In February, at a German coffee expo, AeroPress discreetly unveiled four new products.
Surprisingly, this didn’t make headlines until a Reddit user shared an outdated press release about the forthcoming items, causing online coffee enthusiasts to buzz with excitement.
Alan Adler, the inventor of AeroPress, was known for his cautious approach to launching new products, releasing only one spin-off during his tenure; the travel-sized Go-model.
For that reason, it’s noteworthy that the new owner of AeroPress since 2021, the Canadian investment firm Tiny, has already announced four new products, with one of them hitting the shelves at the moment of writing.
AeroPress Flow Control Filter Cap
The first new product, and probably also the most mundane one, is the AeroPress Flow Control filter cap.
This little accessory has already been available on Amazon for a few weeks, and several users are already reporting excellent results with it, claiming that it’s a better fit than the Prismo.
This gadget functions like a pressurized filter cap, allowing you to make espresso-like coffee with your AeroPress, so it’s pretty much doing exactly the same as the Prismo.
In other words, it can make “faux espresso” and longer immersion brews without relying on the upside-down technique.
While the new cap is a pretty interesting product, it’s obviously overshadowed by the release of the three new AeroPresses, so let’s talk about those.
AeroPress Clear
The standard AeroPress is getting a makeover with this new clear/transparent version.
Actually, the first version of the AeroPress from 2005 and onwards was made out of clear plastic, so this is a return to form.
In recent years, the clear version has become a bit of a collector’s item, fetching high prices on eBay, so I think this one will be popular among collectors.
The original transparent AeroPress was made out of polycarbonate but was eventually abandoned due to concerns about BPA. For a brief period (09-10) there was actually a transparent AeroPress made out of copolyester. However, it was just around this period that the tinted/greyish look, we have all become accustomed to got introduced.
When I bought my first AeroPress around years 2010-2011, the design had already changed to the tinted version with blue numerals.
Since 2014 Aerobie has used polypropylene due to its increased durability. The new clear version will be made of the rather premium Tritan material.
Tritan is developed by Eastman Chemical Company. It is designed to be BPA-free, highly durable, and resistant to heat and chemicals, making it a great choice for coffee gadgets, food storage containers, and kitchen appliances. Tritan can be described as a copolyester, but not all copolyesters are Tritan.
Update: The AeroPress Clear is already available for purchase now
AeroPress XL
The AeroPress XL is undeniably big news, in every sense of the word. I’ve been aware of its development for some time now and even dropped a hint about it in my latest AeroPress video on my YouTube channel.
The XL will be able to double the volume of a normal AeroPress making it a fantastic option for those who need to serve multiple people or who simply want more coffee in one go.
The AeroPress XL addresses one of the main drawbacks of the original AeroPress.
Of course, I have my own Supersized recipe that can get around this capacity issue and I will still be using that, but nevertheless, it’s an interesting development.
I think this development is especially interesting since Alan Adler had XL prototypes, but never ended up producing them since he was not quite happy with the result.
But on the other hand, Adler was a perfectionist, so maybe we shouldn’t make too much of this. In his time, he only made the OG AeroPress and the GO, and already now, after a short time, it looks like the new owners take a more courageous approach to innovation.
AeroPress Premium
The AeroPress Premium will feature a construction of glass, stainless steel, and aluminum instead of the usual plastic.
There’s a lot of excitement about this version already from people who are worried about chemicals in plastic.
The premium materials and attractive design will also make it a standout piece on any coffee bar.
However, the downside is that it will probably not be as travel-friendly as the original AeroPress due to its glass construction. It will also come with a higher price tag.
While I don’t have exact pricing details, I’d estimate that it could easily cost $100 or more, given the average AeroPress price of around $40.
CONCLUSION
2023 is shaping up to be an exciting year for AeroPress fans with these new products on the way.
There’s the burning question of availability. It’s clear that coffee lovers want to get their hands on the products ASAP. If we take the press release from AeroPress at face value, it says that “products are slated to launch this year”.
However, according to internal sources in the company, the release could be spread out over the next two years in order not to flood the market with too many new Aero-gadgets all at once.
Top Featured Image: Editing The Coffee Chronicler / Source material AeroPress
