The Aeropress has something futuristic about it and also makes good coffee. Actually, Aerobie invents frisbees that almost make it into space, but with the Aeropress it combines coffee and frisbee, and that works pretty well.
It is easy to handle and creates a coffee with low acidity and only a slight bitter note. It's quick to clean and especially practical when you're out and about. But also a plus at home.
Although the material is free of bisphenolA and phthalates, the plastic-meaters among you won't be so happy with it. Nevertheless it creates an interesting coffee.
The Aeropress is versatile and you can experiment with it well. The best thing is to try it yourself.
Here is our guide with the "inverted" method.
What you need
Coffee, Aeropress, Aeropress Filter, Coffe Grinder, Precision
Scale, Kettle
Time: 3 Minutes
16 grams
Fine to medium
200 grams
93° Celcius
1 - 1:30 min
Bring water to a boil. Weigh out 15-18 grams of coffee (depending on your preferred strength). Grind to a texture slightly finer than sea salt.
Insert a filter into the AeroPress's plastic cap.
Use some of your hot water to wet your filter and cap. The water serves a dual function here: It helps the filter adhere to the cap, and heats your brewing vessel.
Assemble your AeroPress. Now assemble the AeroPress so that the press piston is inserted into the brewing cylinder from below. In this way, the number labels of both elements are upside down (therefore this method is called "inverted method"). Push the plunger so far in that the rubber seal reaches just under the "4" marking of the cylinder.
Add your ground coffee. To make a cup of coffee (200 ml) in the AeroPress, we use 16 g freshly ground coffee.
Start a timer. Add twice the weight of water than you have grounds (e.g., for 15 grams coffee, add 30 grams water). The water should be about 93° Celcius.
Make sure the coffee is saturated evenly, tamping slightly with the paddle or butter knife if necessary, and let it sit for 30 seconds.
Now pour the remaining water of the 200 ml until the AeroPress is filled. Then wait another half minute.
After a minute has elapsed, stir grounds 10 times to agitate
Now you can unscrew the filter together with the paper filter and close the AeroPress.
Turn the AeroPress around quickly and place it on a cup or a stable can, for example. Since a negative pressure is created in the AeroPress piston which carries the weight of the water, hardly any coffee will leak out when you turn it around.
Position it atop your brew vessel and begin applying downward pressure. You will experience about 30 pounds of resistance here. If the pushing feels too easy, your grind is likely too coarse; if it’s very hard to push, chances are the grind is too fine. Your coffee is fully brewed once it begins to make a hissing sound. This means there is no more water to push through the device.
Once you’ve unscrewed the cap, you can pop out the filter and the puck of condensed grounds by simply pushing AeroPress’s interior section a final inch.
Enjoy your coffee!