Serious coffee drinkers swear by the Aeropress Coffee Maker, and for good reason.
SHORT VERSION: The Aeropress coffee maker has gained legendary status since its introduction in 2005. It’s not for everyone, but it will appeal to coffee drinkers who value taste and consistency over push-button convenience. Just about everyone agrees that it makes great coffee, and it comes with none of the hassles that plague automatic drip coffee makers.
List price: $31.99
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EXTERIOR
This is the part of the review where I usually talk about how tall a coffee maker is and how accessible the water reservoir is, but none of that applies to the Aeropress coffee maker. It’s less of a gadget and more of a coffee making kit. It’s shockingly simple and, with a couple of accessories such as a thermometer (you can get one for about $7)
and a reusable stainless steel filter (as of now, $10
), you’ll be set for a long while as far as coffee making equipment goes.

REASONS TO BUY AN AEROPRESS COFFEE MAKER
Raise your hand if any of the following applies to you:
- You hate bitter coffee
- You’ve dealt with “plastic taste” from past coffee makers
- You’ve had coffee makers break down on you
- You’ve had coffee makers overflow and barf coffee all over your kitchen counter
- You’ve struggled with poorly designed carafes that leak all over the place
- You’ve bought expensive coffee makers only to have them disappoint you
- You’re wasting tons of cash on K-cups (not to mention the environmental impact)
Okay, you can put your hand down now. The Aeropress coffee maker solves all of these problems, largely by removing the electronic element that basically defines the drip coffee maker universe. Here are the basic steps needed to make Aeropress coffee:

The superior coffee this Aeropress coffee maker produces is the result of several different characteristics of the Aeropress brewing method. First, the recommended water temperature is 175° F which is quite a bit lower than the generally accepted “optimal” brewing range of 195° – 205° F. This lower temperature makes for a coffee that’s smooth, not bitter. The much shorter brew time also helps quite a bit. And, unlike drip coffee makers (despite whatever they may claim), it is exceedingly rare for the coffee grounds used in drip methods to be uniformly extracted. The Aeropress coffee maker guarantees uniform extraction.
Here’s a little how-to video produced by the makers of Aeropress:
Mechanical drip coffee makers are subject to all kinds of problems and hassles, and most buyers agree that the Aeropress coffee maker produces a far superior cup. Plus, it comes with 300+ filters. Some coffee makers don’t even come with one.
REASONS TO NOT BUY
First things first…the Aeropress coffee maker is not what you’d call “convenient.” It takes some effort. You have to heat water, preferably with a thermometer in place to make sure it’s right around 175° F (or whatever temperature you like). There are also a bunch of parts that you need to keep track of and clean, although most people say cleaning is very easy. You also need to press down on the plunger pretty hard in order to push the water through the coffee and filter. This routine isn’t for everyone.
Also, as mentioned earlier, this Aeropress coffee maker doesn’t really make espresso. It makes something that resembles espresso, but hardcore espresso drinkers will argue until they’re blue in the face that it’s not espresso. Okay, fine! It doesn’t make espresso! Geez.
SUMMARY
This “coffee maker” (again, it’s more of a kit) is so popular and so renowned for producing incredible coffee that it’s spawned an entire subculture. There’s even an international coffee-making competition for Aeropress enthusiasts.
If great coffee is more important than convenience, then you should buy an Aeropress coffee maker right now. This goes double if you’ve spent any time in coffee maker hell with bitterness and overflows and leaking carafes and all that nonsense.
Just for fun, I’ll close with a couple of fun facts:
The inventor, Alan Adler, is a professional tinkerer who is probably best known for inventing the Aerobie flying ring. Parker Brothers once sold it under the name “Skyro.” Also, Adler has stated in interviews that he made the first Aeropress in his garage and it hasn’t changed much since then.
Wasn’t that fun? Store that information in your fun fact file and whip it out at cocktail parties and barbecues. Everyone will be amazed by your breadth of fun fact knowledge.

RECOMMENDATION
BUY if coffee taste is more important than coffee maker convenience
.
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