The Aeropress Is Officially the Only Thing I Use to Make Coffee
It saves me $18 a week (that adds up!).
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Hi, I’m a coffee snob on a budget — nice to meet you. As such, I’m constantly re-evaluating my caffeine habits. Math says I should brew my own coffee. But as the only person in my family who imbibes, there's no point in making a big pot — and I'm not so keen on single-serving pods because of the waste. Therefore, I typically default to that $3.50 cup of joe from my local café.
Typically used to default, I should say. Everything changed when I started using an AeroPress coffee maker. Over the years, I’d seen various coffee aficionados tout the gadget, but it took a little push from my lovely colleague to get one. It only costs $30 — what could really be the downside?
The AeroPress is appealing to me because it makes brewing coffee at my desk easy. About the size of a water bottle, it fits into my small top desk drawer and requires neither electricity or nor batteries. At last, a coffee maker that doesn’t hog desk (or counter) space.
Created by a retired Stanford University engineering professor, the Aeropress functions simply and swiftly. Press down on a little plunger to force hot water through ground coffee and a small filter straight into your mug. The entire process takes two minutes (literally) and produces a single serving of espresso-style brew that’s strong and aromatic but not bitter. I find it tastes better than the cup I might buy from my local coffee shop, not to mention every single French press-style cup I've had. If you choose, you can dilute it with hot water to create an americano — or add frothy milk for a latte.
Moreover, it’s the easiest coffee maker to clean: the grounds are compressed into a thin puck that you can plunge straight into your garbage/compost can. Then, simply give the plunger a quick rinse.
Daniele Jesus / EyeEm
After two weeks of using it, I sat down to calculate just how much money a cup of Aeropress coffee cost me. Each serving uses 14 grams (.49 ounces) of fine drip grind coffee (which you measure with the included scoop). The 12-ounce bag of Blue Bottle Coffee I drink costs $22 and makes 24 cups of coffee with the Aeropress, meaning each cup of joe costs 92 cents — a great rate, even with the pricey beans I'm choosing (it's a little luxury that makes a difference to me!). On every cup, I saved $2.60. In a single a week (drinking one cup a day) I saved about $18. The dollars really start adding up.
I’ve been using the AeroPress for several months now, and I'm never going back. I just posted a craigslist ad for the gorgeous pour-over coffee maker that’s sat untouched in my cabinet for three years. Sometimes, when I mention the AeroPress in daily conversation to someone (because yes, I do that), their eyes light up. Because if you know, you know.
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