The AeroPress is the go-to for many people because it can make almost any coffee. It’s also a travel-friendly brewer, making it a wonder for coffee lovers on the go. Although many say it can produce many coffee varieties, some question whether it can make this specific brew. Can an AeroPress make espresso? In this article, we'll look at whether an AeroPress Go can brew an authentic espresso.
What is Espresso?
Espresso is a full-flavored concentrated coffee served in shots. Because it's stronger, thicker, and higher in caffeine, it's frequently used as the foundation for many coffee blends. Espresso can be identified using three characteristics: pressure, crema, and extraction. Let’s go over these three by comparing the Aeropress Go and the espresso machine.
Aeropress Go vs. Espresso Machine
Brewers can attest that you can make espresso drinks with an AeroPress Go and an espresso machine. Both brewers can produce high caffeine content in coffee. However, the pressure, crema, and extraction are different when using each device.
Pressure Difference
The AeroPress Go is a capsule coffee maker that forces and plunges water through the coffee to draw out the oils and flavor. The device works by compressing air in AeroPress’s airtight chamber. The applied pressure on the coffee grounds brings out flavorful AeroPress espresso shots. According to their website, the Aeropress Go also produces .35 to.75 bars of pressure or 25 to 50 pounds.
Alternatively, espresso machines pressurize water through a coffee bean puck using steam, pistons, or pumps. Espresso gets its rich consistency from the high pressure inside an espresso machine and the low water-to-coffee ratio. Additionally, the device produces nine bars of pressure, or 640 pounds of pressure.
By looking at these measurements, brewers can tell right away that Aeropress Go espresso is noticeably different from espresso made in an espresso machine. Because it is physically impossible for a person to squeeze the plunger that hard, an AeroPress Go can't make 640 psi of pressure. Similarly, the AeroPress Go isn't made to withstand that much force.
Crema Difference
When air bubbles combine with the soluble oils in finely ground coffee, a foam called crema is produced. The crema is a floating layer of tiny bubbles at the top of an espresso cup. It’s one of espresso’s most distinctive features.
Due to the espresso machine’s ability to produce high pressure, it creates crema that covers 10% of the brew's volume. The AeroPress Go releases foamy bubbles in the espresso, but this isn’t an authentic crema found in espresso. Because the AeroPress Go can only produce pressures between .35 and .75 bars, it is impossible to make real crema with it.
Extraction Difference
Espresso is a highly concentrated beverage. It’s another feature that distinguishes the brew from all other coffee drinks.
Coffee made with the AeroPress Go can be concentrated, but not to the same extent as that made with an espresso machine. A cup of coffee made in an espresso machine contains about 10% soluble coffee solids and is, therefore, 90% water. On the other hand, a cup of AeroPress Go espresso usually has 2% soluble coffee solids and 98% water. The AeroPress produces a very potent coffee, but it can't compare to an extraction rate of 10%; that’s only possible using espresso machines.
With this in mind, it's clear that AeroPress Go can produce an espresso, but it's not the real deal. Although it falls short of an authentic espresso, it’s still worth a try. An AeroPress Go is a quick way to make espresso-style coffee at home without spending a thousand bucks.
How To Make An AeroPress Espresso
AeroPress espresso is made by quickly plunging the device into a small amount of hot water mixed with finely ground coffee. You can also do it using the AeroPress inverted brewing method. Here’s how you can brew an AeroPress espresso shot:
- Gather your equipment and ingredients: an AeroPress Go, filter, coffee grinder, scale, kettle, 17g of coffee beans, a mug, and a timer.
- After rinsing and selecting your preferred Aeropress filter, place it in the filter cap and push the plunger in until it reaches the halfway point of the brewing chamber.
- Boil water up to 195 degrees Fahrenheit or about 90.56 degrees Celsius. This water temperature gives you extra room to prevent over-extraction of your AeroPress Go espresso.
- Grind your coffee into a fine consistency.
- Empty the grounds into the Aeropress, set it on the scale, and set your timer to zero.
- Slowly add 55 g of water until you reach the desired weight in about 10 seconds.
- For 15 seconds, using a circular motion, shake the Aeropress to make the brewing slurry spin inside.
- When the timer reaches 0:25, fasten the filter cap, invert the brewer onto a mug, and plunge; the coffee should be fully pushed through by 0:30.
- Set the AeroPress Go aside and start admiring your AeroPress espresso shot.
Espresso-Based Drinks to Make With an Aeropress Espresso
Learning how to make an AeroPress espresso shot is only one of the wonders of using an AeroPress Go. Once you get the hang of brewing one, you can now blend espresso-based drinks. So, if you're a coffee enthusiast who enjoys traveling, making your favorite espresso-based drink won't be so tricky!
Here are some espresso-based brews to try with an AeroPress Go espresso:
• Café Latte or Flat White - espresso with steamed milk
• Café Americano - shots of espresso diluted in hot water
• Macchiato - an espresso shot topped with frothy foamed milk
• Cappuccino - espresso with steamed milk and topped with a layer of milk foam
• Mocha - a shot of espresso mixed with chocolate powder, syrup, and milk or cream
• Dirty Chai - a regular cup of chai latte with a shot of espresso
• Espresso Martini - an espresso shot combined with coffee liqueur, and vodka
Brew Espresso on the Go With the Aeropress Go
Here’s the final verdict: AeroPress Go can make espresso.
It may not be an authentic espresso, but it can taste just as good as the real thing. It’s also less expensive and more portable than a traditional espresso machine. Whether you're new to coffee brewing, a coffee enthusiast who enjoys traveling, or someone who wants to experiment with different coffee brewers, the AeroPress Go is worth the investment.
