coffee gear
Coffee maker to go – AeroPress Go Review
Not only popular amongst outdoor fans, but also with those who don’t want to miss their favourite homemade coffee when travelling. Whether in the mountains, on the beach or in the hotel. The Aeropress Go promises a lot. This is exactly why I tested the Aeropress Go Coffeemaker on the road last year in Italy. The result, as well as useful informations can be found here.
The first impression
Before we get started, I would like to mention that I bought the Aeropress Go myself and was not sponsored by the manufacturer. Only the pictures were kindly provided by Aeropress Inc.
When I unpacked it, I was very curious about the contents. Not that I doubted that I would find everything that was promised on the box. However, even the packaging of the Aeropress Go is very compact. When you consider that all you have in your hand after opening the box is a grey plastic cup with a red rubber lid, the list of tools included reads quite impressive:
All in all, the coffee maker weighs about 332g incl. 20 filter papers. So you can easily take it with you in your backpack, because outdoor fans know: every gram counts!
Equipment in Detail
Here we take a closer look at the equipment supplied. What is helpful, what is not.
According to the packaging, the mug, which contains all the equipment, has room for one to three cups of coffee or 444ml, but it is really full to the top. If you fill it to about 1 cm below the rim so that you can still drink comfortably from it, it holds 410 ml. That is definitely two normal cups. However, if you want to prepare “espresso-like” drinks, three cups are no problem. It always depends on how long you want your coffee drink to be. Thanks to its ribbed surface, you can’t burn your fingers even with very hot water. They really thought things through here.
The second thing that immediately catches the eye is the red lid, which is not made of plastic but of non-slip rubber. When I tested it on the beach in Italy, I found that it is ideal for use as a base. You simply put the cup in and no matter on which surface the coffee is prepared, everything stays in place.
What is inside the cup?
As soon as you remove the lid, it reveals the filter case that comes with it. It holds about 15 to 20 filter papers. Enough to take with you on your travels. If you use the Aeropress Go in for example the office, this is not absolutely necessary. Nevertheless, I think it’s great that this has also been thought of. There are also metal filters that you could use. However, cleaning is a bit more difficult.
350 filter papers are included. That’s plenty for now to spend some time with the coffeemaker and discover your favourite recipe.
Another nice-to-have is the stirrer that can, oh wonder, be folded up. Here, too, thought has been put into the design. Depending on the recipe or the way of preparing the coffee with the Aeropress (also with the big sister), you could do without it. Its main purpose is to ensure that the ground coffee beans are evenly surrounded by water.
By the way: stirring also increases the extraction. So be careful here!
Last but not least, the spoon fell into my hands. I think measuring the coffee beans with a spoon is a good idea to a certain extent. Why is that? Well, this method is usually too imprecise, unless you really pay attention to how full you fill the spoon each time. Be it with beans or ground coffee. As long as you prepare one and the same coffee in this way, relatively precise work is possible. ButHowever, if you constantly change between different types of coffee or even just roasting degrees, it will be difficult to achieve a certain consistency.
What are the differences between the Aeropress & Aeropress Go?
In this section, I would like to look at the basic differences between the two coffee makers.
At first glance, you can see that the Aeropress Go is a little smaller than its big sister – 2 cm, to be precise. I measured the whole thing when it was not extended. The diameter of the two brewing cylinders is identical. An interesting change has been made to the silicone on the plunger. It is now noticeably more supple and offers better properties when pressing. It is now easier, especially with relatively finely ground coffee.
How much coffee do I get out of the AeroPress Go?
After some measuring and 7th grade maths, I had the result. The brewing cylinder has room for 225ml of water compared to the volume of its big sister. The classic AeroPress, on the other hand, has room for 71ml more
BUT NOTE: There is no coffee in the cylinder yet.
My favourite recipe for the Aeropress, which I will reveal to you in the video coming soon here, works with 20g of medium to fine grind. In this case, the maximum volume of water drops to 200ml or grams.
What may not be immediately obvious is the surface that rests on the cup. In the AeroPress Go, the contact surface is no longer hexagonal, but almost square with rounded corners and much smaller than in the original version of the AeroPress. Of course, this was done to be able to store everything in the cup. What initially turned out to be a shortcoming for me, however, was quickly resolved.
My initial fear was that the AeroPress Go is too small for large cups. If you are at work or in a hotel, for example, you don’t necessarily need the plastic cup. However, after I tested the whole thing on my largest cup with a diameter of almost 9 cm, this doubt was also dispelled.
The surface of the plunger with which you press is also somewhat smaller.
Last but not least, let’s take a closer look at the filter cap. It is no longer perforated throughout, but now has a small area in the middle. This does not change the brewing behaviour. Now you may ask why there is a difference at all. I passed this question on directly to the manufacturer, who told me that this is due to the production process.
Conclusion:
After my 14-day test programme in Italy on the beach and at my grandparents’ house, I have to say that I am very satisfied with the Aeropress Go. Whether it’s a normal cup of coffee by the sea or a delicious cold brew in the evening at home, both work wonderfully. Thanks to the filter case, the filter papers don’t fly around randomly.
If you want to add a shortcoming to the whole thing, then perhaps only this: Due to the compact design, a small hand mill cannot be stored in the AeroPress Go. However, that doesn’t bother me. In the meantime, there are great small hand grinders that easily fit in any backpack.
Who is the Coffeemaker to go suitable for?
The AeroPress Go is suitable for people who spend a lot of time in hotels or outdoors. Those who want to combine the clear taste of hand-brewed filter coffee with the full body of a French press will definitely not miss out. But the same goes for die-hard coffee nerds who want to experiment a lot.
For all those who also want to deal with filter coffee, we recommend this article. For more information about the AeroPress and the AeroPress Go, please contact the manufacturer directly.
