Today, we will discuss how to make coffee with an AeroPress.
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First, we’ll explain what AeroPress is, discuss some fundamentals of using and brewing with one, and then provide some different recipes that will help you get started with your new filter coffee brewer. We won’t get too technical as this article is for first-time users and those wanting some help with recipes.
AeroPress was created in 2004 by lecturer Alan Adler, who is a retired engineering lecturer at Stanford University, with the idea of creating a coffee brewer that reduces acidity and bitterness.
With his engineering background, he initially created the brewer for his use, then as we know it today, he created something very special that we in the coffee industry call revolutionary.
Think of it this way, how many home coffee brewers are there that have been around for hundreds of years that people use every day?
The answer is, not many. There’s the Italian Nonna favourite, the moka pot, the cafetiere (French press), and the coffee percolator. And that’s pretty much it if we’re talking about manual coffee brewers.
The AeroPress is a new-day icon that has changed home coffee brewing forever. Now everyone can make great filter coffee at home, at the beach, in the car, literally from anywhere you can think of.
And that’s what I’m going to help you with today. The best recipes, and the best techniques, so you can make great coffee with the iconic AeroPress every time.
There are two ways to brew with AeroPress, the traditional method and the inverted method. There is the traditional way which is considered as a percolation – pushing water through the coffee – and the inverted method which steeps the coffee grounds in water for a desired period (immersion) and you get different types of brews using each method.
To the left is the traditional AeroPress method – and the the right is the inverted method.
Now, let’s get started …
What you’ll need:
- Fresh, well-rested speciality coffee beans – you can pick these up from your local roaster, but if you like you can check out my favourites here
- An AeroPress
- AeroPress filters
- A grinder – pre-ground medium to fine if no grinder
- A timer
- A scoop/scale
- A kettle
- Filtered or bottled water
A Simple AeroPress Recipe
- Grab your AeroPress and put it in the inverted position as shown below. Grind 16g of coffee at a medium-fine grind or add 1 scoop of coffee with your AeroPress scoop to the bottom of the AeroPress.
2. Pour 150g of boiling water into the chamber on top of the coffee
3. Grab your stirrer or a spoon, then stir 8-10 times
4. Then start your timer, wait until it reaches 2:00 minutes, add your AeroPress cap with pre-soaked filter paper, and grab a cup or carafe.
5. Put your cup or carafe upside down on top of the AeroPress cap, flip it over, and, using two hands, plunge it nice and gently until all the water has been pushed out.
6. Serve and enjoy your first-ever AeroPress coffee!
Simple right?
Now, let’s go through a different recipe. Then, we’ll move on to a competition-style recipe and up your AeroPress game!
What I always say is experiment. That’s the fun of it!
Every coffee will have a slightly different recipe to get the best out of the coffee. So have fun, change the dose of your coffee, your water quantity and your grind size, and see what types of brews you get.
Remember, coffee is a journey of experimentation, enjoyment and discovering new techniques. For example, if you wanted a stronger brew, up your dose to say 20g of coffee, then lower your water to say 100-120g. The same applies if you want a weaker coffee, lower your dose to around 10-13g then up your water to about 180-200g.
The James Hoffmann AeroPress Recipe
The next recipe we will go through is a very popular one from the coffee industry legend himself, James Hoffmann – a coffee YouTuber and winner of the 2006 world barista championship.
He presents this recipe as a simple, effective way of using the iconic AeroPress, without overcomplicating the technique, in a way for everyone to understand and create great-tasting coffee.
Here it is:
Set the brewer in the standard position on a server. Don’t rinse or preheat the brewer (it doesn’t make a difference).
- Start your timer, and add 200ml water, aiming to wet all the coffee during pouring (I like to pour in a circular motion)
- Then immediately place the plunger on top of the brewer, about 1cm in. This creates a vacuum to stop the coffee from dripping through.
- Wait 2 minutes.
- Holding the brewer and the plunger, gently swirl the brewer.
- Wait 30 seconds.
- Press gently all the way, it takes about 30 seconds.
- Drink and enjoy!
Now that is James Hoffman’s way of brewing with an AeroPress. Simple isn’t it? It’s not confusing; it’s straight to the point and gets you great coffee every time you use this recipe.
Let’s go to another level of brewing with an AeroPress. Maybe the 2024 AeroPress World Championship 2nd place recipe?
The 2024 AeroPress World Championships Recipe
- Using the inverted method, Put 18g of coffee into the chamber
2. Pour 60ml of Room Temperature water for blooming into the chamber. Start timing when you begin pouring.
3. Stir 8 times and wait until 40 sec
4. Pour 95°C water up to 190ml for the second pour.
5. At 01:30 flip and start pressing until 02:00
6. Dilute with 10ml of room temperature water.
7. Serve and enjoy
This recipe is one from Sophan Nugraha who came 2nd in the world AeroPress championship in 2024. It’s a more complex recipe, but still easy enough for us to replicate and create a great brew.
So there you have it, 3 completely different recipes that you can try and do yourself at home (or at the beach, that’s the perfect thing about an AeroPress). As I said, try and experiment with different variables like the amount of water, the grind size, the dose of coffee and how many swirls or stirs you do within your brew. Mix things up, try new ways, or even create your own (that’s what I love to do.)
Have a go, enjoy, and create some delicious coffee. Thank you for reading and I’ll see you on the next one!
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