The Simplest
Walking around IFA in Berlin back in 2016, I must have had 20 espressos in one day. Part of it was to combat the jet lag, but part of it was to try out different coffee makers being marketed at the show. I must have floated through the convention halls.
I’ve tried espresso machines fancy and simple, I’ve had expensive pour overs, I’ve had Chemex brewed coffees, and tried espressos in Italy and France, Starbucks, Tim Hortons, and McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts, and more. But, of all of them, few actually compete for the enjoyment and quality I get from the simple Aeropress.
I remember reading about the contraption in Tim Ferriss’ Four Hour Body. It was another piece from his “world of the esoteric”. I registered it but it’d be a few years before I tried it. It lived up to the hype and on a cost basis, is of extreme value and out performs all other forms of coffee drinking hands down.
Is it the most convenient coffee maker? No. Can it be used with one hand? Not easily. Do I occasionally lose parts or misplace the filters? Yes. However, it does a few things well:
- It makes the best version of any ground coffee
- It is consistent in its performance
- It is quick
It can turn a cheap Nabob pre-ground coffee into something like it came from Mission Steet. Or, it can elevate a Kona or a Costa Rica.
There is something very satisfying about a simple mechanical product doing good in this world.
