‘Seasonality’ is one of the newer buzzwords in the coffee industry.
It’s really only come into play in recent times along with the increase in availability of very fine, usually single farm/estate, often microlot coffees. The high quality, small farm factors usually mean very limited supply.
This, in turn means that when it runs out – which will be quickly – that is it until the next crop. No more just waiting for new stock, it can mean no more full stop – if the next crop is sold to a different broker, or if the next crop fails, etc.

A good example has been the Bolivia Colonia San Juan 8 Estrellas. A gorgeous, rich, creamy coffee used by Gwilym Davies of the United Kingdom, the winner of the 2009 World Barista Championship. The first bag I secured went very quickly, and when I had the chance of a second bag soon after, I grabbed.
But now it’s all gone, and it’s very uncertain whether there will be any more in the foreseeable future.
But this is no longer just happening with the super-quality microlots. This situation is becoming more common amongst lesser (but still very good) coffees. As demand for a better and more consistent quality coffee increases, the issue of seasonality comes into play to a greater degree.

At one level, it’s easy to get frustrated with this. We are used to being able to buy whatever we want whenever we want. But I suggest we learn to embrace seasonality in coffee, just as we should do with any crop (I hate cold room apples, and can’t wait for the new season apples each January/February).
Enjoy and savour great coffee when it’s available. Lament it’s passing when a crop finishes, but embrace any of the other great beans that will come along and enjoy them – until their passing…

The Aeropress is hardly news in the coffee world. As an economical, easy to use coffee brewing device since late 2005 or early 2006. I tried it out when they first came to Australia, and to be honest I can’t recall what I thought about it at the time!
I think someone else must have brewed it for me, because I can’t even recall the process.
Since then I have made a couple of brews using the AP, but both times at friend’s houses.

But last year, I started stocking the Aeropress after a few enquiries, and they’ve been walking out the door ever since – especially the Aeropress/Kyocera Ceramic Hand Grinder combo. So, I figured I was well overdue to familiarise myself with the finer points of the Aeropress.
Having a couple of weeks off and wanting to travel light, I popped in an AP, a Hario Hand grinder, and a Hario TC2 Syphon to play with while away.

Aeropress 101

I started from scratch, not having actually used one for some time.
First impression is that the package is complete and well thought out. It comes with everything bar a grinder, the beans and the water. Second impression is that the instructions are thorough and easy to understand.
I bought some tasty beans away with me: Ethiopian Bashawieh Harar, lightly roasted to just prior to second crack, and rested 7 days. Some Brazil BSCA Espresso Blend No1 roasted slightly darker. Also 7 days post roast. The Harar is an absolute berry bomb, a stunner with potent acidity and dark chocolate on the back of the palate. The BSCA is smooth, velvety, nutty, creamy with a natural sweetness.

I simply ‘blended’ a scoop (as provided with the Aeropress) of each in the Hario grinder (after dialling it in to a ‘fine filter grind’), and followed the instructions pretty much to the letter.
I added hot water post-brew to fill the mug. The result was smoother – much smoother – and richer than a plunger (which I am a fan of). Still plenty of flavour, character and body, but without the bitterness and fines so easily found in a plunger.
Really very impressive given the simplicity and easily repeatable process.

The problem of the filter paper

Since the advent of the Aeropress, a commonly heard criticism is that the paper filter doesn’t allow enough of the oils in the brewed coffee through to the cup. It’s an accepted point with other brew methods that use a paper filter too. Some go to quite extraordinary lengths to work around this.

While I haven’t tried the non-paper filter methods, to me, there is little evidence in the cup that insufficient oils are coming through. Normally, that would be evidenced by a lack of body, but I found the body was very similar to that of plunger coffee. Looking closely at the paper filters, they are quite different to drip filter papers: thinner and quite a different consistency. These are easily rinsed off and re-used multiple times. It’s hard to imagine being able to that with a drip filter paper.

In the end, everyone needs to try for themselves, but while it is definitely not ‘espresso’ (despite what the instruction leaflet says!), it makes a drink that is far more than just passable. The Aeropress can produce a very fine coffee indeed for a very small outlay.
As always, excellent beans and a good grinder are an essential part of the equation.

If you have used an Aeropress, share your experiences by leaving a comment below.

Regular customers of Ministry Grounds will know of my connections with Dean Morgan and his coffee business. Fewer will realise that Dean’s wife, Michelle is as passionate about chocolate as Dean is about coffee.

That passion is about to produce delicious fruit as their bean-to-bar chocolate making business starts to produce serious amounts of very, very nice chocolate. Zokoko is the name, and you can read of the background to this in this weeks Sydney Morning Herald ‘Good Living’ section.

All being well, I hope to soon add some Zokoko eating chocolate to the drinking chocolate we already sell in the Ministry Grounds Store.