The Aeropress Go...
Aeropress Go - What Is It and How to Brew With It?
Aeropress has been a barista favourite since it made to the coffee scene 15 years ago and now they have launched a new version of it; Aeropress Go. Aeropress Go is small, light, durable, easy to wash, versatile and fast in use. What’s not to love in Aeropress Go! See what's the Aeropress Go all about and how you can use it.
This handy device was invented in 2005. Ever since it has been a favourite of many baristas but also outgoing coffee lovers who want to have a great cup of coffee in nature.
Add only coffee beans, grinder and hot water and you are good to Go!
Mug & coaster
Unlike the original, the Go comes with a mug which also serves (with the coaster) as a case for the whole package.
I think the mug is a great addition since you don’t need to pack a separate cup when going out to brew coffee. On the other hand, plastic mug might be a turnoff for some of the users. Then again, it is smart travelwise. And as it is a holder, it is pretty convenient. The lid of the holder serves nicely as a coaster.
Stirrer & scoop
Both versions include a stirrer and a scoop.
For me the scoop is not that important as I rather scale than scoop even in the woods, but it is definitely good to have the stirrer included. In Go version it is - of course - foldable.
Filter paper holder
Filter paper holder is small and compact in Go version. It also has a lid, very handy when traveling. Still the amount of filter papers included in the shipment is same as with the original.
Funnel
Funnel is only included in the original version but if you need one, it can be easily DIY’ed. Be creative and use leaves if in nature, sheet of paper when in hotel room etc!
Plastic filter
What made me marvel a bit was the different setup of the holes in the plastic filter. The holes in the original one are in straight lines before but now in Go they are in circles - and there is one hole ”missing” in the middle. I wonder why and how does it effect on the brew? The plastic filter is slightly different in the Aeropress Go compared to the original Aeropress.
Design
There are two things in Go one might consider as downsides. But are they really?
First, the size. Being 100 g lighter than the original, the Go is also 20% smaller in volume. Especially those who like to make inverted brews, this is not good news as you need all the space available for the water. Then again, you can easily tackle this by bypassing. Just make your brew stronger and then dilute it by adding hot water.
For sure it gives a cool touch when you flip the Aeropress and the crowd applauses. But inverting might also have an effect on your extraction as no water goes through the filter during the extraction time.
Another thing is the cylinder flange shape. The Go will not fit on wide cups as easily as the original. If you only use the mug included or another vessel that is compatible to the cylinder, this is not a problem either.
Do you always brew directly into the serving vessel? Try a pitcher instead. Then the coffee will not be as hot and it is also naturally stirred before serving when pouring. And if you are bypassing, this is your trick.
All in all Aeropress Go seems to be a nice update of the original. Value for the money, nice looking and at the end of the day has no real cons compared to the original.
Pro tips for Aeropressers
- When brewing in nature or for example in an aeroplane (ha ha ha), you need to have a hot water source. It might be a pot on a fire place, an electric kettle or just a thermos filled at home. No need for goose neck kettle - you can use the plunger to pour water and it also serves as a measure, if you don’t have a scale!
- Did you know that many great Aeropress brews have been made with water relatively low in temperature (80c or so)? Talking about lower water temperature, this device is also handy when preparing cold brew. Simply prepare a small strong batch of coffee with fine grind level and stirring long, then bypassing the coffee with cold water up to the serving volume. Aeropress also serves as a filter when cold brewing. Simply pour the cold brew into your AP and filter it before serving!
- Aeropress does not have enough pressure to prepare espresso. But as baristas as experimental animals, it is fun to try! Prepare a small strong batch of coffee with fine grind level and stirring long. This is basically the closest you can get to espresso with this device. And it is possible to do this experiment using cold water, too! There is also an add-on available for espresso style coffee.
- Before brewing, wet the plunger rubber seal to make it more slippery. Remember also to wash this little fellow frequently!
- Try using two paper filters instead of one! It gives you cleaner and smoother cup. There is also a metal filter available, if you are curious to check the brewing results between these two.
Matthew Robertson
Author