Coffee Hacks With Mark/Foxie Moxie
Coffee aficionado Mark Frauenfelder demonstrates his favorite portable coffee maker, the Aeropress, and makes a delicious cup of methamphetamine-free espresso (Intelligentsia Coffee's "Black Cat" variety, to be precise). While you're enjoying that first cup, watch this mesmerizing gogo dancer, Miss Foxie Moxie.
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This video should be titled: "People use the drip coffee makers in hotels to make meth"
Mark's example looked like a rather small amount of coffee. Do you still get good, dark coffee if you make enough in one "squeeze" to fill a standard coffee mug, or would you have to do it in two batches to get that much strong coffee?
So, my son swears by the Aeropress. Okay, it looks like a great single-cup brewer. Then Mark F mentions that "it was designed by the same guy that created the Aerobie". Ah, so Alan Adler's still going strong! Alan's a great guy - I used to work in the same building with him a gazillion years ago (Acurex/Aerotherm). He'd test Aerobie prototypes in the parking lot with us, made out of milled HD polyurethane. Those things could hurt...
Mark said that he was having trouble finding these little gems locally. I found them for sale at Sur La Table stores. (http://www.surlatable.com/)
The Aeropress is incredible! I love love love mine.
I am reluctant to put plastic in a microwave these days given the concerns about components in the plastic leaching into food or liquids inside.
You also have the danger of superheating the water. Depending on the shape of the container and solids (minerals, etc.) suspended in the water, you can heat water over boiling in a microwave and then it sort of explodes when it contacts cooler liquid or other substances.
I used to use this in a controlled fashion to make americanos with a slightly tapering cylindrical mug that would keep the water in a weird state after overboiling, and then burble (but not blow out) when I poured the espresso shot in.
As an avid coffee-drinker, I'd have to object to any system that uses a paper filter. These types of filters absorb a good deal of the oils that carry some of the most subtle and important flavors in a cup of coffee.
French press is definitely the best way to go. There are many travel varieties, including versions that double as a traveler mug.
Re: Joe Funk.
It is a small amount of liquid, but it is of such concentration it is more like a Dopio or Lungo shot from an espresso machine then a equal amount of drip.
When I make a batch it fills a standard coffee cup about halfway up, and I usually dilute with about an equal portion of hot water.
Even when diluted it is much stronger with more intense flavor then you typically can get from drip.
When I last moved I left behind with the former roommates a $150 high end thermal carafe coffee maker because I had effectively stopped using it favor of the Aeropress.
However, unlike Mark I heat my water in the electric kettle I use to heat the water for my morning oats.
@Joe Funk - One "squeeze" as you call it will produce essentially a hyper-concentrated shot of coffee (like espresso) and then you can add hot water to fill your mug and still end up with a very strong cup of joe.
"I don't to have my coffee mixed with those chemicals"
A legitimate concern, but what about microwaving water in that plastic container? I'm presuming that the product is made in China: the possible presence of phthalates and other toxic chemicals in the plastic leeching into the water would definitely make me want to heat it in a different way.
-Cliff
Unbleached filters? Do you not find the coffee tastes quite a lot like paper?
Whilst you get a very smooth cup when the water is cooler - it is much better if you brew around 200F, I suspect the water you had microwaved was a little cooler. (Why a microwave - what is wrong with a kettle?)
Good choice of coffee though - Intelligentsia are great.
I quite like using mine with higher dose of slightly coarser ground coffee to brew about 3 or 4oz of strong coffee and then adding a little fresh hot water (maybe another 3 or 4oz).
Doesn't beat a good French Press though!
I use one of these daily. You can't beat the coffee this thing makes, and it's kind of amazing it takes less than 2 minutes, start to finish.
I'll second that endorsement of the Black Cat blend. That would pretty much be the only coffee I've been making lately in the espresso maker. It is damned good, and locally made (I live just north of Chicago)!
I'll have to give this little guy a try :-) Sounds like a great alternative to bringing a stove-top espresso maker which really only works if you go somewhere with a stove, and doesn't always have the greatest results.
Knowing me, I'd use a cup too small and tip the cup over as I'm pressing down with as much force as I can, causing coffee and hot water to go everywhere!
And dude... what's up with the animated BBTV "bug" appearing multiple times in that short clip? You know how annoying it is on TV, right? So are you guys trying to make a point or something?
--Rob
Great concept but there are a few things that would make it better in my opinion.
I'm not a huge fan of heated plastic especially when it's holding my food/beverage. So a ceramic version would be more to my liking and would address the 'ugliness factor'. Sorry, but it's rather plain and dull looking, ceramic would be more attractive and you could use a variety of colors, finishes and patterns.
Also, I can tell from the video that it would take me all of five seconds to not only shatter the glass due to the pressure being placed on it during compression (and possibly crack the plastic for the same reason) but also the cup bottom would slide on the table and most likely end up on the floor in a gajillion pieces and I'd be covered in hot coffee. Admittedly I'm severely accident prone but I think it's a real concern for the average user.
Here's what I'd like to see. A ceramic version in attractive colors, the pieces would fit inside each other (Russian stacking doll style) for easy portability and the device would include a matching ceramic mug with a rubber bottom, a nicer ceramic stir-stick and a washable reusable filter.
As is, it's great for when you're camping or something, but not something I'd want to pull out and use in front of guests at an afternoon tea/coffee.
yeah, just watch out for using it "fakie" style (brewing upside down, then pushing the piston up until the coffee reaches the top, then putting the filter cap on and quickly turning it over, and finally pushing the coffee thru the filter) that way supposedly more of the coffee oils make it through since they tend to concentrate at the top of the mess.
i've burned myself pretty badly a couple of times when trying to get the piston flush - its very hard to move at first and then reaches a point where it slides easily.
and yeah, as others have mentioned the product of the aeropress is more like an espresso shot and needs to be diluted as one would make an americano.
you can solve the microwave "overboiling" problem by putting a chopstick or a bamboo skewer in the water - that gives the water some irregularities so it can start boiling.
You don't have to put their plastic cup in the microwave, you can use any cup you want for that.
I betcha someone could make an upscale version of this out of stainless steel, with a microwave-safe cup for the hot water. And a titanium version for the backpackers, of course.
Thanks, Learethak. That makes sense; I suppose I wasn't quite getting how concentrated it actually is.
I'm also interested in the references to heating water appropriately in a microwave. When traveling, it's far more common to have access to a microwave than a kettle (and some have made clear their desire to avoid using in-room coffeemakers). Being able to heat water in a microwave in such a way that the water was hot enough but not explosive would be a plus.
While this comment isn't about the coffee (which looks lovely, btw), I'm 85% sure that Miss Foxie Moxie is dancing at the Copro Nason gallery at Bergamot Station in Santa Monica; one of the best low-brow galleries in the West, if I do say so myself.
So, can anyone confirm my hunch?
@cheeken you are correct! Our apologies, we should have made this clearer. Yes, this was shot at Copro Nason!
That coffee could be even better if it were ground immediately before brewing.
I prefer my little stainless steel Alessi stovetop moka pot for morning brews at home. I love the look and feel, and it's also quicker and simpler. But I like using the Aeropress on the road and especially for filling my thermos because it makes a delicious and very clean drink that doesn't get bitter over time. I always dilute 1:1 with hot water.
When I wet the bottom of the piston before inserting and beginning to plunge, it slides much easier. The difference is clear in the video -- notice how smoothly the plunger moves once Mark gets down to the wetted part of the barrel.
Mark's wrong about the pressure/flavor thing. The idea behind this system is that by thoroughly combining the hot water and ground coffee (thus the stirring -- get that stirrer all the way in so it rides on top of the barrel! -- it's machined so it just barely misses the filter), for only a short time (thus the quicker plunge rather than slow gravity drip), we extract the maximum good flavors. The small filter imparts virtually no taste but absorbs oils which contain significant amounts of cholesterol. There was or is a very long Aeropress thread on coffeegeek.com in which Alan Alder posted many times. It's a great source of info on this product.
I have a fantastic Braun drip machine, and I drink 2-3 cups of coffee a day. My brother bought one of these 2 years ago, and I made fun of him because it looks silly. A plunger? And then, he made me the most amazing cup of coffee I'd ever had. It is simply the cleanest brew --- the paper filter is extremely fine, and there's not a microscopic coffee particle anywhere.
My brother bought me one for my birthday. I heat water in a kettle to 175 (recommended temperature), not a microwave. Stir for 10 seconds, let sit for 20 more. It is the best coffee.
I only use the Bruan when I have guests now, and I always pick one guest who will get the aeropress coffee.
Hey what, no unicorn chaser?
I have had one for nearly a year and it's fantastic!
A couple of things to make it even better. Use a thermometer to figure out exactly how long your microwave takes to heat the H2O to 170F. Fresh grind the beans (fine espresso grind) just prior to adding the H2O. And if you want a regular American Style coffee (Americano), just add some hot H2O the double shot you just created. Sounds like work but it's really not bad and soooo worth it.
A)The Aeropress does not make espresso or anything close to it. It makes coffee concentrate. which will need to be watered down to be palatable or need to have steamed milk added.
B)You surely cannot add cold milk.... unless you want to micro the whole cup again.
C)I find that a french press makes MUCH better coffee. My arobie-thingee makes concentrate. I don't like it much at all. It is good for backpacking but thats about all.
The coffee maker looks interesting. I've always used a french press, which is much better than drip. Here in NYC, a bodum store recently opened that sells these double-wall glasses & french presses. We got a few of these double-wall glasses & they're amazing. Liquids stay hot or cold much longer in them & there's no "sweating" (in the case of cold liquids) on the outside of them. Truly the latest in glass technology! They also seem to be big on "cold brewing" iced coffee in that store.
I was interested right up to the moment where I found out there was a consumable part (The Filter Paper) Think I'll stick to the Enamel Pot then.
You already knew there was a consumable part: the coffee. You can actually rinse and reuse the filters several times if you want, per the instructions.
Me gusta mucho, Foxie Moxie.
My garden seems to like the spent grounds and little filters.
I guess nobody told you, Joe Funk, that in order to avoid explosive water heated from a microwave, you aerate it before you nuke it. Giving the water a quick stir with your favorite utensil will prevent the water from exploding when you pull it out of the microwave after heating it.
2 points: I'm a recycling & composting fanatic, and I initially rinsed and reused the paper filter. For about a week. It's tiny, biodegradable, and for me, with all due respect, life's too short for such infinitesimal concerns. (It occurs to me now that a cloth filter could likely be fashioned quite easily for the Aeropress, thus addressing ecological and taste concerns expressed.)
AND...no one mentioned arguably the most salient point about the coffee: its acidity is very low because of the very short time of contact with the grounds. Initially I had to retrain my system to recognize the strong cup I was drinking because it tasted like some signifier of potency was missing.
Okay, 2 1/2 points: I never heat in the plastic for the reasons mentioned. I love my Aeropress!
Sigh. At the risk of sounding all pompous and stuff, I really wish Mark would talk to me a bit more before he does some coffee-related stuff on BoingBoing or the video show.... There's some interesting stories I could tell him about Alan Alder, the inventor of this product.
And it doesn't produce crema. ;)
dear friends,
if you want to make it simple:
keep only the glass and the coffee
put the glass in the oven with the water
after heating pour the coffe in the glass and wait a while
the coffee to go down
the more you wait the stronger the coffee,
cause the caffeine is water-soluble.
hundred year old recipe in all the middle and far east!
Regarding the concern about plastics in the microwave; Alan Adler came over to metafilter to talk about that a while back:
http://www.metafilter.com/48333/Coffee-machine-flies-14-mile#1176346
I bought an Aeropress afer Mark first mentioned it here some time ago. It proved not to be a gimmick, it really does work and makes some of the best tasting coffee around.
Due to the plastic used there are no worries of chemicals leeching into the water in the microwave and no worries about super heating the water. Run some tests with your microwave so see how long for your preferred amount of water to reach the right temperature. For me that's 1 minute in a 900W microwave for water at the top of the 2 mark on the plunger. I add this to two scoops of my favourite coffee, 10 second stir then plunge. I split this in two, add milk and top up with boiling water to make coffee for the wife and I. Coffee aficionado's will probably balk at this way of making it though ;)
Hey 'Aaron T' Yeah I knew about the coffee already :) The Problem for me is, it's bad enough running out of coffee. It's worse, to have coffee, but to have run out of filters that you *need* to make a cup.
Hey, Coffeegeek -- email me -- I would like to interview you for BBtv -- mark@boingboing.net
So how fine grind do you grind the coffee?
I have tried espresso-roasted coffee ground for espresso, and it was bitter (over-extracted?). I tried a coarser grind, but that's still a little bitter. Should I go for really coarse, a la a French press?
Also, I like to use the handle of the scoop to stir since it's one less thing to wash.
- Will E.
what about the unsolicited plug for dickies. No mention of that. Time to get the seam ripper out on that mad scientist lab coat.
Joe Blough @16: Try skipping the step of pushing the piston up until the coffee reaches the top; just screw on the filter cap, flip the whole thing over onto the cup, and press. It's less risky and doesn't seem to change the character of the resulting coffee. (Not that I notice, at least, but I'm a milk-and-sugar-please ignoramus by some coffee geeks' standards.)
Doing it upside down means the plunger is unavailable for boiling water, which renders the question of microwaving water in plastic moot. Besides, I don't own one. We've had a Sunbeam Hot Shot water heater for at least five years now and are quite satisfied with it. Quicker than a microwave, their promotional materials claim, and no chance of superheating the water.
The Aeropress is quite sturdy and has survived daily use by my husband, a man whose motto is "oh, did I knock that over?" and who, upon moving in with me, systematically destruction-tested everything I owned. He gives two thumbs up to the Aeropress in that regard.
Does anyone know what song Miss Moxie is dancing to?
It sounds catchy.
(Although I may just be mesmerized by LED Pasties...now *there's* a MAKE article I'd like to see.)
orrrr...you can just buy Rombutz coffee (which has the filter on the glass) instead of risking spilling boiling hot coffee all over yourself when applying enormous amounts of pressure on an unsturdy glass.
lexica - thanks. yeah i have since switched back to non-fakie style since i couldnt really tell the difference.
Cheeken, I don't know the name of the song, but I do know that it was used for Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof. The soundtrack is available pretty much anywhere worth shopping. So you won't see it at Wal-Mart! I checked, it wasn't there.
@Cheeken:
I believe the song is "Chick Habit" by April March.
Will
@Cheeken, and others, the song Foxie Moxie gogos to is indeed "chick habit," by April March, and she's totally awesome. iTunes Store Link.