The Aeropress coffee maker makes a lot of sense for us cyclists. We are a snobbish crowd, admittedly, when it comes to a good cup of Joe. We drink so much of the stuff to keep us pedalling the cranks that we can tell the difference between barista-quality and dreaded instant. We also expect the best coffee at all times, too.

At face value, the Aeropress is a little gimmicky and an indulgence rather than a necessity but so is most cyclists’ approach to coffee, myself included.

Some of us would tolerate an instant coffee or a cup of brew seeped out of a hotel coffee machine, rather than the faff of making your own stuff. But for those who are not, or are just simply interested in improving their coffee experience while on the go, the Aeropress could be a nifty, cost-effective option.

Practicality

I admit, I was for a long time happy to grin and bear a cup of instant coffee from various hotel rooms or AirBnbs while on riding trips as, after all, bad coffee is better than no coffee. But after using the Aeropress, I do believe it offers a legitimate solution to bad coffee without a massive amount hassle.

The grey plastic used in construction looks basic but all the parts seem incredibly robust. Pulling and pushing at all the parts I thought seemed weak, the material barely budged, making me confident this could survive even the gnarliest baggage handlers or bikepacking trips.

All the components – plunger, stirrer and measuring scoop – pack down nice and neatly, barely taking any room in a holdall, backpack or pannier. All the parts detach and reattach for cleaning and it’s incredibly light, meaning it will barely be noticed when chucked in your backpack before departure. Plus, all the components can be bought separately from the Aeropress online store if damaged or lost, too.

Buy the Aeropress coffee maker from Amazon

What about the bikepackers? This sector of our society that’s growing and growing with every handlebar bag release. More and more riders are opting to go off-road and off the grid to find more exciting, safer ways of exploring by bike.

Surely they would bite off a hand for a way of making good black coffee via a packable, light process.

Ease of use

Making coffee is a science, so I’m told by Cyclist deputy editor Stu Bowers. He says it involves a lot of weighing ground coffee and checking water temperatures, making it seem as if you need to spend three years at Oxford to get your head around it.

Thankfully, because the…