AeroPressOriginal Coffee and Espresso-style Maker, Barista Level Portable Coffee Maker with Chamber, Plunger, & Filters, Quick Coffee and Espresso Maker

Want nice coffee on the go? Want to dip a toe into the specialty coffee world without breaking the bank? Want to control almost every aspect of your brew? This is the brewer for you. It's fantastic. Just make sure to pick up a Fellow Prismo or Flow Control Cap, as that will improve the experience even more. As is, it makes great coffee, cleans itself, and is super portable. Can't get much better than that.Avoid if you need to make coffee for more than two people at once on the regular. This should be obvious, I hope.

Easy to use and clean up.

So far, this coffee maker has lived up to expectations and then some. I already own two drip machines (had one and got another as a gift), and I'm not a big coffee drinker, so I had mixed feelings about buying another. But I liked the thought of it being so easy to use and clean, not to mention making a better cup of coffee, one without the grinds in the bottom of the cup. I can't really speak to the quality of the coffee since, again, I'm not a big coffee drinker, and I have been using a bag of "expired," pre-ground, basic coffee. But it certainly does keep the crud out of the cup. Another thing I've noticed is that it is much easier on my stomach. Typically whenever I drink coffee, my stomach is upset the next day. I have yet to experience this when using the AeroPress. It's likely due to it removing so much of the acids from the coffee, but whatever the reason, it's great. I suspect caffeine itself is also to blame, as I've also had the issue with energy drinks, but not as often and, again, not with this.Another reason I decided to get this was for using it for traveling and camping. It's great for that, since it packs up fairly compact and all you need is your coffee and when you're ready to have some coffee you just heat up some water. I also like the idea I read in another review about making it really strong (which you can't do with a drip maker) and using it as concentrate, diluting it with hot water later to heat it back up and turn a thermos-full into several cups of coffee. I don't use the measuring cup or the stirrer (I just use a spoon, and you could even gently shake it), and I can't figure out what the top center piece in the picture is even for, so all I take with me when I go somewhere is the main unit and the funnel. They just fit, along with my coffee, into a gallon-sized ziploc bag. You can even stick the coffee into the center of the plunger piece to save room. I just wish they would make the funnel shorter (1/2 to 2/3 the depth) so it would stow away better. If they made the main part snap into the funnel, it would make the whole setup more secure when using and would allow the funnel to be shortened, I think, without negatively impacting it's performance. An oval version would also be great, allowing it to be packed flatter/better. That might require a removable round adapter to better fit a mug, or better yet make the top of the funnel oval, so in the flatter dimension it would be the same width, but it would pack flat and still work just as well.One thing I've learned is that you don't want to press all the way to the grounds. This seems to make them stick to the plunger so they don't fall out when opening the bottom over the trash. If you leave about 1-2mm of space between the plunger and the top of the grounds, they dump right into the trash as a solid chunk. Which is another great thing about this thing: no more trying to shake out the grounds from a drip maker filter then having to rinse the rest out in the sink, which isn't good for the disposal or septic and can cause clogs, not to mention is a pain.One final note. For those concerned about BPA, there are some things to keep in mind:- BPA has often been replaced with BPS, which is thought to be many times worse- The water is only in contact with the plastic for less than half a minute, so not much leeching will occur (though to be fair, it is hot water, and heat is what causes leeching)- Most, if not all, coffee makers have plastic parts which contact the water, and many even have reservoirs where the water sits for (relatively) long periods (again, to be fair, at least this is cold/lukewarm water)- Many homes have plastic water supply hoses that the water sits in while waiting to be used (again, cold water)That all said, a stainless (or better still, titanium) version of this would be great.

I've owned two "prosumer" home espresso machines, but sold or gave them both away. They take up to much counter space, are expensive, and are fussy in the way of complex technology made cheaply. I've replaced them with a combination of this Aeropress and a "Bellmann Cappuccino" Moka-style pot. We've come to like the coffee from the Aeropress so much, that I only use the Bellmann pot for it's steam wand, using it to perfectly froth milk for latte's that are better than ones made by any coffee house barista.Make no mistake - the Aeropress doesn't make real espresso. But it does make perfect strong coffee for Americano's and latte's, which are the two my family drinks anyway. The coffee that the Aeropress produces is a delicious and as wonderful as the most favorable reviews imply. It can be as strong as you like it, without those coffee extractives from higher temperature extraction methods that cause the stomach distress and aftertaste. This coffee is strong and incredibly SMOOOOOTH.The Aeropress is calibrated in "shots". Grind one scoup of beans for each shot. Dump in the ground coffee. Add 175 degree water to the 1 or 2 or 3 mark, depending upon the number of shots you are making. Stir for ten seconds. Then press slowly with the plunger. I find no difficulty in pressing. No instability. No unreaonable effort.Now, pair this with the Bellmann Cappuccino, and you can make great latte. The Bellmann is not sold by Amazon, but you can buy it from Fantes.com. The Bellmann is a quality stainless steel Moka-pot that incorporates a steam want to let you perfectly froth milk. You can also use the Bellmann for making traditional Italian style Moka-pot espresso -- but with the Aeropress, I don't bother. My wife says my latte's are better than any she can buy in town. (She likes vanilla latte, and I make my own vanilla syrup with 1-1/2 C sugar, 1/2 C brown sugar, 1 C water, 1 Tablespoon real vanilla extract. This is a superior syrup because all commercial syrups are made from inferior corn syrup sweetener, which is used because it is cheaper than cane sugar.) The latte recipe is 1 to 2 shots of Aeropress "espresso", 8 ounces of 2% milk perfectly frothed using the Bellman steam wand, and 1/2 oz. to 1-1/2 oz. vanilla syrup depending upon desired sweetness. Vary the proportions to suit your own taste preference. 1 shot of coffee, and 1 oz of syrup is a good start.I have the Bellmann pot with the added pressure gauge. I recommend the pressure gauged model. The guage is a handy guide, and a nice reassurance of safety, but not mandatory if your budget is really tight, and especially if you are only going to use it to froth milk. Without the guage, simply heat until the steam just starts to bleed from the pressure relief valve, which on my unit happens at about 2.5 atmospheres, and which is well below the 3.5 atmosphere bottom of the red zone on the guage.The Aeropress and Bellman combo is not fast latte production, but we are a family of two, so we don't need high rates of production. Yes, this is a bit of a "fussy" approach in its own right, but at least it is low-tech fussy, and I now enjoy the journey as much as the destination.Even if you have a tight budget, the Aeropress is unbeatable as a economical way to make the best coffee you ever tasted. Plus, I think it is the best at any price. The Aeropress in combination with the Bellmann Cappuccino will let you make unsurpassable lattes, as well as passable espresso.I disagree with the folks that complain about the price. Being the owner of a manufacturing company, I can tell you that everything costs 3 to 5 times as much to produce as you would estimate. If you think it is so over-priced, just try to make one yourself in the garage. This is a well designed product and the manufacturer deserves to make a decent profit.I do agree with the suggestion to re-use the filters. When making breakfast for a big crew, I've used one filter a dozen times with perfect result.For less than $30, you should have no hesitation about buying the Aeropress. I also strongly recommend the Bellmann Cappuccino.