Coffee and my Aeropress

willabur

Trying to figure out the best coffee for my aeropress.

I normally buy coffee from 3FE or Clement and Pekoe. Yesterday I found myself out of coffee and nowhere near my 2 favourite coffee joints so I picked up a pack of Lavazza Oro on the recommendation of a dude in work who I don't particularly have a lot of time for

As lavazza is a huge international corp I was kinda hoping that the coffee would be putrid muck but it turns out that it was actually lovely. Much nicer than the coffee I get from my two favourite coffee joints. I feel quite conflicted about this as I want to root for the little guys but the big guys are the winners here.


One thing I should point out is that I used a much shorter brewing period than I normally use. 10 seconds stirring with 20-30 seconds with the plunger in. Normally its a 20 second stir and at least 1 minute in the Aeropress. It may just be a case of me misusing the aeropress with the speciality coffee

just-joe

You need to try both methods with both coffees and then let us know your verdict!

willabur

I have just carried out this very test.

I have just had a Malawi Geisha picked up from C&P roasted on the 22nd of May using this same method. It is definitely better with a shorter steeping time - the sourness is not there anymore. It still lacks the body of the Lavazza. I'm thinking that may be down to the grind. I will grind it a bit finer to see if that makes a difference

Marcusm

Lavazza is still family controlled is it not? Not in the same league of international corporations as Nescafe or Starbucks. Methinks you should not be so disappointed to find it good.

willabur

they are family controlled but worldwide and massive all the same.
according to wikipedia (reliable as ever) turnover in 2006 was €1 billion.

Curry Addict

willabur wrote: »

I have just carried out this very test.

I have just had a Malawi Geisha picked up from C&P roasted on the 22nd of May using this same method. It is definitely better with a shorter steeping time - the sourness is not there anymore. It still lacks the body of the Lavazza. I'm thinking that may be down to the grind. I will grind it a bit finer to see if that makes a difference

i found the Malawi Geisha was quite a weak coffee and disappointing. I wouldnt buy it again. maybe its just difficult to get the best out of it and requires experimentation.

before i found hasbean my favorite was lavazza oro. hasbean coffee in general is vastly superior to lavazza oro.

willabur

Hasbean have quite a few beans. Usually cost €7.50 for 250g - some cost more than twice that
which one would you recommend in particular

ASJ112

A lot of the Ethiopian beans are very tasty willabur, and come in at around 8 euros.

Curry Addict

starting off i would recommend using one of their blended coffees are they are usually more robust than single origin and easier to work with.

i would guess the "blake" blend is easiest to work with as i find it has great body and very robust. I prefer jabawaky and kicker though.
when you are happy with your results move on to single origins...

check the brewing guide for your particular aeropress and copy exactly.

PPC

Checkout http://brewmethods.com/ for different Aeropress methods, small changes can make a huge difference in taste.

Grab the http://www.hasbean.co.uk/products/Filter-Starter-Pack.html, theres a good diversity in the beans there.
I'm really enjoying the Nicaragua Limoncillo Pacamara Naturals at the moment, both are excellent coffees.
I think personally, espresso roasts/blends can be a bit too strong in the aeropress and you're better sticking to lighter roasts and letting the brew cool slightly (to ~40°c) to get the most flavour out.