Aeropress

Like Coffee?

OK, let's start off by saying if you don't like coffee, then this post is probably not for you.

Although we are avid tea drinkers, our enjoyment of a good cup of coffee was only usually possible when we went to a bar, cafe or restaurant. Of course we have instant coffee on board, but you can't compare that to the real thing.

Our friend Peter, who recently flew from the UK to sail with us, is something of a coffee connoisseur. Very kindly, Peter made a gift to the boat of an Aeropress coffee maker. So why all the fuss? Well, firstly the 'machine' is small, ideal when storage space is at a premium. Secondly, it uses no electricity. Thirdly, it takes real coffee so no need to purchase expensive pods. Fourthly, unlike a cafetière or percolator it does not need much water to clean it after use. Water is a valuable commodity on a boat. 

It has transformed our coffee drinking, although we limit ourselves to just one cup a day. Now we can choose real coffee from the various countries we visit. 

So how does it work? Well with the help of my glamorous assistant, we will show you the upside down method as taught to us by Peter. Why the Upside Down method? Well it keeps the coffee from leaking through the filter before it is ready.

Below we have the components of the Aeropress. We normally keep them together in a snap bag so they don't get lost in the depths of the cupboard when we bounce around at sea!

The Aeropress kit

Pop the kettle on, and take one of the paper filters, insert into the cap and rinse with water. The filter being damp helps it stay in place for our method.

Aeropress filter paper

Assemble the plunger, ensuring the rubber end is clean and dry.

Assembling the Aeropress

Measure out your desired coffee grounds.

Measuring the coffee

Pop the grounds into the chamber.

Adding the coffee

Pour your hot but not boiling water so that it covers the grounds and a little more. Wait for 30 to 40 seconds. At this point you can add some hot water to your coffee cup to warm it up.

Hot but not boiling water

Top up the chamber and stir gently.

Just a little stir

 
Now screw on the cap containing the filter and leave to settle for about a minute and a half.

Pop on the filter

 
If you have a wide brimmed cup, or mug as we do, you can also pop on the funnel at this stage.

With the funnel on top

 
Invert the Aeropress over your cup and push firmly but slowly all the way down on the plunger.

Push down!

 
Viola, now you have a cup of coffee!

Steve's favourite Donkey mug

We like to divide the coffee made into two mugs and top up with hot water, and add milk if required.

And Lynne's favourite mug!

Now for the easy part compared to a cafetière or percolator, just untwist the end cap and give the plunger a tap and the grounds are in the bin with almost no mess at all.

Getting rid of the grounds

This method works for us, but there are many others that you can see on the Internet, and even videos on YouTube.

It's an ideal product to serve coffee to a couple of people, but you may use something else if you are having a large gathering or dinner party.

As equipment goes for boat owners, it comes highly recommended.