How to Make AeroPress Coffee (and Make It Better)
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The short answer: use 15 grams of medium-fine coffee and 240 grams of water just off the boil. Stir, steep for 1 minute, then press slowly for 20 to 30 seconds and stop when you hear the hiss.
The AeroPress is a plastic brewer with a plunger and a paper filter. It combines a short steep with gentle pressure, so it makes a clean, smooth cup in about two minutes. It is quick, forgiving and easy to travel with, and there is no single right recipe. It is not espresso, because the pressure is far lower than an espresso machine.
What you need
- An AeroPress and paper filters
- Fresh coffee, ground medium-fine: about the texture of table salt
- A kettle, a scale and a timer
- A sturdy mug
Our starting recipe
- Coffee: 15 grams
- Water: 240 grams, about a 1 to 16 ratio
- Water temperature: just off the boil
- Steep: 1 minute
- Press: 20 to 30 seconds
How to make AeroPress coffee, step by step
- Rinse the filter. Put a paper filter in the cap and pour hot water through it. This removes the papery taste and warms the brewer. Tip out the water.
- Set up. Twist the cap onto the chamber and sit it on your mug.
- Add the coffee and level it.
- Brew. Start your timer, pour in 240 grams of water, and give it a few good stirs.
- At 1 minute, insert the plunger and press slowly and steadily.
- Stop at the hiss. When you hear it, air is coming through the grounds, and the last drops in the chamber are the bitter ones.
- Taste it. The AeroPress brews strong. Add a little hot water if you want it longer.
What about the inverted method?
Some brewers flip the AeroPress upside down so the plunger seals the bottom, which gives more control over the steep. It works, but it risks a hot spill if the seal slips. The standard method is easier and safer, and the flavour difference is small.
How to make it better: fix your cup
- Bitter or harsh: grind coarser, steep for a shorter time, or use slightly cooler water, around 80 to 85 degrees.
- Sour, thin or weak: grind finer, steep a little longer, or use hotter water.
- Very hard to press: the grind is too fine. Grind coarser.
- Watery: the grind is too coarse, or the ratio is too weak. Try 1 to 14, so 17 grams of coffee to 240 grams of water.
Change one thing at a time. The Roo would. The Galah presses like he is trying to break something.
Which coffee to use
Freshly roasted beans, ground just before brewing, make the biggest difference. Both of our blends work well in an AeroPress. The Hooligan is our medium roast, with milk chocolate, caramel, toasted hazelnut and a gentle stone-fruit sweetness, for a sweeter, brighter cup. The Cartel is our dark roast, with dark chocolate and toasted almond, for a richer, heavier cup.
AeroPress FAQ
Is AeroPress coffee the same as espresso?
No. It is a smooth, concentrated brew, but the pressure is much lower than an espresso machine.
What grind should I use for an AeroPress?
Medium-fine, about the texture of table salt. Too fine is hard to press, and too coarse tastes thin.
How long should I steep AeroPress coffee?
About 1 minute is a good start. Most recipes land between 1 and 2 minutes in total.
Standard or inverted?
Start with the standard method. It is easier, cleaner and safer, and it makes excellent coffee.
Do I need a scale?
It helps. A scale keeps the ratio the same every time, which makes it much easier to work out what to change.
Roasted in Dubbo, NSW and sent Australia-wide. Meet The Hooligan or buy The Hooligan medium roast coffee beans. Meet The Cartel or buy The Cartel dark roast coffee beans.