Aeropress Coffee Maker

The Aeropress is a $30 plastic coffee maker invented by a Frisbee designer. That those 2 things are connected tells you a lot about the design philosophy behind it. The device is a simple tube with a plunger, like a large syringe. You brew coffee by putting grounds and hot water in the tube, stirring for 30 seconds, and pressing the plunger to push water through a paper filter into your mug. The whole process takes about 2 minutes and produces a cup that tastes cleaner than French press and smoother than drip. Deliberately anti-precious in its design, the plastic is BPA-free but not beautiful, the measurements are printed in plain text on the side of the tube. Paper filters come in a stack of 350 for $5. Every component is dishwasher safe and the entire device packs inside itself for travel, making it something you throw in a suitcase without worrying about breaking it. The Aeropress World Championship is a real competition where baristas compete using modified recipes. Winning techniques often involve unconventional methods like inverted brewing and multiple agitations that the inventor never intended. I bought 1 because I wanted decent coffee in my dorm room without the counter space for a pour-over setup. It has replaced every other brewing method in my rotation. Flavor depends entirely on your water temperature, grind size. Steep time, and the community posts recipes online like they are sharing code, with exact measurements down to the gram of coffee and the degree of water temperature.