Coffee, coffee, coffee!

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by ATHiker

Maybe the upgraded control panel address that issue?

Yes, it gives you manual control, and has a safety feature that you have to press a button after 75% of the roast time, to show you are watching. The same automatic profiles run parallel, and you can always default back to them at any time. There is also dual motor speeds. I almost always roast 13 1/3 ounces at a time, at a 1 lb setting. This way I can choose whatever profile I prefer, and add time during the roast as needed. The new controls allow slowing down the roast between first and second crack, rather than opening the door for the same effect.

What I like about the Behmor is the roast size, and I should now be able to do full one pound roasts. I would quickly fall behind doing smaller roasts.

[ATHiker]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

Yes, it gives you manual control, and has a safety feature that you have to press a button after 75% of the roast time, to show you are watching. The same automatic profiles run parallel, and you can always default back to them at any time. There is also dual motor speeds. I almost always roast 13 1/3 ounces at a time, at a 1 lb setting. This way I can choose whatever profile I prefer, and add time during the roast as needed. The new controls allow slowing down the roast between first and second crack, rather than opening the door for the same effect.

What I like about the Behmor is the roast size, and I should now be able to do full one pound roasts. I would quickly fall behind doing smaller roasts.

Thanks. This is good info. I notice the upgraded control panel is listed on the Sweet Maria's website.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by ATHiker

Thanks. This is good info. I notice the upgraded control panel is listed on the Sweet Maria's website.

It sounds easy to install, but i have had mine from them for well over a week now, and it is not installed yet.

[C&G in FL]

There are some pretty bad one star reviews of the AeroPress on Amazon. I just mention that because I have no first hand experience with it, but it would interesting if someone here could refute the claims of some of the bad reviews.

[Ian G]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

There are some pretty bad one star reviews of the AeroPress on Amazon. I just mention that because I have no first hand experience with it, but it would interesting if someone here could refute the claims of some of the bad reviews.

Like any review everyone has their opinion or expectations.Yet what I see looking at the 3144 Amazon reviews are that 80% (2524 reviews) of the reviews give it the full 5 stars, 11% (356) give it 4 stars, 3.7% (115) 3 stars, 2% (64) 2 starts and 2.7% (84) 1 star. I would say the reviews are extremely positive.
Amazon.com: Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker: French Presses: Kitchen & Dining

[Jim Bennett]

You have to take Amazon reviews with a grain of salt. If anyone ever has an issue with something, they head to Amazon to complain. If they like something, they are less likely to go looking for a place to say so. I did not find the reviews that bad, over all.

EDIT: Or what Ian said.

For most self confessed coffee snobs, the AeroPress is by far the most common form of coffee extraction when on the go. There are very few members of the various coffee forums that don't have one to use, and many of these people have multi thousand dollar espresso machines as well.

[gbaglo]

Was a story on Marketplace, on CBC TV the other night, about companies that write reviews for a fee. Marketplace created a web-site for a food truck that doesn't exist ( using Photoshop ) and paid for raving reviews of their grill-cheese sandwich.

[Ian G]

It also appears there there are counterfeit AeroPress that are sold online. I was checking out the Porlex grinder mentioned in this thread and when I went to the Canadian distributors site (Eight Ounce Coffee) a window opens warning that they would not offer any warrantee if you bought the grinder on Amazon or Ebay because of counterfeit units. A Google search on Counterfeit AeroPress brings up information on how to tell the difference. The same bad reviews could be from counterfeit AeroPress units the customer unknowingly purchased

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by BCnomad

I see they are conveniently for sale at the Osoyoos Home Hardware too. What is a typical price on these?

Edit: I see amazon.com has 'em

Roughly thirty bucks - in a store or online. I got mine from Amazon.ca, because I was buying some other stuff at the same time so it would be convenient with no additional shipping cost, but local coffee specialty stores don't charge much more.

Really, it's a straightforward plastic product plus a rubber seal and a stack of filters that are worth a fraction of one cent each... much more than thirty bucks would be unreasonable, but I'm not risking getting crap to save compared to that price.

[C&G in FL]

Okay. I could use multiple quotes here, but I won't as there really is no need. When I mentioned "bad reviews," perhaps I should have been specific. But before I get into that, let me state that I have read enough reviews and believe myself fully capable of discerning reviews written by the disgruntled (I thought I was getting a pair but there was only one in the package), by the idiots (I gave it one star because it was smaller than I thought), and those individuals who couldn't tell the difference between quality and crap if their lives depended upon it. Nor am I swayed by numbers. If 95 out of one hundred people tell me that stickies are better than FG campers that doesn't mean they are right, but I would be willing to bet that stickies account for somewhere near 95% of all camper sales. And before you crucify me for saying that, it is only a guess; I do not and have not looked for data to back up my guess.
As to specifics, and before I get into the specifics, I know nothing about them other than what I have seen in pictures. NO FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE. I will never use another coffee press because I am perfectly happy drinking coffee made from freshly ground beans brewed in a drip coffee maker. I realize that a so-called "coffee snob" (not my term) would cringe at the thought. Nor would I go through the expense to purchase a home coffee roaster or the bother to use it as I PERSONALLY have better things to do with my time and as I stated earlier in the thread, rinsing the basket and the carafe is a heck of a lot easier than cleaning any coffee press I have ever used.
The only reason I posed the question is because several of the one star raters mentioned degradation of plastic mesh on the AeroPress. Admittedly, I don't even know how this piece of equipment uses plastic mesh. NO FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE. Those that did mention plastic mesh degrading did not strike me as disgruntled or idiotic. And they seemed to be merely recounting their personal experience and not attempting to discern quality vs. crap. One individual speaks of researching the mesh material and questions if he/she has been consuming something harmful to one's health. Reviews such as this give ME cause to take notice.
Ian G makes a good point. Counterfeit products often are of lower quality than the original product being copied, but not always. However, we have no way of knowing if those reviewers mentioning mesh degradation actually have counterfeits or the real thing.
Again, nothing said on this thread is going to convince me to roast or press coffee. It's just not worth the effort FOR ME. I can and used to brew my own beer. It was better than anything probably 90% of the people on this forum have ever had to drink. Nowadays I drink beer from craft breweries. Not as good as the stuff I can brew, but generally better than the garbage that the big name breweries put out. It was fine when I had the long winter months in New Hampshire to brew my own, but I have better things to do with my time now that I am in the Sunshine State. I guess everything in life is a compromise.
So let's have some follow-up here. Your thoughts on the health risk aspect. Not on percentages of reviews or how many people use the product. Those numbers are not debatable. Whether or not there is a potential health risk is.

[rbryan4]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

Your thoughts on the health risk aspect. Not on percentages of reviews or how many people use the product. Those numbers are not debatable. Whether or not there is a potential health risk is.

The health question isn't really debatable either. The Aeropress is BPA- and phthalate-free. Its just a matter of which method you prefer. The reviewers fears were unfounded IMHO.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by rbryan4

The Aeropress is BPA- and phthalate-free. Its just a matter of which method you prefer. The reviewers fears were unfounded IMHO.

I'll admit that I haven't read the review in question, but what are they comparing too... a glass filter holder? An Italian espresso maker such as a Bialetti? Not many coffee makers are free of plastic; even the French presses often have plastic parts. There never seems to be a shortage of paranoia...

[Ian G]

I do understand you don't have any experience with this product so any review both positive or negative would be fuel for questions. In short the "real" AeroPress does not have any MESH associated with it. I have attached a picture of the components, the body, the plunger and the filter holder, which is a heavier plastic perforated cap.

There are "after market" reusable mesh filters and wire mesh filters available, these are not made by AeroPress but may be offered as part of a package by some suppliers. The plastic mesh filter MAY be what these reviews are speaking of. We only use the paper filters which are very inexpensive $7.00 for 350 filters so I, like you, do not have any experience with these reusable filters

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

I will never use another coffee press because I am perfectly happy drinking coffee made from freshly ground beans brewed in a drip coffee maker.

I don't know why they would cringe. Although some have very specific preferences about the coffee maker, due to the water temperature, the drip-through-filter approach is quite popular... even among coffee connoisseurs. Maybe that's the problem: by at least one definition, a "snob" is more interested in appearing to have more refined tastes than in actually knowing anything about the subject.

I just like good coffee and enjoy clever machines.

Originally Posted by C&G in FL

The only reason I posed the question is because several of the one star raters mentioned degradation of plastic mesh on the AeroPress. Admittedly, I don't even know how this piece of equipment uses plastic mesh. NO FIRST HAND EXPERIENCE. Those that did mention plastic mesh degrading did not strike me as disgruntled or idiotic. And they seemed to be merely recounting their personal experience and not attempting to discern quality vs. crap. One individual speaks of researching the mesh material and questions if he/she has been consuming something harmful to one's health. Reviews such as this give ME cause to take notice.

The "mesh" is the perforated surface of the AeroPress filter holder. The holes are big; this is not a filter that might degrade, just a holder - it's intact or it's broken. It would be hard to wreck this, but at the end of the pressing operation the plunger is trying to push the grounds through this holder, so gorilla-like users may have problems with breaking the thing.

Addition on edit:
After I started my reply Ian posted his excellent response. He has a good point: there are aftermarket (not by Aerobie) permanent filters (in plastic and in stainless steel) available for use in place of the standard paper filter. To me, this would destroy much of the easy cleanup advantage, and the tiny bit of paper going into the compost bin (or even garbage) seems economically and environmentally reasonable to me, so I have no plan to bother with an alternative.

[Jim Bennett]

Originally Posted by Ian G

We only use the paper filters which are very inexpensive $7.00 for 350 filters so I, like you, do not have any experience with these reusable filters

Plus, each paper filter is good for about 10 uses too. Lots of bang for the buck.

As mentioned earlier, we now use the stainless steel Able disk, in both our AeroPresses. It takes about an extra 2 seconds to wipe off when you are rinsing of the other components.

[C&G in FL]

Since Brian admits that he didn't read the review, I guess I can admit that I read the review some time ago and mistakenly "remembered" that the reviewer was talking about mesh of some sort. I was wrong. I found the review again and he/she is apparently referring to one of the plastic component parts of the AeroPress. And I am not accusing anyone of being a "snob." I want to be clear about that. Someone else introduced that term in the discussion. I do like good coffee myself. I just do not find all the extra effort to produce great coffee would be an acceptable compromise of my time, especially when I am on the road. I find the taste of Dunkin' Donuts coffee perfectly acceptable. Others would say Starbuck's is better. I jokingly tell people I go to Starbucks when I need kerosene for the lantern. Some would say they both suck! In almost every discussion I have been in on this forum, I have always posted with the philosophy of "each to their own," and that is exactly what I would say about the AeroPress. I am just trying to get people's thoughts, not to criticize their choices or get them to rethink their choices, and I hope everyone realizes that. Anyway, the following is the Amazon review in question:

Several years ago I bought this--the copolyester, BPA-free version--as a travel espresso maker. Despite the name and claims, it does not make real espresso. Period. Bit that is not the reason for this review.

I have since started drinking coffee in the winter, and I enjoy using this to make "filtered French press" coffee. The resulting coffee is milder and mellowed, but I have enjoyed using lighter roasted, brighter coffee beans.

So why my poor rating? The other day I took a closer look at the coffee-stained brewing chamber and realized that it was as rough as 30-grit sandpaper. Under a magnifying glass, I could see large crevices in the plastic brewing chamber. The plastic has been slowly disintegrating. Into my coffee.

So what is this "copolyster" that I have been drinking in my coffee? A quick online education reveals that "by introducing diacids or other diols to the polyester polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the material becomes a copolyester." The manufacturer of the AeroPress doesn't say much about the material other than claiming it won't leach phthalates. But polyesters ARE phthalates. Further, a literature review in 2009 published in Environmental Health Perspectives by Leonard Sax ("Polyethylene Terephthalate May Yield Endocrine Disruptors") revealed massive leaching of phthalates from PETs in hot environments (above 70 degrees C), particularly with acidic substances. Well, my coffee is well above 70C, and everyone's coffee is acidic. So I am left to conclude that I have likely been mega-dosing myself with endocrine-disrupting phthalates every morning for the past couple years! Do yourself a favor and brew in glass, stainless steel, porcelain, or similar material known to be inert at high temperatures!

[gbaglo]

I think we may have to lay off the coffee and have some tea. People are getting jittery.

[Brian B-P]

Sometimes the extra effort to produce great coffee - or even just different coffee - is a relaxing way to spend time, if only to provide a change of pace from a normal working day. It really is a matter of whatever works for the individual, and the situation.

[azjack]

After 25 years of drinking airline coffee to keep awake or for something to do, I don't pay attention to what coffee tastes like but my wife seems to comment on all coffee in restaurants, usually negatively. After this discussion I ordered two of the items listed and thought we might see if we could find something that tastes good and gives us something to do each day, if we have time. Instead of drinking 4 cups, I can slowly make and drink two cups and she might let me use her kitchen stuff.
Jack

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by gbaglo

I think we may have to lay off the coffee and have some tea. People are getting jittery.

Caffein is what makes one jittery. Tea also contains caffein. Need a better solution than tea!!!