Looking at these three pieces of plastic one wouldn’t think it can make anything close to espresso, let alone produce a crema, but the packaging itself and some folks on the internet claim that you can. This article will be examining if it’s possible to make palatable espresso with this $30 manual coffee brewing kit - the infamous AeroPress. I normally use my AeroPress or french press to make coffee every morning - but the thought has never crossed my mind to try to make real espresso with the AeroPress... Espresso is traditionally made by passing high temperature water at very high pressure through finely ground coffee. The AeroPress can tolerate high temps, you can use the finest ground coffee you can get your hands on, but can you create enough pressure to make this sought after drink? Let’s find out. What do you need? Here’s what you’ll need for this experiment:

• AeroPress (of course)
• Finely ground coffee (espresso grind if possible)
• A way to boil water
• A cup to press into
• A sense of adventure

Espresso is defined as a few ounces of coffee brewed from around 1tbsp of finely ground coffee. The hallmark feature is the foam, frothy cream layer called ‘crema’ that forms when the coffee is brewed at such a high pressure from emulsification of the oils. From one angle, you could say that the AeroPress will never create true espresso because it will not reach high enough pressure to create crema - and I would say you’re not wrong. But for the purpose of this article we’re going to see just how close we can get okay? How to do it We're not going to do anything too drastically different from the traditional AeroPress brew method, except use a finer grind and a more concentrated brew. Use around 25g of coffee to 100g of water. Here’s a great video that explains exactly what you’re going to do: So basically we use two paper filters to surround our coffee, add the proper amount of water, and then press through both filters into the below cup. If you want to make a latte add your frothed milk at this point and any other sweeteners and enjoy! So is it real espresso? So maybe you’re satisfied with what you made, or maybe you’re still wondering if it’s ‘real’ espresso. Well, it’s NOT real espresso - but it makes a very similar cup of coffee that you can use to make lattes at home with this cheap and easy to use manual coffee brewing method. Does it matter? Espresso is a form of coffee. Using the AeroPress with the water to coffee ratio of an espresso maker makes another cup of coffee. They both may taste excellent and can be used in a latte. So could you call it espresso by definition? Maybe not, but it still makes a good strong cup of coffee that can be enjoyed on its own exactly like espresso or used for your home drinks. So try it out if you haven’t before - or continue to enjoy your AeroPress coffee if you already are. Happy brewing :)!   About the author: This article was provided by the expert tea and coffee brewers of Palo Azul Tea.  

See Full Article Here: How to Make Espresso With the AeroPress

Of the many great things in this world, few are as simple yet wonderful as fresh roasted coffee. As with any kind of culinary concoction, fresh ingredients are critical to a perfect, aromatic brew, and that means properly storing your freshly roasted coffee beans to keep them from going bad. Correct coffee bean storage involves protecting your precious beans from air, moisture, and heat, a task that’s actually a lot trickier than it sounds. Fortunately, there are many schools of thought on storing roasted beans, which you’re about to learn about.

1. Store Your Coffee Beans in a Clean and Sealed Container

According to the National Coffee Association of U.S.A. (NCAUSA), “cool and airtight” are the best conditions to store coffee beans. At home, you can keep your coffee in any airtight container—just be sure it’s clean. You can opt to keep your beans in the bag they came in, but be advised that the quality of such bags tends to differ between brands—if the bag comes in a sturdy, reusable seal, you should be good to go until you use all the beans up. Another good option is a mason jar, an old sauce jar, or even a used Gatorade bottle. For used containers that once contained something else just be sure to clean them thoroughly to remove all residual smells.

2. Store your Coffee Beans in the Freezer

For long-term storage, keep your beans in the freezer. However, don’t keep all your coffee in a bag that you’ll take back and forth to the brewer; very soon your coffee will taste flat because of the moisture from condensation, which affects the natural oils in the coffee beans. Freezing only works as a one-time solution; you should put them in and take them out of the freezer only ONCE. What you can do is divide your coffee in weekly portions, storing them in separate airtight bags. That way, you’ll only need to remove a bag of coffee a week at a time, keeping the coffee bag for the week in a cool area away from light.

3. Store Your Coffee in a Cool and Dark Place, Away from Heat

When coffee beans are exposed to heat, they begin to “sweat” out the oils that give them their rich flavor and aroma. These oils are highly unstable, evaporating quickly after being released from the coffee bean, leading to a loss of flavor. You can mitigate this effect by keeping your coffee beans in a sealed container in a cool and dark place, away from direct sunlight and artificial lighting (think incandescent bulbs and halogens). If you’re brewing coffee on a commercial basis, keep your roasted beans away from the heat of an espresso machine, stove, oven, or microwave.

4. Store Coffee in Sealed Bags with One-way Valves

Similar to wine, coffee loses its flavor the more it’s exposed to air due to a process called oxidation. Each coffee bean holds an assortment of organic compounds and oils, which become rancid and evaporate when exposed to air—it’s why storing your coffee in a airtight environment is so important. If you’re serious about extending the freshness of your roasted coffee, you can store them in sealed bags with a one-valve. What the valve does is allow carbon dioxide, which the coffee releases 3 to 5 days after roasting, to escape from the bag without letting outside air in, helping keep the beans fresh.

5. Buy Only the Amount of Coffee You Need

Although not a storage method per se, the amount of coffee you keep at home will have a direct impact on your efforts to keep them fresh. Roasted coffee, unfortunately, has a very limited shelf life in terms of optimal flavor, and is best consumed within 4 weeks after roasting. You can buy as much coffee as you want—just be sure you’re going to use it within 4 weeks after their roast-date. While they’re still safe to brew after that period, you’ll find that that they’ll have lost much of their flavor and liveliness. Might as well drink instant coffee at this point. 3 Coffee Storage tips to memorise: When it comes to storing roasted coffee beans, there are a few rules to keep in mind:

• First, the hygroscopic nature (the ability to absorb moisture in air) of coffee beans means they should be kept away from any moisture.
• Second, heat affects the quality of coffee beans, so keep them cool and in the dark, away from sunlight, artificial light, and heat sources.
• Third, coffee beans are best kept airtight containers; any sealed receptacle will do, whether it’s an old glass jar with a lid, a Ziploc bag, a Tupperware container, or old plastic bottles.

Stick to these rules, and your coffee should stay fresh for days without losing any flavours or aromas in the process.

Source Here: What’s the Best Way to Store Your Coffee Beans?