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A while back, I had challenged myself with moving away from an automatic coffee maker over to a more manual experience. I have tried quite a few different manual coffee makers out there by now, and the Aeropress Go has stood apart as the best manual coffee maker I have found.
The Aeropress Go is extremely easy to use, portable, extremely versatile, and crazy easy to clean. It also made it so I could finally feel confident in removing my automatic coffee maker off of the counter.
This complete review is based on my use of this Aeropress over the past year and a half of using this coffee maker. Over this time as one of my main coffee makers, I have gotten used to it, and what it does, and doesn’t do well.
Please Note: This coffee maker was sent out to me free of charge by the manufacturer, however all opinions are my own. For gosh sakes, I have used it enough.
So what do I like so much about it?
There are so many different things to like about this coffee maker, so let’s dig in!
Makes clean, great coffee
If you aren’t a big fan of full bodied coffee that you get from a French Press, or even one of my other favorite’s the American Press (you can read a full review of that here), then the Aeropress Go (or standard version) will get you what you are looking for.
The Aeropress Go coffee tends to not have many particles in it, and makes for an extremely smooth cup of coffee.
Of course on the other hand, if you do like that fuller coffee, then this probably wouldn’t be the best option. Thankfully I like both styles, so this is perfect! That said, if you do want a bit more “mud” in your coffee, but like this Aeropress, then you should most definitely take a look at the Fellow Prismo, which modifies this coffee maker.
Very quick process
Thankfully I work from home, which means I get to make my coffee the way I want, rather than whatever my workplace has on hand. However if you do work somewhere where you can get hot enough water, then the Aeropress Go may still be perfect.
Because of the process of the Aeropress Go, you can extremely quickly make this great cup of coffee. Once you boil the water, you can make a cup in under a minute. Meaning you can easily make a cup without anyone thinking you are slacking off.
Easy to use and clean
Keeping your coffee maker clean is one of the biggest, and most important things you should be doing. The Aeropress Go is the best of the best in this category.
Normal automatic coffee makers, and other manual coffee makers like French Press, as well as pour over can be difficult to clean, and honestly is why I wanted to find a better coffee maker at all.
The Aeropress is so easy to start with, because once you are done plunging the coffee, you just pull off the filter housing, push down on the plunger over the garbage and it shoots your puck of coffee out.
Then you just pull apart the three large pieces, and rinse them off in the sink and let them dry.
No joke, cleaning this unit probably takes me 10 seconds.
Now you may say, well an automatic coffee maker is quick too! No, no its not… once you have to descale those things they take hours of work, and are a pain.
Portable
Now if you are in fact looking for this to take to work, or traveling, the go obviously has been built to take on the go, and store extremely easily.
All you have to do is collapse everything into the included mug, and then put the sealed mug cap back onto it!
From there you can throw it in a bag, carry on, or just your car without really having to worry about damaging it.
The nature of the Aeropress Go isn’t really intended to be a display piece, rather than an extremely usable coffee maker. Because of this, you don’t have to worry in the least of damaging something that you want to keep looking nice.
Versatile
I have been pleasantly surprised by how many different ways I can make coffee with my Aeropress Go.
You can easily make an espresso like shot by making adding a smaller amount of water, or you can make a normal cup of coffee by using an inverted method, adding a little more water, and milk at the end.
Of course there are so many other ways to make coffee ranging all the way across the spectrum of coffee. I would recommend buying one, and seeing what works best for you!
For me, it even depends on the time of day, as to how I use my Aeropress.
What don’t I quite like?
I think the only issue I have with the Go version of the Aeropress is the fact that the base of it has shrunk to fit into the mug carrying case, as opposed to the much wider base of the standard Aeropress.
This becomes an issue when you are using your Aeropress Go at home on your regular mugs and not the included plastic mug.
If any of your mugs have too wide of a mouth, you can’t use them to brew, as the Aeropress Go will fall through.
That said, I have plenty of mugs, and some of my favorites work just fine with the Go, so it isn’t too big of an issue, just a thought.
If this is a big issue for you, I would highly recommend the standard Aeropress, as this coffee maker is amazing and you should own one.
A quick recap
Didn’t read everything all the way through? Here is a quick recap on what I did, and didn’t like about this little manual coffee maker.
Pros
- Portable
- Delicious coffee
- Easy to use
- Easy to clean
- Great price for the amount you will use it
- Makes extremely clean coffee
- Can make many different types of coffee
Cons
- Wish it had a larger brew size
- Some may not like the cleaner coffee it makes
What brew style is the Aeropress
While most people would think that the Aeropress is similar to an espresso style of brew, it actually is an immersion brewer. This is because you mix the grounds with coffee in one container, and then strain it out.
In the end, it is actually closer to a french press, than an espresso maker.
Who is the Aeropress Go for?
The Aeropress Go is perfect for those that really need their coffee maker to be ultra-portable and easy to take on the go. It offers easy, delicious, clean coffee in a package that you can throw into a suitcase without any issues.
If this isn’t you, I would probably recommend switching to the standard Aeropress. Either way, you should probably have an Aeropress in your collection.
Where can you buy it?
The easiest place to buy an Aeropress Go is directly from Aeropress, you can see it here on their site! Or Walmart has it as well!
Should you get the Aeropress Go or the Aeropress
Before I had an Aeropress, I really had a hard time understanding what the difference between the inverted, and standard method of making Aeropress Coffee was.
Basically the standard brew method is that you put together your Aeropress (without the plunger), place it on top of the mug, add your coffee grounds, then water, and then add the plunger. This results in a quick brew.
Inverted on the other hand, I feel gives a bit more flexibility in the brew process. With this, you push the plunger slightly into the canister, flip the whole unit upside down, and then add coffee (coffee grounds will be sitting on top of the plunger at this point), then you add water to that and allow it to infuse.
What the inverted method allows for is for you to allow it to infuse for a longer more controlled period of time. The standard method allows for water to go through your filter, so you can’t infuse longer.
| Category | Aeropress Go | Aeropress Standard |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 8 ounces | 10 ounces |
| Height | 4.6” | 5.4” |
| Width | 3.6” | 4.2” |
| Depth | 3.6” | 3.8” |
| Funnel | No | Yes |
| Included Mug | 15 ounce | None |
| Stirring stick | Foldable | Standard |
| Filters included | 350 count | 350 count |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the AeroPress plastic safe?
From what I can tell, the Aeropress is extremely safe to use, as it currently uses a plastic called Polypropylene. Since the beginning of the Aeropress, this company has been inovating as new science showed how plastic leaches into any beverages. Thankfully they have shown this hasn’t been an issue, however they have innovated to show that this continues to be the case.
Is AeroPress better than French press?
Many people may be trying to compare a French Press to an Aeropress and wondering which is better. In the end it is completely up to personal taste. If you want a stronger tasting coffee with more particles in it, the French Press will definitely be your best choice. However if you like a clean cup of coffee, the Aeropress is going to be your obvious choice. The awesome thing about both of these methods, is that neither is too large of an investment, and most people should be able to own both.
Conclusion
If you have been interested in buying yourself an Aeropress, or an Aeropress Go, I would highly recommend you get one. I never really realized how great they were until I personally were able to use on one a daily basis.
I enjoyed this little coffee maker so much, that it topped my list of best portable coffee makers that you can read here.
As I had mentioned earlier in the article, I have completely removed my automatic coffee maker from my counter because I have felt so confident with my two main manual coffee makers, and this Aeropress is the one I use the most.
