My name is Ben Jones. I am the 2016 U.S. AeroPress Champion. My family and I live in a sleepy Pacific Northwest town, a short drive into the mountains and or to the ocean, alpine lakes for paddling and rivers for fishing, and easy access to what the big cities have to offer. We enjoy getting out as much as possible for day hikes with friends or overnight trips with the cousins.
I’ve been working with coffee in some way for more than 20 years. I got deep into coffee in 1999. I was in college, and Stumptown was revolutionizing the Portland coffee scene. After college, I ran a coffee cart that helped young adults with disabilities get ready for life after high school. During those years, I learned from local roasters who liked what I was doing. I even became a Barista Guild of America Certified Barista at Camp Pull-A-Shot, a weekend barista camp.
I would go on to do everything from barista work to green bean buying. I’ve managed cafes, trained baristas, and consulted with cafe owners to develop their businesses. I’ve competed in, coached, and judged in many competitions.
Coffee has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. On all our family vacations and holiday gatherings, I am counted on to be the coffee guy. Everywhere I go, I am certain to bring my AeroPress.
I love this grinder. I have several electric grinders at home and find myself preferring the grind quality of the AeroPress hand grinder for most of my brews. The handle is brilliant. I love that it fits onto the grinder so that I don’t need to pack a handle separately. It is probably the most comfortable hand grinder I’ve ever used. The handle gives enough leverage that grinding dense, light-roasted beans is not an effort. Hand grinding has become part of my daily coffee ritual, a quiet meditation while the kettle boils. And I have to confess: I’ve been using this grinder as an excuse to go fishing. It makes grinding coffee so easy that I look for opportunities to make coffee away from home. It fits so nicely into my AeroPress kit. I just grab water, fresh beans, my camp stove, and fly rod, then I’m off to have a coffee by the river.
