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Mornings at Gobbler towers have been stressful affairs of late. We were recently given a coffee machine that we thought would solve the perennial slog of inaccurate plungers - ie. they crack, leak, and ultimately make crap coffee. The machine had two functions; a dripping filter, and an espresso maker. As we like our coffee nearly every which way - American diner-style, from a pot on the stove, and black as Jeremy Paxman’s soul, in a shot after dinner - this machine was the dream. Or at least, it would have been, had it worked. The dripper made weak, muddy water that tasted like the dishes, and the espresso function took half the morning to make a single shot, whilst emitting a weird, unsettling smell - as though the strain of making coffee gave it a hernia of the circuits. So, with heavy hearts, we plodded into town to get another leaky old plunger. Many of you will now be scratching your heads, wondering why we’re so down on the plunger (cafetiere to those of you with French GCSE). In truth, we’re not. They try their best, but are fundamentally flawed. How much coffee should you add? How much water? How long do you wait before plunging? The process of turning coffee beans into coffee demands accuracy. Much better are the stainless steel stove-top pots that make a consistent cup, with very little hassle, but they can cost £30+ for a small one or two cup option; not very thrifty. But as we learned, there is another way. For the price of a decent plunger, we picked up one of these. The Aeropress coffee maker takes up a fraction of the time and space of the average plunger. It makes up to 4 shots of smooth, dark espresso, and needs no more than a rinse when you’re done. Air pressure is the key. The coffee sits on a filter paper in a plastic funnel. You add boiling water, stir for 10 seconds, insert the inner tube and press down firmly. The rubber seal on the end of this tube ensures the air has nowhere to go but out through the filter, taking the water with it. It takes about 20 seconds to press down fully, and you’re left with 1-4 shots of beautifully smooth espresso - to which you can add water, for a longer drink. But the most satisfying part of all - excluding the coffee itself - comes with the cleaning. You simply unscrew the bottom filter section, hold the main unit over a bin and press down on the plunger. The paper and coffee pops off in a delightful little ‘puck’, leaving you to rinse the rubber seal. That’s it. Bearing in mind, by this point you’ve probably spent 3 minutes in total, including the time it took for your kettle to boil, we are yet to see the downside. Since writing, we’ve discovered that the Aeropress has been knocking around for 5 years, so this ‘news’ feature isn’t really news at all, but we don’t care; we love coffee, you love coffee, and for under £25, you’ll struggle to make a better cup. Done deal. - http://www.thriftygobbler.com/121/

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