Which AeroPress Should You Buy: Original, Clear, Clear XL or Go Plus?

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AeroPress Original: the sensible first purchase

$39.95 · One drinker · Standard filters · Check the Original (external site, opens in a new tab)

The Original is our default because it buys the essential experience with the fewest dollars. Coffee steeps in a chamber, then a plunger pushes it through a filter into your cup. There is no battery to charge, no menu to negotiate and no reason a perfectly ordinary kitchen should need a dedicated coffee station.

Its smoky polypropylene has the practical charm of something designed to do a job. You lose the Clear’s unobstructed view, not a documented level of coffee quality. In Coffee Kev’s hands-on comparison, he keeps the Original first for value even while preferring aspects of the Clear’s feel. That is the distinction we find persuasive: pleasant improvements do not make the cheaper brewer obsolete.

It is also a credible travel option without “Go” in its name. Pair it with a suitable cup you already like. For an occasional weekend away, we would rather put the Go Plus’s $50 premium toward coffee and a train ticket.

The catch: this is a small brewer. If breakfast means two generous mugs every day, repeating the brew can turn a charming ritual into a queue. Choose Clear XL for that job, or consider a larger brewer.

A little more pleasure

AeroPress Clear: worth $10 if you like the view

$49.95 · Same listed capacity as Original · Standard filters · Check the Clear (external site, opens in a new tab)

The Clear makes a modest and unusually honest upgrade proposition: you can see what you are doing. Water level, floating grounds and your stirring are easier to follow through its transparent chamber. It is the one we would choose for someone who enjoys the preparation as much as the drink, or for a gift that should look inviting on a counter.

Tritan is plastic, despite the glass-like appearance. CoffeeGeek’s Mark Prince liked the visibility and reported very similar heat-loss behavior to the standard brewer in his limited temperature checks. He also noted that scratches and marks are more apparent. His review used a manufacturer-supplied sample; it is useful experience, not a controlled finding that Clear makes better coffee.

We would pay the extra $10 for that daily interaction if the budget allowed. We would not advise an Original owner to replace a functioning brewer in pursuit of better flavor. The plain clear version best serves the visibility argument; a tint can be more cheerful, but slightly defeats the point of the window.

The catch: the upgrade buys neither a bigger serving nor a travel mug. If those are what you need, keep reading. If neither matters and $10 does, the Original is the easy answer.

Make room at the table

AeroPress Clear XL: buy it for the batch size

$89.95 · 20 oz advertised capacity · XL filters · Check the Clear XL (external site, opens in a new tab)

Clear XL addresses the strongest reason to buy a different AeroPress: your existing one does not make enough. The transparent chamber comes with a matching carafe, so a shared brew can go to the table together. It is a more convincing upgrade for two drinkers than buying another standard brewer and conducting parallel operations beside the kettle.

Size also changes the handling. The maker lists a 7.6-inch height and 4.6-inch width for the brewer; adding the carafe and raising the plunger requires more working room. The Guardian’s Joe Ray found the XL models awkward to control. Try the pressing height before buying if reach or grip is a concern. For Clear XL, AeroPress specifically advises against pressing into glass; use its supplied Tritan carafe.

Our recommendation is conditional: choose it when larger AeroPress batches are the point. For an occasional second guest, two brews on your existing model may be enough. For several large mugs, a larger pour-over setup or batch coffee maker is worth considering instead.

There is also a cheaper route to this capacity: the opaque Original XL was $79.95 when checked, with the same advertised 20 oz capacity and a carafe. If seeing the brew does not interest you, that is $10 worth keeping.

The catch: your standard paper filters will not fit, and accessory compatibility must say XL. This is the Clear XL; reviews of the older, opaque Original XL do not establish this model’s long-term durability.

Everything has its place

AeroPress Go Plus: for packing, more than commuting

$89.95 · 10 oz brewer, 16 oz tumbler · Standard filters · Check the black Go Plus (external site, opens in a new tab)

Go Plus is appealing when you will make coffee at your destination: a borrowed kitchen, a hotel room with a kettle, the office on a quiet morning. Its brewer nests in an insulated tumbler, and the base stores up to 25 paper filters. Packing one organized object is the feature you are paying for.

That is a narrower benefit than “better for travel.” A fully packed kit weighs about 560 g, according to AeroPress, before coffee or water. You still need grounds and hot water. Once the tumbler holds your drink, the brewer needs somewhere else to go. If you only brew at home and carry coffee to work, an Original and your existing travel cup are a more economical arrangement.

Outside opinion is divided. Coffee Kev enjoys the nesting kit but questions the premium. WIRED’s Joe Ray disliked the drinking lid and found the brewer’s projecting tabs limited compatibility with his other mugs. Those are handling observations from their review units, not a measured defect rate.

The catch: the mug holds more than the brewer makes in one pass. Also, you cannot buy the Go Plus tumbler and expect your Original or Clear to nest inside: AeroPress says they do not fit. Check that you actually want the whole system before paying $40 more than a Clear.