Kingbeast's Lair

A friend on Facebook asked me to compare the Pure Over and Aeropress. For those not up coffee brewers this is comparing the old standby (aka the Aeropress) to the upcoming challenger (aka the Pure Over).

What are these?

The Aeropress is comprised of 2 plastic pipes and a plastic filter cover that when combined act as sort of a “coffee plunger”. You put in a circular paper filter, coffee, and hot water then plunge directly into a cup. In some ways this is closer to an old school coffee press just much better designed. I own two Aeropress. I have one of the older models and a new model. I love them both but I like the newer model a bit better. You can get them in a complete kit for $35 at Amazon.

Pros

• Brews a cup in 20 seconds following the instructions. Maybe 60 seconds including the cleanup time! Fast.
• The coffee is hot.
• Super easy cleanup. Pop the coffee puck into the trash then under the faucet.
• No grounds in the cup at all. The filter works great.
• Indestructible. Can be safely put in a backpack, suitcase, etc.

Cons

• Uses paper filters. They are cheap but it still uses them.
• If you want to wash all of the plastic components I have always done so by hand.
• The resulting coffee is a bit on the mellow side when compared to the Pure Over.

The Pure Over is a glass decanter with an associated glass filter diffuser top. You put the coffee in the decanter, put on the glass diffuser top then pour in the hot water. The Pure over is really a straight pour over device just with no paper filter at all. It is glass, coffee, and hot water.

Pros

• No filters. Glass + coffee + hot water.
• Easy cleanup. Wipe out the coffee grounds into the roses then run under the faucet. Potentially clean out the ceramic base a bit too.
• Rich and bright cup of coffee.
• Dishwasher safe.

Cons

• Coffee takes at least 2 minutes to brew and at the end I need to stir it softly as the instructions suggest.
• Coffee takes time to brew and it not as hot when you are done.
• You need to use a bit more coffee than the Aeropress to get good results.
• Grounds do make it into the cup. I use a conical burr grinder set on course and still get a wash of coffee grounds in the bottom of the cup.
• I am not coordinated. I feels like I am walking around eggshells when the Pure Over is on my coffee cup. It seems really fragile.
• Costs more than the Aeropress.

My Take

Before I jump into my choice and why I want to point out that both of these devices are freakin’ amazing. They both work great and get you a super cup of coffee.

If you want to impress your friends with an amazing cup of coffee pull out the Pure Over. If you want a great day-to-day brewer get the Aeropress.

And the winner is…the Aeropress. I adore the speed, cleanup, and durability.