) get a medium Airscape. https://a.co/d/g5DnVPf. Get one of the metal or ceramic ones, not glass (glass exposes the beans to light, which isn't good for them). $32
• If it takes you more than say 10 days to finish 12 ounces, then get a small metal or ceramic Airscape (same link as above, but select small). $27.  Put about half the beans in the Airscape, and leave the rest in the bag. Squeeze all the air out of the bag, clip it closed with a cheap alligator clip, and pop the bag in the freezer.  When you need more beans, remember to let them thaw fully before opening the bag. $27.
• If you buy a bunch of coffee at a time as I do (to save on postage), vacuum pack the beans and keep them in the fridge (and as with frozen beans, let them warm up before opening the container and transferring to the airscape).  Use brown glass canning jars to limit light exposure, and a handpump (or if you have it, an electric vacuum sealer like a Food Saver).
• Amber Canning jars. https://a.co/d/cJAZu5P.  Pints (widemouth only!) are a good size because they contain about 1/2 a bag of beans.  Once sealed, I keep these in the fridge and when I'm ready to open a jar, I let it come up to room temp overnight and transfer to the Airscape. Get wide-mouth jars (not regular). $35
• Hand pump. https://a.co/d/2Yqa0Xi.  You'll use this to pump the air out of the canning jar. I take the vacuum to 20 psi on the dial. You will also need the FoodSaver jar sealer. $17.
• FoodSaver jar sealer. https://a.co/d/1Lpz2mn. Use the wide mouth version (I usually can't get the narrow-mouth to work). Plug one end of the tubing into the lid sealer, and if using the handpump, you'll remove the connector from the other end of the tubing, and use one of the adapters from the hand pump kit to attach the tubing to the pump. Remove the ring from the jar, slide the sealer down over the lid, pump to 20, then push the little pressure release on the pump, then remove the jar sealer. The lid should be vacuumed down. $20.

Explore manual methods of coffee brewing. Brewing using an auto-drip coffeemaker is a perfectly fine, reliable way to get a decent cup. BUT, you'll up your game if you go to a manual method. Heat your own water and brew it yourself.  It's not hard, and not much more work.  This is split into two sections: controlling water temp and brewing.

Controlling water temperature: Cheapest (if you have a microwave) is a glass measuring cup, or a garden-variety stove-top kettle, but it's more fun to use an electric kettle.

Cheapest options:

• If you have a microwave, get a microwave-safe glass measuring cup and a cheap metal thermometer. Nothing fancy is needed. Measure your water, heat to boiling, then take it out and stick the thermometer into the water. When it drops to 200-205, then use it to brew your coffee.  
• Electric kettle (any inexpensive one will do fine). They run $25-$40. You'll still need a thermometer though.

Brewing the coffee. I've tried lots of methods over the years, but the cheapest and easiest brewer I've found that will give you a great cup is the Clever Dripper, which brews similarly to the French press. FPs  are cheaper, but they are harder to clean and you wind up with sludge in your cup, so I prefer the Clever. I'd use the glass option ($61) for daily use, the plastic one ($36) when camping or traveling. Super easy to use: 

1. Pop in a filter, fill it with hot tap water to pre-heat it while you are heating the brew water.
2. When the brew water is ready, drain the preheat water and discard. 
3. Fill it with 400 ml (14 ounces) of 200F brew water and add 25g (2 tbsp more or less) of medium ground coffee
4. Give it a stir until the floating grounds are fully wet, then put the lid on. 
5. Stir after 2 minutes (to get any remaining floating grounds to sink).
6. Drain at 4 minutes by setting it onto your mug. The edge of your mug will release the valve, and the coffee drains from the brewer.

Here's a video.  Here's a more advanced video from my favorite coffee guy. You'll note that he grinds the coffee more finely and steeps for half the time. (Those are things you can play with, the amount of coffee, amount of water, steep time, and grind size).  

To make 2 cups at once, do everything the same as above, but double the grounds used, and drain into a vessel that can hold about 28 ounces, then dilute the concentrate by adding another 400 ml/14 ounces of hot water.   Pour into two mugs.

And finally, there are some more expensive toys that reduce hassle:

• Coffee scale (any cheap kitchen scale will do, but coffee scales are designed for a wetter environment and they are more expensive).  But they are great because you don't have to measure anything by volume. You brew on the scale itself and do everything by weight.
• Variable temperature electric kettle - Bonavita makes one but I like the Fellow Stagg Electric kettle ($195). It takes the water to the desired temp and holds it there so no guesswork.  Some cheaper electric tea kettles have pre-sets. Look for one that has a 200F or 205F setting, but they do cost a bit more (start at around $50 instead of $30).