A filter that works for French Press brewed with Espresso Grind Coffee!
Positive Product Points
KISS (Keep it Simple Stupid) - Aerobie got this down pat. Company stands behind product.
Negative Product Points
Rubber seal wears out in about 5 to 6 months in high use situations.
Detailed Commentary
I like extremely full bodied coffee, much along the line of monster Shiraz wine from Australia such as Henry's Drive or Vintage Port. The Aeropress fails in that area but produces a wonderfully clean cup that allows the nuances of the particular cultivar to shine (that is assuming you do not brew anything beyond a full city plus roast). The filtering and the short brew time make body an issue. Espresso gets some of its body from the fine particles that are not filtered; the Aeropress removes that.
Being the consumate tinkerer that I am, I began experimenting. For me a perfect cup size is about 320 ml. (around 10 oz. in Imperial Units). With ground coffee the Aerobie is too small. Adding boiled water afterwards to the cup thins the body. Enter the French Press. With a quality conical burr grinder, a French Press will easily work with Espresso fine grind. I use a Peugeot hand mill. However, the sledge from the grind is too much for a 320 ml. cup. Using 5 tablespoons of coffee ground fine and brewed in the French Press for five minutes, I pour the resultant brew into the Aerobie and push it through the filter. This is impossible with a pour over drip as most people who have tried know. Not with the Aeropress, the hand pump pushes your drink through the filter removing most the dredge but allowing enough particulate for incredible body. You do not even notice it while drinking.
I tried this with 60 percent Bourbon Guatemala, 30 percent Ademe Bedane Sidamo, and 10 percent Yemen Matari, all roasted to about an Agtron 45 to 50, and the result was a liquid chocolate bar with a thick creamy almost syrupy body.
While brewing French Press heat loss is an issue. Place your FP in a larger container and pour boiling water around the outside. It will not scald your ground coffee and will keep your FP brew hot when it is ready to pour.
Buying Experience
The retailer made all of his regular customers try this. An incredible number of them purchased a unit.
