When the PR folks for the new AeroPress Go Plus offered up of couple of products for us to test in the lead up to Christmas, the office coffee addicts — creative director Tim van Duyl and I —were falling over ourselves to get our paws on one.
The Go Plus is the latest iteration of the iconic coffee press from AeroPress which has proved popular with caffeine aficionados all over the world, allowing them to brew a perfect cup wherever they may be.
For those not familiar with AeroPress coffee maker, the technology is simple. It’s an easy-to-use, portable plastic press which gives you a delicious cup of coffee with the full body of a French press (or plunger), the smoothness of a pour-over (or dripper) and the richness of an espresso style coffee.
US inventor and engineer Alan Adler spent years experimenting with different brew methods and processes before launching the AeroPress in 2005. He used air pressure to shorten the brew time, reduce bitterness and compress the flavour out of the coffee grounds more quickly.
The AeroPress Go Plus is available in two colours
As well as the original AeroPress, other versions include the AeroPress XL (double the capacity), the AeroPress Clear (so you can see your brew) and AeroPress Go — a compact travel system which hit the market in 2019.
The Go Plus is a fancier version of the Aeropress Go travel coffee maker. In the box you get the clear plastic chamber and plunger, filter cap, coffee scoop, stirrer and round paper filters. But instead of the Go’s compact plastic mug and lid, you get a very large double-wall, stainless-steel travel mug with a leak-resistant lid, in either black or white. The bottom of the sturdy mug has a secret compartment to store the filters.
The AeroPress Go Plus portable coffee maker is easy to use
The hidden compartment for storing coffee filters
Tim is a big fan of the AeroPress Go, which he takes with him on caravan shoots, vehicle reviews or hiking in the mountains. It’s light, portable and easy to use, as it’s intended to be. We did a side-by-side test of the AeroPress Go with the new Go Plus.
For newbies like me, the process is set out in easy-to-follow instructions. Place the chamber on top of the mug, add ground coffee with the scoop, add hot water to your desired level on the chamber (one to four), give it a stir, wait 60 seconds and then plunge away. The plunging process takes a bit of strength, but perhaps over time it will loosen up a little. The Go was easier to press but admittedly it has been used hundreds of times. Add milk and sugar, if desired, pop on the lid and you’re ready to go.
The travel mug holds 1.5 cups or 350ml — so one big cup of delicious coffee for one person or two small cups for two people and it will keep hot for a couple of hours. It is big for a travel mug, however. It didn’t fit into the cup holders in my little Škoda but did fit into the centre console cup holders in the Ford Ranger Tim had been driving.
This portable coffee maker has everything you need for a good brew on the go
Tim is not a fan of the waste produced by paper filters, so in his Go he opts to use an AeroPress reusable metal filter (available online) which you just rinse after use.
There’s no doubt the AeroPress makes a great cup of coffee and for that reason I will take it on future caravan travels. The size of the mug makes it impractical for me, so I will probably use the plunger mechanism on top of my regular travel mug or the mug I use in the van.
AeroPress Go Plus retails for $158.99 is available from some retailers such as Anaconda and Snowy Outdoors or order online on AeroPress' website.
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