I see your sarcasm, but all three of these things make very different types of coffee. Even if you can’t tell the difference between Aeropress and French press coffee (which probably not a large percent of people can), you can certainly tell the difference between espresso and immersion, right?
As for this thing: plastics do degrade over time, and an insulated glass body is a nice upgrade. The metal press won’t contribute anything to the coffee quality, but it looks better, and probably feels nicer.
This is true. I know I’ve gone through a few gasket replacements myself. I can tell it’s starting to fail when the pressure starts to feel weirdly weak and too easy to press down on.
Huh. I’ve had mine for over a decade; granted, it only for heavy use for a few months when I first got it, and about once a week since, and the rubber gasket is fine. I have no doubt that you’re right; gaskets almost always require semi-regular replacement; I have to replace the gaskets in my espresso machine every 2-3 years, and boy is that a chore. Those are doing far heavier duty than the Aeropress gasket, so I’d expect it to last longer. How fast did your’s fail?
Oh. But, the glass isn’t for longevity. It’s to provide insulation and prevent the plastic from (imperceptively) breaking down and leaking microplastics into your coffee. I didn’t mean the plastic would fail. In fact, I’d expect the plastic to last longer than the glass, just by the sheer probability of accidents over the lifetime of the device.
Plastics may degrade, but (as others have mentioned) if a plastic one lasts 10+ years, so far, where’s the value in a glass one?
Plus you could buy 4 plastic ones for the cost of 1 glass that could far more easily break.
I’m all for glass in a LOT of stuff. I even kind of like it here (for the reasons you’ve stated), I just can’t get behind the cost.
I tend to go for better/best quality in most things, I hate buying stuff twice. But there’s value in being able to replace a less robust device for 1/4 the cost of the “higher quality” version.
Plastics may degrade, but (as others have mentioned) if a plastic one lasts 10+ years
Micro plastics can be released as soon as a water bottle is first filled. This isn’t the structural integrity of the plastic failing, it’s your endocrine system and who knows what else being affected by tiny pieces of plastic that start shedding immediately.
Look, I’m not saying this isn’t a cash grab because the serial inventor who made the aero press sold a controlling stake in his company and the new firm is squeezing as much money out as they can before the patent expires, BUT some of us do care about micro plastics. Not that I give my daughter coffee, but now that I have a toddler we’ve eliminated as much food related plastic as we can.
Stuff is genuinely damaging and yet we keep using it because it’s convenient. And people wonder why the Romans used lead containers.
Value for me would be that the glass one doesnt acquire stale coffee taste, no matter how well I try to clean my plastic one it seems to have some residual taste. Try brewing a cup without coffee grounds , just hot water and tatse it.
Unless you’re buying used (or you really know what you’re doing), you’ll get way better coffee out of the Aeropress than the espresso machine for that price
Of course, the point is moot when you could make coffee just as well in a cheap plastic Aeropress.
Delonghi does some magic to make a cheap espresso machine actually produce sufficient pressure for a fast brew.
Their old machine, circa 2005 worked, but not well.
The newer ones have been tested numerous times and produce the pressure they’re labeled to, and maintain it across the brew. Mine is always done in just under 20 seconds, and when I’ve (intentionally) over-pressed the coffee into the portafilter it may take 30. The old one couldn’t even handle a we’ll-pressed puck.
The new steamer works far better too. I never did like their old “steam assist” trickery. The new one uses an actual wand inside the “assist tube” . If you take off the assist, it works just like an actual wand. I’m not even sure why the assist tube is there.
Everyone I’ve made an espresso for has been surprised I didn’t pay $500+ for a machine.
For the typical home user, you really can’t beat a Delonghi, given it’s at most $150.
$70 isn’t going to get you much of an espresso machine, unless you’re talking about a moka pot, and I’d challenge you on that one. You can make very fine espresso with a moka pot.
And Aeropress aren’t known for making espresso; there’s not enough pressure from proper espresso extraction, and I’d expect espresso from an Aeropress to be under extracted and pretty horrible, Aeropress advertising notwithstanding. Most people use their Aeropress to make coffee; it’s apples to oranges.
To use at home, instead of a much cheaper French press, or a similarly priced cheap espresso machine that makes coffee 100x better. Obviously /s
I see your sarcasm, but all three of these things make very different types of coffee. Even if you can’t tell the difference between Aeropress and French press coffee (which probably not a large percent of people can), you can certainly tell the difference between espresso and immersion, right?
As for this thing: plastics do degrade over time, and an insulated glass body is a nice upgrade. The metal press won’t contribute anything to the coffee quality, but it looks better, and probably feels nicer.
The rubber seal part is the first part to go and it’s unchanged on this new glass version.
This is true. I know I’ve gone through a few gasket replacements myself. I can tell it’s starting to fail when the pressure starts to feel weirdly weak and too easy to press down on.
Huh. I’ve had mine for over a decade; granted, it only for heavy use for a few months when I first got it, and about once a week since, and the rubber gasket is fine. I have no doubt that you’re right; gaskets almost always require semi-regular replacement; I have to replace the gaskets in my espresso machine every 2-3 years, and boy is that a chore. Those are doing far heavier duty than the Aeropress gasket, so I’d expect it to last longer. How fast did your’s fail?
I don’t think they’re saying it failed. They’re saying that it will fail long before the body ever does.
Oh. But, the glass isn’t for longevity. It’s to provide insulation and prevent the plastic from (imperceptively) breaking down and leaking microplastics into your coffee. I didn’t mean the plastic would fail. In fact, I’d expect the plastic to last longer than the glass, just by the sheer probability of accidents over the lifetime of the device.
Plastics may degrade, but (as others have mentioned) if a plastic one lasts 10+ years, so far, where’s the value in a glass one?
Plus you could buy 4 plastic ones for the cost of 1 glass that could far more easily break.
I’m all for glass in a LOT of stuff. I even kind of like it here (for the reasons you’ve stated), I just can’t get behind the cost.
I tend to go for better/best quality in most things, I hate buying stuff twice. But there’s value in being able to replace a less robust device for 1/4 the cost of the “higher quality” version.
Micro plastics can be released as soon as a water bottle is first filled. This isn’t the structural integrity of the plastic failing, it’s your endocrine system and who knows what else being affected by tiny pieces of plastic that start shedding immediately.
Look, I’m not saying this isn’t a cash grab because the serial inventor who made the aero press sold a controlling stake in his company and the new firm is squeezing as much money out as they can before the patent expires, BUT some of us do care about micro plastics. Not that I give my daughter coffee, but now that I have a toddler we’ve eliminated as much food related plastic as we can.
Stuff is genuinely damaging and yet we keep using it because it’s convenient. And people wonder why the Romans used lead containers.
Value for me would be that the glass one doesnt acquire stale coffee taste, no matter how well I try to clean my plastic one it seems to have some residual taste. Try brewing a cup without coffee grounds , just hot water and tatse it.
Unless you’re buying used (or you really know what you’re doing), you’ll get way better coffee out of the Aeropress than the espresso machine for that price
Of course, the point is moot when you could make coffee just as well in a cheap plastic Aeropress.
The De’Longhi Dedica is around €140 new and, while it’s not something to write home about, will do much better coffee than an aeropress.
Agreed.
Delonghi does some magic to make a cheap espresso machine actually produce sufficient pressure for a fast brew.
Their old machine, circa 2005 worked, but not well.
The newer ones have been tested numerous times and produce the pressure they’re labeled to, and maintain it across the brew. Mine is always done in just under 20 seconds, and when I’ve (intentionally) over-pressed the coffee into the portafilter it may take 30. The old one couldn’t even handle a we’ll-pressed puck.
The new steamer works far better too. I never did like their old “steam assist” trickery. The new one uses an actual wand inside the “assist tube” . If you take off the assist, it works just like an actual wand. I’m not even sure why the assist tube is there.
Everyone I’ve made an espresso for has been surprised I didn’t pay $500+ for a machine.
For the typical home user, you really can’t beat a Delonghi, given it’s at most $150.
$70 isn’t going to get you much of an espresso machine, unless you’re talking about a moka pot, and I’d challenge you on that one. You can make very fine espresso with a moka pot.
And Aeropress aren’t known for making espresso; there’s not enough pressure from proper espresso extraction, and I’d expect espresso from an Aeropress to be under extracted and pretty horrible, Aeropress advertising notwithstanding. Most people use their Aeropress to make coffee; it’s apples to oranges.