Alan Adler: The Inventor of the AeroPress Coffee Machine

How do these coffee machines work?

If you’ve ever looked for the best coffee makers to have in your home so you can brew the daily cup of joe that wakes you up every morning, chances are you’ve heard of the AeroPress, or you might have one in your kitchen. But what’s an AeroPress in any case? It’s a device for brewing coffee that was invented back in 2005 by an engineer called Alan Adler. In these coffee machines, the coffee is steeped for 10–50 seconds and then forced through a filter by pressing the plunger through the tube. The final result is a delicious espresso-like coffee thanks to which the AeroPress has become one of the favorite brewers among coffee lovers.

And it’s all thanks to its inventor. AeroPress machines are simple to use, easy to clean and let you regulate the amount of pressure you put into your coffee brew so you can finish the whole process in less than a minute. Nowadays, people use their AeroPress however they prefer, and there are even competitions especially dedicated to this style of brewing.

How did the AeroPress come to be?

Adler is convinced that most of the time, inventions work when you think of a new way to improve something that already exists. Before the AeroPress, coffee brewing could take around five minutes to complete, and there was no way to actually make a drink as strong as espresso without an espresso machine. About home espresso machines, he says: “There’s no way to adjust the temperature, and it was that problem that led me to start designing my own coffee maker. Because I wanted the freedom to use whatever temperature tasted best, and I didn’t have that freedom with a home espresso machine or with an automatic drip machine.”

At the same time, Adler found out about the benefits of brewing coffee at lower temperatures and decided to create a machine that would allow him to make a single shot for himself at home. He realized a closed chamber that he could pressurize to speed up the process was what he needed, and so he started to work on a prototype in his store and that’s how the first concepts of the AeroPress were born.

A machine that inspired competitions

One thing that’s absolutely great and unique about AeroPress machines is their versatility. It allows you to experiment and create your own personalized ways of brewing your coffee. You can find many different videos on YouTube of people using non-traditional methods to reinvent their drink with the AeroPress. It has even inspired the World AeroPress Championship in which baristas get ready to innovate and try to make the perfect cup of coffee.

However, Adler never saw the competitions coming. In an interview with Sprudge, he explained “Not in my wildest fantasy dreams did I ever consider that (...) When I reflect on it now, the AeroPress really is a perfect thing for a competition because it’s so flexible. It encourages innovation. You couldn’t really have that with an ordinary espresso machine because it’s pretty set with how it works–but the AeroPress, there’s just an unlimited amount of ways you can use it.”

The original recipe

If we go back to the origins of the AeroPress though, we’ll find that Alan Adler experimented quite a lot before coming up with the final AeroPress machine and the recipe that worked best for him. It stands out for its simplicity. If you want to brew your coffee just like the inventor of the AeroPress, all you’ll need will be your vessel, your coffee, and water. First, follow these recommendations:

• The coffee should be of espresso-like grind size.
• Water should sit at 80℃–85℃ temperature. 80℃ for medium to dark roast, 85℃ for lighter roasts.

Then, for the less-than-one-minute brewing process, follow these steps:

1. Place the filter in the filter basket.
2. Screw the basket onto the AeroPress.
3. Sit the AeroPress on top of a decanter or a mug.
4. Put one scoop of coffee in. That equals about 15 grams of coffee.
5. Add water up to the #1 mark. It should be about 85–90ml.
6. Stir the coffee well for about ten seconds, making sure all grounds are wet.
7. Connect the plunger at the top of the vessel.
8. Press the plunger down for about 20–60 seconds, depending on the pressure. It’s recommended to simply put your hands on top of the plunger and let them push the plunger with their natural weight.
9. The result of this recipe is a coffee concentrate. Add hot water based on your taste preference.
10. To clean the brewer, remove the cap, throw away the coffee grounds, and wash your brewer.

Are you ready to brew your coffee Alan Adler’s style? AeroPress is very simple and fun to use! Besides, its practicality makes it the perfect coffee maker to take on a trip or quickly prepare a single shot. Our espresso ground coffee selection is great to try with AeroPress machines, so head to That Coffee Roasters’ online store and prepare to have the most amazing cup of coffee of your life!

Brew strong coffee with them.

---

That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters

How to Pick the Right Coffee Grinder for You

How to tell apart good coffee grinders from bad ones.

When it comes to coffee equipment, technology has made it a little confusing to actually pick what’s best for us. There are so many options and so many fancy gadgets that sometimes we feel like if we don’t get the best and newest tool, we’re not making a good investment. Now, most people brew ground coffee, but if you’d like to get into the world of specialty coffee and start playing with the possibilities that lie hidden behind every cup, then you should definitely start by grinding your own roasted coffee.

Why grind it when you can have it pre-ground?

Coffee is a product that’s always best consumed when fresh. The more recently-roasted the beans are, the better they’ll taste, because once the roasting is done, the beans immediately start to release aromas that can make a huge difference when it comes to flavor. On the other hand, if you want to immerse yourself into the world of coffee brewing and try different recipes and methods, then you most definitely need to have control over the grind size, since it needs to be perfect for your brewer and not too coarse or too fine.

Experimenting with different sizes will also allow you to manipulate your coffee’s flavor. But which grinder should you use then? On today’s article, we hope to shed some light on the alternatives so you can pick wisely and start having fun!

Blade vs. Burr

The first thing you need to know is that there are two main types: blade grinders and burr grinders. The former are, obviously, made of blades that slice coffee beans into multiple parts. The longer this kind of grinder is on, the finer your coffee will become. Some people advice to stick to burr grinders over blade ones, mainly because the later chops rather than grinds, which can result in an inconsistent grind. They also heat up the beans which can potentially change the flavor.

Burr grinders basically have two burrs, one that stays still and the other that is attached to a motor and rotates. Rather than chopping the beans, these types of grinders crush them and because the force of impact isn’t concentrated in one specific point, the final result tends to be more consistent. However, they tend to be more expensive and can use more energy. They can  be worth it though; a better grinder will make better coffee than most brewers will.

If you choose burr grinders, you can pick between flat blades and conical ones.  Conical grinders are known to be more precise as they can be adjusted by degrees. They’re also more expensive than flat blade grinders, since these only allow to set the disks together for finer grounds or further apart for coarser ones.

Besides all of the above, other things you need to consider are how often and how much will you grind. Once you’ve got your own coffee powder, you should be aware that it’ll go stale pretty quickly, so if you don’t need coffee in large quantities, then you should probably stick to smaller coffee grinders, especially since many of them are so big that they hardly fit countertop units.

Finally, the right choice for you will also depend on whether you tend to try different types of brews and coffee makers. If you like to go from a french press to an espresso, then you’ll need a grinder that allows you to set different settings for specific coffee machines.

The important thing is to have fun experimenting with beans and discovering how they can change and affect our cup of coffee. At That Coffee Roasters, we believe there are few things in life that say morning coffee as freshly grinded coffee. Those are the little details that make every day worth living to the fullest.

Have you ever ground your own coffee?

---

That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters

Immersion vs. Dripping: Two Methods for Brewing Coffee

Grounded coffee has many different ways of being brewed, but each method will have its own characteristics concerning taste and strength.

One of the reasons coffee products have maintained an ongoing business is the many sources and preparations it has abroad. You can either enjoy a soft latte macchiato or go straight black with a strong espresso; there’s variety for all tastes. What makes them all so different, then? It all comes down to the way coffee is brewed; mechanically or with some simple tools.

For some, the magic happens when they prepare their coffee without any machine involved. Immersion and dripping are, if not the best, the most natural ways to brew this popular beverage. Immerse yourself into the making of coffee; we’ll break down both methods and see which fits you better.

Dripping

This is the classical method that most North Americans use to brew their grounded coffee. The tools needed for dripping are few: a paper filter, a pot for the coffee to sit and the grounds place on top of the filter. Drip brews are absolutely clean, and no grounds are sitting in the beverage.

This type of brew gives off a good quality brew without the need of lots of equipment. Nonetheless, manual dripping is not as good as electrical drip brewers; these offer a better taste in comparison. Overall, dripping is a favorable way of obtaining a nice brew in a short time.

Immersion

Generally referred as infusion, this method is a huge category of several styles to brew coffee. Infusion is the addition of coffee grounds into water to extract their flavor and characteristics. The texture and taste of coffee are more deep and thick, because of the grind of coffee (which is generally set to coarse) and the fact that the grounds sit in the water.

Many devices do the immersion process nicely – Clever, Aeropress, Café Solo or Syphon –, but the most preferred in houses is the French Press. This press is a classic device for immersion in coffee, and with the addition of dark roasts, you’ll be getting the best results than with any other brews.

Dripping vs. Immersion

The main difference between these two methods could be in the taste and characteristics of each: while dripping results in a more clear and soft beverage, immersion is more rough and thick.

Flavor is also different in each case. Dripping absorbs all characteristics of the coffee while being filtered down without the need to sit, whereas immersion absorbs more of the acidic taste of coffee grounds.

Also, it’s important to mention that, regarding efficiency, dripping turns out to be better overall. Why is it more convenient? The answer lies in the fact that dripping absorbs more of the grounds while passing to the cup, resulting in a higher concentration of the grounds compared to immersion.

So, does that mean that immersion is worse than dripping? Each method features its own set of characteristics, so it would be hard to say one is better or worse. But in terms of profitability, dripping wins with a small margin.

No matter which of the two you enjoy the most. In the end, it’s all about finding the best beans; they are the ones that will do the job and fill your morning cup. That Coffee Roasters is known for having not only the best sources of coffee worldwide but roasting the best beans of the market. Don’t think twice, contact them and have a cup!

You can put the same proportions of water and coffee through each method, and the results will vary.

---

That Coffee Roasters

Phone Number: (305) 821-8811

2697 W. 76 Street, Hialeah, Florida 33016

Facebook: That Coffee Roasters

Instagram: thatcoffeeroasters