Does anyone have *actual* experience with how this compares to a French Press? Some reviews say this is better b/c the grounds don't sit in the water becoming bitter like they do with the French press. On the other hand, others say this filters out tasty oils that the French Press will have. So... what's the verdict? Does anyone have *actual* experience with how this compares to a French Press? Some reviews say this is better b/c the grounds don't sit in the water becoming bitter like they do with the... » Read More Does anyone have *actual* experience with how this compares to a French Press? Some reviews say this is better b/c the grounds don't sit in the water becoming bitter like they do with the French press. On the other hand, others say this filters out tasty oils that the French Press will have. So... what's the verdict? « Show Less
835323
The advantages over French press are speed, overall flavor and efficiency. The AeroPress , squeezes all the water through the grounds, leaving no wet grounds and wasted water at the end. Having Said that; anytime coffee passes thru a paper filter, some oils are lost. I regularly use both methods on a daily basis.
835324
No, I'm not a good one to ask about a French Press. This is my first experience using a Press of any kind. Sorry I can't help. Kathie
835325
It is 100% your taste and opinion. The paper filters do filter out the oils so if you dislike that about French Press you'll love the Aeropress. If you enjoy the oils and need to make more than one "shot" at a time you'll need the French Press. I find that the Aeropress makes a much more concentrated flavor closer to Espresso because it's easier to get a high coffee to water ratio and the grinds only steep for a few seconds. I keep my Aeropress at work and my French Press at home. But truly, it's like asking which pizza has more flavor, regular crust or thin crust; it's completely subjective. It is 100% your taste and opinion. The paper filters do filter out the oils so if you dislike that about French Press you'll love the Aeropress. If you enjoy the oils and need to make more than one "shot" at a time you'll need the French Press. I find that the Aeropress makes a much more concentrated flavor closer to Espresso because it's easier to get a high coffee to water ratio and the grinds only steep for a few seconds. I keep my Aeropress at work and my French Press at home. But truly, it's like asking which pizza has more flavor, regular crust or thin crust; it's completely... » Read More It is 100% your taste and opinion. The paper filters do filter out the oils so if you dislike that about French Press you'll love the Aeropress. If you enjoy the oils and need to make more than one "shot" at a time you'll need the French Press. I find that the Aeropress makes a much more concentrated flavor closer to Espresso because it's easier to get a high coffee to water ratio and the grinds only steep for a few seconds. I keep my Aeropress at work and my French Press at home. But truly, it's like asking which pizza has more flavor, regular crust or thin crust; it's completely subjective. « Show Less
835326
Yes, I've used both the French Press and the AeroPress. If you use the Stainless Steel Coffee Filter Disk ($15) for the AeroPress Coffee Maker, it doesn't filter out the tasty oils. The results are great!
835327
It really depends on how you brew. I've see so many different ways and tried a few. Some were good some not so good. It's worth a try to find a recipe you like
835328
I like this better because of the filter, no grounds in my cup and easier to clean. But one aspect that makes this better than a French press is that filtered coffee can reduce your cholesterol level by 6% over unfiltered coffee. When I switched to a Melitta drip cone my cholesterol dropped from 179 to 153 within the year. (Google it) My opinion is still out over using the cone vs the Aeropress related to convenience, but it does make an excellent cuppa.
835329
I use a French press, the AeroPress, a Vietnamese coffee maker, pour over, espresso, Moka maker, etc, so I have experimented with several different mediums for making coffee. The French press definitely gives you a lot of depth in the flavor of the coffee; it lacks the typical watered-down aspect of other, conventional brewing methods. The AeroPress delivers the same 'big mouth' feel of the French press, in my opinion. And, it delivers some of that lovely crema. The French press will deliver some of the oils that the AeroPress captures in the paper filter, but that is the trade-off. In my opinion, the AeroPress delivers a better cup. Hope this helps! I use a French press, the AeroPress, a Vietnamese coffee maker, pour over, espresso, Moka maker, etc, so I have experimented with several different mediums for making coffee. The French press definitely gives you a lot of depth in the flavor of the coffee; it lacks the typical watered-down aspect of other, conventional brewing methods. The AeroPress delivers the same 'big mouth' feel of the French press, in my opinion. And, it delivers some of that lovely crema. The French press will deliver some of the oils that the AeroPress captures in the paper filter, but that is the trade-off. In my... » Read More I use a French press, the AeroPress, a Vietnamese coffee maker, pour over, espresso, Moka maker, etc, so I have experimented with several different mediums for making coffee. The French press definitely gives you a lot of depth in the flavor of the coffee; it lacks the typical watered-down aspect of other, conventional brewing methods. The AeroPress delivers the same 'big mouth' feel of the French press, in my opinion. And, it delivers some of that lovely crema. The French press will deliver some of the oils that the AeroPress captures in the paper filter, but that is the trade-off. In my opinion, the AeroPress delivers a better cup. Hope this helps! « Show Less
835330
The coffee is much smoother, it doesn't have that thick, rich taste of a French press. I found I was able to get more a French press flavor by pouring hot water and stirring the grounds a second time. You'll get more of the oils and the "crema" that way.
2068621
The cup is plastic; the filter is metal, fused together. You can't separate screen from the cup. That's why we use a paper filter as well that we can dump out . . . easier to clean. . . a large, flat bottomed paper filter works great!. A French press without the press. It works by gravity. Steep the grounds for 5 minutes for best flavor. We love this because one of us needs decaf coffee, so we can have two different kinds of coffee in the am without a lot of trouble. Good Luck.
2133803
Actually, I haven't found it to make a significant difference. Of course, consider your current brewing preference. Compared to a French Press, the coffee is weaker. Another thing I found makes larger cups richer and more flavorful is to use EkoBrew refillable K-cups and my own ground coffee. It's much cheaper and you can adjust the results by the amount of coffee.
1362463
I've got a melitta cone. Love it. I've used (and loved) Chemex, as well as some french presses, and auto-drip systems. The chemex is nice, but the filters are expensive. Auto-drip systems just make bad coffee. It's really hard to get the best taste out of your beans with an autodrip system. The Melitta, on the other hand, does just fine. Here's the thing though: You gotta use the correct amount of coffee. The SCCA recommends ~8 grams per 5 ounces of coffee. I found a lifehacker article that recommends 60 grams per liter. The point is, these people who are making weak coffee have simply discovered that the melitta requires you to use more coffee than an auto-drip maker. Oh yeah, edited to add: It works with folgers or other packaged, pre-ground coffees just fine. Why? Because the "dwell time" on the mellitta is very short compared to auto-drip makers, which actually are doing a terrible job (underheating the water and letting it stay in contact with the grounds too long). If you want strong coffee, use more coffee. I think you'll love what you get. Most people, when you say strong coffee, think BITTER coffee, because that's how it's been made. Someone made a second pot with the old grounds mixed in with some new, or it's been evaporating all day on a burner. Really, what you have there is over-brewed, burned coffee. I think that's the type of coffee these folks were looking for, thus making the melitta taste "weak" in comparison.
537532
I don't use French press, so can't speak to whether or not coarse grind works best. From what I've read and seen, that is the proper grind. However, if you're not happy with your results, you'll definitely be happy with the Baratza Preciso. I got mine a year ago, and have never been sorry. For me (I use several different fine grinds for lever press espresso), it is simply the best and only grinder to have. Be sure you get the Preciso. It has the most options for grinds, other than the Vario, which is way too expensive.
477823
That was my main concern too when I bought a bunn last year after spending weeks trying to pick a new coffee maker. I like strong, flavorful coffee (love starbucks brewed). I was worried it would be too watery and weak. It's not! I love my bunn now, best home coffee maker imo and ive been through them all. It makes the best tasting coffee. I grind my coffee pretty fine just to make sure it's as strong as I like it. I do think the main difference with the bunn, like they claim, is the temperature the water is for brewing. It really does seem to extract the best flavor from the coffee.
1018606
There seems, to me, to be a smoother taste to the coffee. Someone said the oils are not absorbed by the coffee filter so more taste is actually in the coffee. I believe it. We do not buy the most expensive coffe but it tastes better in the french press than an regular coffee maker.
1110436
I have had my Tassimo for 3 years now and have never tried it. I did experiment for about a month with another popular brand's one cup brewer. This brewer was made to use regular grind coffee in it. It sounded like a good idea at the time and would save us money, right? I tried a lot of different cans and bags of coffee through it and was never satisfied with the taste. That brewer ended up going to Good Will and the coffee was wasted. I know that doesn't answer your question but I came to the conclusion why mess with a good cup of coffee. The money my wife spent on that brewer would have bought a lot of coffee cups. I have had my Tassimo for 3 years now and have never tried it. I did experiment for about a month with another popular brand's one cup brewer. This brewer was made to use regular grind coffee in it. It sounded like a good idea at the time and would save us money, right? I tried a lot of different cans and bags of coffee through it and was never satisfied with the taste. That brewer ended up going to Good Will and the coffee was wasted. I know that doesn't answer your question but I came to the conclusion why mess with a good cup of coffee. The money my wife spent on that brewer would have... » Read More I have had my Tassimo for 3 years now and have never tried it. I did experiment for about a month with another popular brand's one cup brewer. This brewer was made to use regular grind coffee in it. It sounded like a good idea at the time and would save us money, right? I tried a lot of different cans and bags of coffee through it and was never satisfied with the taste. That brewer ended up going to Good Will and the coffee was wasted. I know that doesn't answer your question but I came to the conclusion why mess with a good cup of coffee. The money my wife spent on that brewer would have bought a lot of coffee cups. « Show Less
395909
I have a 2 cup and a larger 34 ounce press. Presses, even with the course grind, produce silt. I don't mind in small production, but with the larger press, I have put the coffee through a Chemex filter. The coffee was good, but it was a lot of trouble. I am not just making coffee for myself. I now use a Technivorm. If it were just myself, I would be using the small press.
395911
I don't use a filter. I find the coffee made in a press is richer and much better tasting than from a drip machine. I also grind my own beans every few days. I'd grind fresh every day if I had time. And I would never use pre ground, it always seems to taste flat or stale.
943282
I use the solo fill pod which is similar. I like using the filters for several reasons and would highly recommend them! 1. It seems to eliminate the occasional overflow. Without them, I sometimes get grounds or just plain water in my cup. 2. It is easier to clean your pod, especially if you are going to reuse it immediately (as for a second cup). Without a filter, you have to handle the hot wet grounds directly, which is messy. After using one, I let it cool or dry. I empty the grounds into a container to save using ony plants later. I put the empty paper filter in my compost. Much less waste than a kcup!
1234542
It is coarse, I use a French press. Sometimes I get little bits of grain when I'm done, so if you really want it all out I would boil and strain. It's not a lot of granule, but I'm not the picky type, I am more concerned about the taste.
2218479
Hit or miss. The first one my parents bought was great after a few rinses. Bought another for myself and never lost the plastic taste and tried everything. Had them send me a replacement and still a plastic taste. I now brew coffee by French press. :)
650036
I use a French press. I would think it is better suited for drip. It's a medium roast.
1971214
It should be snug, that prevents grinds from ending up in your cup, but I never found mind excessively difficult to depress, or extract. If anything, the depress mode is more difficult than removing, in my experience. If you're not familiar with French Press makers, the whole process may take getting used to?
428007
If you are asking how many grounds are floating in your coffee, there are absolutely none. This is the only French Press that I have owned thatcompletely seals the jar while plunging, leaving all grounds in the bottom. The silicone ring around the plunger creates the seal. Love these presses...use them at home and for camping!
277970
I concur with all comments so far, except I find it too messy to use. Coffee grounds fly out in every direction between the grinder and the receptacle, because of a loose fit which creates a gap between the two. If you work out a solution to that, it is a great grinder, especially for coarse ground French Press brew. You have to measure the amount of ground coffee to use, though. depending on brew method, and store any excess grounds. Final note: mine was not that quiet, rather noisy, compared to a Cuisinart, which I use far more regularly.