Take espresso into wild with compact AeroPress

Aerobie Inc. promises “the world’s smoothest, richest brew” with its $30 AeroPress coffee and espresso maker, a polycarbonate test tube of sorts marketed to the outdoors crowd.

This is a strange claim coming from a company known for its namesake flying discs, which sail about a mile upon the subtle flick of a wrist.

But apparently Alan Adler, founder and president of Aerobie, is a coffee drinker: After two years studying the “science of coffee brewing,” Adler unveiled the AeroPress, an air-pressure-based system that brews a shot of espresso in less than 20 seconds.

I’ve tested it, employing fine fresh grounds, some hot water, and the easy-to-use AeroPress plunger to pressure brew batches.

The process is simple: Put in a paper filter; add the grounds; drip-fill the tube container with hot water; stir for 10 seconds, and push the plunger down to drip-brew straight into your mug.

The result is rich and strong espresso, and it doesn’t just taste like coffee from a French press. Add some hot water to the high-octane brew to create an Americano coffee, quick and easy.

Is it “the world’s smoothest, richest brew?” No. But Aerobie ( www.aerobie.com) is onto something here, and the espresso in my tests was quite good.

There are only three major parts – the tube, the plunger and the screw-on plastic filter – so clean-up is simple, too, involving about 10 seconds of rinse time under a faucet.

It comes with a year’s supply of paper filters; you fit a new one into the black plastic filter before each brew.

Adler’s AeroPress has one flaw: Add hot water too quickly into the tube chamber and some water will absorb through the grounds and filters before you can plunge, creating a weak cup of coffee. The solution is to drip and carefully pour your water into the chamber.

For backpacking and camping, the AeroPress is lightweight and compact. It’s made of sturdy polycarbonate, promoting durability.

In the woods, emerging from your tent after a cold night – where hot food and drink hover at a higher echelon than at home – the AeroPress will be a little hero.