Is an AeroPress coffee maker worth it? I tested every model – here’s the good and surprisingly bad

Any AeroPress is a tinkerer’s delight, giving you control over the major axes of coffee making: grind size and amount, water volume and temperature, and brew time. Photograph: Tracy Allison/The Guardian

In 2005, Alan Alder had already made a name for himself as the inventor of the Aerobie, an aerodynamically improved flying ring. For his next project, the engineer created a similarly ingenious coffee maker: the AeroPress, which looks like a big needle-less syringe that pushes a cup of brewed coffee down through a filter and directly into a mug.

More than 20 years later, the AeroPress remains a cult classic because it is easy to use, easy to clean and the coffee it makes is the perfect middle ground between drip’s reliability and French press richness. You can also enjoy something stiffer and vaguely espresso-like, or use it to brew iced coffee.