# AeroPress or Chemex



## greyhounddad (Apr 24, 2014)

Hi Looking for a bit of advice, now I have decided that espresso need a larger budget then I can stretch to for a quality set up. Im torn between the Chemex and AeroPress. One day I think I will order on then the next the other.

I think I have settled on either the Hario Slim or a portex for the grinder.

I like my large mugs of coffee to enjoy, I normally add milk and a little sugar. What I mean is i like a drink rather then a shot.

Having never used either of the method or tasted coffee from either I dont know which one to go for.

Mainly it will be used for just making me a drink, although sometimes I would need an extra cup for the wife. Most of the work will be done on a morning when I get up, If there is any left over then I could put it in a thermos for later on.

After reading the Chemex thread there seams to be lots of different ways of going about it, can I ask is this people trying to be perfectionists?

I mean if i grind some beans put it in the chemex and pour water over it, with out to much thinking would this produce a coffee that is better then what I have at the moment ( either instant or pre ground in a frenchpress)

Thanks


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## Kyle548 (Jan 24, 2013)

Chemex is, overall the better method - but the AP has its own advantages.

The AP will make a better cup with less effort - but the Chemex will make a better cup overall - if you put some effort in.

For high volume though, the Chemex is the only option - the most you can get out of the AP is about 200ml - brewing with an alternate method.

Both are pretty versatile in terms of what you can do with them though - in terms of the range of brew ratios that work - with the AP being perhaps more so.

I would say the Chemex is the better brewer though and makes the nicer coffee.

I'd recommend buying a pouring kettle too, but at 1 point when I was using it at work, I was pouring with a Thermos with the cap half screwed on and getting acceptable results.


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## MWJB (Feb 28, 2012)

The Aeropress can be used in many ways...a bewildering amount of methods & recipes, for brewing 1 mug it's hard to beat. Brewing 2 mugs really requires a concentrate recipe, feasible & lots of folk do this all the time, but an added stage of complication? It works well with a Porlex or Hario.

The Bonavita immersion cone is able to brew 2 mug's worth, perfectly useable with a Porlex/Hario...I know you didn't ask about this, but it can be used to steep, then drain, or as a pourover drip cone too. About the same price as a Chemex.

Chemex, like any pourover, is a question of not just balancing coffee to water ratio, but also grind/flow rate for a best result. A less diligent regime will still result in coffee, the result may be a bit more variable (but not always "bad"), but in honesty even the other 2 options mentioned will vary depending on the care you take. Chemex (large models) will brew 2 mugs plus. Porlex & Hario grinders do make a lot of fines (so may be less flexible regarding recommended recipes)...they are often used with Chemex, but wouldn't be my first choice.

Your French press may also benefit from fresh ground beans (Porlex & Hario are fine for this too), if you do find the Chemex has a steep learning curve, you could always brew in the French press and filter through the preheated Chemex to get some benefits of filtration?

So, in short (if it's not already too late for that) Aeropress/Bonavita (steeping) can be less of a moving target, a safer bet, but much less pretty than a Chemex. Any will work well with a bit of attention & care...depends on how much effort you deem reasonable?


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

greyhounddad said:


> I like my large mugs of coffee to enjoy, I normally add milk and a little sugar. What I mean is i like a drink rather then a shot.
> 
> Mainly it will be used for just making me a drink, although sometimes I would need an extra cup for the wife. Most of the work will be done on a morning when I get up, If there is any left over then I could put it in a thermos for later on.
> 
> Thanks


 I agree that an Aeropress it is pretty fail safe - in fact less than a minute I go I made my wife a mug of coffee - using a Hario slim, grinding enough for the aeropress, milk warmed up in the microwave, in with the coffee, all in a little over two minutes. She thinks it's great for a home brew, and who am I to diasgree with her taste (although it's not mine).


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## greyhounddad (Apr 24, 2014)

Ok so looking at the way things are going it looks like it will just be for me, wife is back on tea.

Whys it not your taste phil?

There is no resting time for bought beans with either of these methods?

I was thinking the chemex as it looked nicer but I'm guessing it will take up more space as could be broken more easily then the aeropress.


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## Kyle548 (Jan 24, 2013)

greyhounddad said:


> Ok so looking at the way things are going it looks like it will just be for me, wife is back on tea.
> 
> Whys it not your taste phil?
> 
> ...


The AP is pretty much indestructible as its made out of some kind of mythological plastic that came to earth on some meteorite or something.

Saying that, the Chemex is made out of laboratory grade glass and - was originally Pyrex.

Not sure Pyrex still make them, but they are of a similar quality.

I have a bunch of Hario stuff which is good glassware - but the Chemex is about 2x as thick as any of the Hario stuff I have. So unless you drop it from a good hight onto a hard floor - I don't think you will break it.

Dropping it into the sink or something shouldn't be an issue, unless you have a hard sink - like a ceramic one or something.

Also, the AP looks small, but it takes up an inconvenient amount of space actually.

You need to store the funnel, the filters, the paddle (not sure why they included an oar with it instead of just a spoon.....) as well as the AP its self.

In the case of the Chemex, it's bigger, but mostly a single unit. The filters are absolutely massive though.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

greyhounddad said:


> Ok so looking at the way things are going it looks like it will just be for me, wife is back on tea.
> 
> Whys it not your taste phil?
> 
> ...


Sorry - I wasn't being very clear about taste. I don't like coffee with milk in (my wife does). For myself, at home, I use an aeropress because it's simplicity in itself and cleans in seconds (and I don't find the storage an issue - agree the paddle is overkill and do use a spoon) - also use the immersion method so invert the whole thing because no matter what I did, making it the way Aeropress suggest, it simply started leaking out through the filter before I had finished stirring). I also use a stove top, which is also dead use but a bit more effort to clean. After a year or so of that, I have just bought a Gaggia classic (from a forum member) to make espresso but haven't yet played with it. My daughter has a chemex - more of a ritual to get it right. Not sure what you mean about resting time for beans. I have just ground some beans from Bean and Ground that were roasted on 27 February, stored in a coolish, dark cupboard - lovely. (Have to confess I added a splash of licorice grappa -a bottle of grappa that I had put a licorice root in.)


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## Kyle548 (Jan 24, 2013)

Phil104 said:


> Sorry - I wasn't being very clear about taste. I don't like coffee with milk in (my wife does). For myself, at home, I use an aeropress because it's simplicity in itself and cleans in seconds (and I don't find the storage an issue - agree the paddle is overkill and do use a spoon) - also use the immersion method so invert the whole thing because no matter what I did, making it the way Aeropress suggest, it simply started leaking out through the filter before I had finished stirring). I also use a stove top, which is also dead use but a bit more effort to clean. After a year or so of that, I have just bought a Gaggia classic (from a forum member) to make espresso but haven't yet played with it. My daughter has a chemex - more of a ritual to get it right. Not sure what you mean about resting time for beans. I have just ground some beans from Bean and Ground that were roasted on 27 February, stored in a coolish, dark cupboard - lovely. (Have to confess I added a splash of licorice grappa -a bottle of grappa that I had put a licorice root in.)


The Aerobe method works, but you need to invert first.

So invert it, add the coffee, ad a small amount of water to bloom - add water up to the "2", stir - leave it for 1 min in total, then press it.

Pretty much the same, but doesn't seep.

Makes a very intense cup - works well for getting chocolately flavours - don't expect much from a coffee which is all acid though - as they come out very sour.

Also recommend using colder water in the AP.


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## greyhounddad (Apr 24, 2014)

Finally bit the bullet went with areopress in the end think this will be the easier way into it

by resting the beans I thought I saw on here somewhere where people wait about 10 days after buying the beans before using them?


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## The Systemic Kid (Nov 23, 2012)

Doesn't matter much with pour over or press if at all. Grind will just produce more CO2 during bloom. In espresso, the excess CO2 will create back pressure because it's trapped and interfere with extraction.


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## Phil104 (Apr 15, 2014)

greyhounddad said:


> Finally bit the bullet went with areopress in the end think this will be the easier way into it
> 
> Making a decision should leave you with a sense of satisfaction and the aeropress with a sense of delight: how can something so simple produce something so wonderful. Let us know how you get on.


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

I don't think you can say that one is better than the other as they are different methods of brewing. Find somewhere that does either/both and try them with a variety of beans and go for whichever one you would be more happy to use and taste on a regular basis.


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## ibitezombies (Apr 12, 2014)

I'm no expert ,(far from it!), and I've never used a chemex, but I love my aeropress! I find it very forgiving and it rarely makes a bad cup ( when it does its usually me experimenting!).

But for sheer speed and ease, its a great device!


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