Brew Guide: Aeropress
Aerobie, the company that invented the Aeropress, is not a coffee company by origin. Their first product was actually the Aerobie Pro – A flying disk. Alan Adler, the founder of the company, had invented many disk-like toys before he invented the Aeropress. Today, Aeropress is Aerobie’s #1 product and an extremely popular method of one cup brewing. The Aeropress produces an espresso strength coffee and as a result, has become known as the “poor man’s espresso.”
Aeropress is a pretty easy brew and only takes around 10 minutes.
What You Need
- Aeropress
- Tools Included
- Water
- Coffee
- Circular Filter
- Gooseneck Kettle
- Grinder
Amounts
1 scoop coffee & 12 oz water 16 grams coffee & 355 grams water
You’ll want one heaping Aeropress scoop of finely ground coffee to start – a #4 grind on industrial machines.
To prepare your water, bring it to a boil and then remove from heat. Never pour boiling water straight onto coffee grounds – it will scorch them and give your coffee a burnt flavor. Allow the water to cool for 30 seconds (the temperature should be between 195-205) before you proceed to the next step.
Place the paper filter into the plastic filter, screw it onto the Aeropress and set it over your mug. From here, you can wet the filter with your hot water, to remove the papery taste and heat your press and mug. Dump out the water before proceeding.
Drop the grounds into the cylinder, and add just enough water to cover them. Let them bloom for 30 seconds before continuing.
After the bloom, pour more hot water into the Aeropress, until the water level is just above the blue number 3.
Use the paddle that comes with your press to give the grounds a stir for about 5 seconds, then place the plunger into the tube. From here, slowly press the coffee through the filter until you hear a hissing noise.
The instructions that come with the Aeropress indicate one scoop of coffee grounds for each “dot” of water in the cylinder. 3x the amount of water seems like it would cause overextraction and bitterness… With mine, one scoop per dot produces an amazing result. 100% coffee; zero bitterness.
One caveat: do NOT, under any circumstances, let it steep for more than 10-15 seconds. Every second it steeps, beyond that, extracts something like an additional 10% caffeine. The coffee will still taste great, but you WILL suffer from a caffeine overdose 😉 It sucks.
Ken,
Thanks for sharing!
We’re glad you enjoy brewing Aeropress. We love it too. Have you ever tried using our coffee in an aeropress? If you’d like to give our coffee a try, here’s a link to get a free pound when you join our Coffee Lovers Club.
camanoislandcoffee.com/free-pound-offer
Thanks again.
I use the aeropress when backpacking, camping, and travelling. And yes Ken, I let is seep! Because. Hiking and Alaska! I love to use Camano Island’s Paupa New Guinea roast. I like mine with frothing cream even if it means packing it in and “refrigerating” it in a lake. One caveat, I have to bring a LOT because all my friends love it too!
I like a 7 minute steep in the aeropress. Metal filter. Prismo. The Brazil and Peru are both fantastic!
Here’s how I brew your Varietal Supremo blend with my Aeropress. I use the inverted method set somewhere between 2.5 and 3. I set my grind to halfway between fine and coarse. Add one full scoop of beans. Heat my water to 80 degrees C and pour just enough to cover the grounds, then wait while they bloom. Then I stir for about 10 seconds, then add the rest of the water until I get to just below the top, and very carefully place and twist the cap with a metal filter tucked inside. I wait for another minute, then invert the Aeropress, place it over my cup, and slowly exert pressure until it starts to hiss.
Voila! The best espresso that I’ve ever had. The caffeine hit is immediate and the taste is luxurious.