French press

All of these look great! Particularly curious about the Aeropress. Looks like that allows one to make a strong coffee. Can a French Press make strong coffee?

[T.G]

Originally Posted by badbriar

All of these look great! Particularly curious about the Aeropress. Looks like that allows one to make a strong coffee. Can a French Press make strong coffee?

Yes it can, but it depends what you like.

French Presses yield more bitter coffee that is kind of murky and grainy. Aeropress coffee, being a pseudo-espresso pushed through a filter and then diluted to an americano coffee, is brighter and less muddled, body is a bit thinner though.

Depending on how you dilute, I think the aeropress can actually make a stronger coffee. Pushing that much soggy grind with a French Press tends to blow by the sides of the screen and end up in your cup.

[forgop]

Originally Posted by badbriar

All of these look great! Particularly curious about the Aeropress. Looks like that allows one to make a strong coffee. Can a French Press make strong coffee?

You can make coffee as strong as you want by increasing your coffee:water ratio no matter your method.

[Blak Smyth]

Originally Posted by forgop

You can make coffee as strong as you want by increasing your coffee:water ratio no matter your method.

As well as how long you steep it for... when looking for a French press I try to find one with as many metal parts as possible. Gone through too many plastic pieces breaking on them. Especially the part that screws the screen to the shaft.

I think I need to try the aeropress...

[T.G]

Originally Posted by Blak Smyth

As well as how long you steep it for... when looking for a French press I try to find one with as many metal parts as possible. Gone through too many plastic pieces breaking on them. Especially the part that screws the screen to the shaft.

I think I need to try the aeropress...

That's called over extracting, you start pulling out the tannins in the coffee when it sits in the water for a long period of time. Yields a stronger but bitter, muddled, less flavorful cup when you do that. One of the problems with a french press is that they are prone to it with their long brew times.

I beat the crap out of my aeropress, haven't broken it yet. I did lose the bottom guard and paddle once, but that was my mistake. If you do lose or break parts, replacements are inexpensive, just call Aerobie in California directly and they will ship them out to you.