The AeroPress is a deceptively simple device — it’s basically a coffee syringe. The quick brewing coffee maker sits somewhere between an espresso machine and a French press. You pour hot water over your grounds then force the water through them with a plunger. What makes the AeroPress unique is how quickly it can spit out a high quality cup of Joe. The entire process takes roughly one to two minutes and at the end you’ve got a heavily concentrated, smooth mug of coffee.
There are more elegant ways to brew coffee today than ever before. And yet one of the most popular methods involves a sterile plastic tube that bears a striking resemblance a certain enhancement pump for the male anatomy. It is called the AeroPress, and it is $25, simple to use, and makes a very good–and very fast–cup of coffee. Since launching in 2005, the AeroPress has attracted a devoted and passionate following of tinkerers and java nerds. One reviewer on Coffee Geek called it “the greatest value available in the world of coffee.” Circa founder and CEO Matt Galligan carries an AeroPress with him whenever he travels. And every year, contestants from around the globe gather to compete in the World AeroPress Championships, where would-be chemists use their homespun brew methods, controlling for the tiniest and most granular of variables. “No other method is as consistent and easy,” says Jeff Verellen, the reigning two-time AeroPress World Champion.