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The primary purpose of this blog has always been to share my passion for good coffee and demonstrate that it is easier and cheaper than you think. A big part of it is to present brewing methods that are inexpensive and easy to use. The AeroPress is probably the best illustration of this statement. The AeroPress is sturdy, easy to use, and you can use it in multiple ways to brew a tasty cup. Bonus points: its sturdiness and compact size make it a great travel companion.
What is an AeroPress?
Per Wikipedia, hardly a source of any information for me, but I found their definition to be precise; AeroPress is a manual coffeemaker invented by Alan Adler, founder of AeroPress, Inc. It consists of a cylindrical chamber and a plunger with an airtight silicone seal, similar to a syringe. Ground coffee beans and water are steeped inside, then forced through a filter by pressing the plunger through the chamber.
AeroPress history
Like many Inventions, it started with a problem that is worth finding a solution to. Alan Adler, an engineer, wanted to reduce bitterness in his daily coffee. From there, he found the answer: decrease the brewing time.
Unlike pour-over devices, he took inspiration from espresso machine technology, except electricity and levers are replaced by human pressure.
Alan Adler realized that he needed to take advantage of the pressure to brew his coffee faster. A closed chamber increased the pressure from the “push.” In 2005, various prototypes later, and Alan Adler had his AeroPress. His small, family-run business (which still only has a dozen or so employees) soon began producing it and demonstrating it at trade shows.
At first, the specialty coffee industry dismissed AeroPress as a gadget from a toymaker rather than a new brewing device. Alan did not get discouraged and started to offer brewed coffee samples. The proof was in the cup, and the words began to spread out.
The road for success: Alan says, “Coffee is a global phenomenon. And various brewing methods have gone global. It helped that the AeroPress brews a delicious cup in one minute. It is self-cleaning, portable, inexpensive, and can be utilized in many different ways.”
Fast forward to the World AeroPress Championship, which resulted from the infinite possibilities to experiment. There are many ways to play with the AeroPress: brew time, push time, coffee dose, coffee: water ratio, water temperature, and even whether or not you invert the brewer.
So many recipes, so many parameters!
When you search about the best way to use an AeroPress, you are immediately overwhelmed by many recommendations about the “best” way to use it. Some of the opinions can be very strong. The intention of my article is not to provide you with the best way to use AeroPress. Quite the contrary, a big part of its appeal is for everyone to experiment with it and find their favorite way to use it.
You can play with many parameters: grind size, brew ratios, coffee quantity, water temperature, stir or not stir, rest time, etc. It can be a bit overwhelming, but I found that if you use good and fresh coffee, to begin with, it always produces a decent cup. Certainly better than anything you could get from your Keurig pods, and that is just the starting point!
An excellent way to start is to follow the recommendations that come with the brewer and tweak the parameters from there to find your favorite way to brew your cup.
Affordable
Under $50.00, It is hard to find a more affordable device that allows for brewing such a tasty cup of coffee. It comes with everything you need, including 300 filters. All you need is a mug or your favorite cup and a delicious bag of fresh coffee. You can purchase replacement filters from the manufacturer (about $16 for 700 filters), but a quick search shows many cheaper alternatives. It is also possible to find reusable stainless steel mesh filters; Amazon proposes several options under $15.00.
AeroPress Replacement Filter Pack. Photo from Amazon.
AeroPress Stainless Steel Reusable Filter. Photo from Amazon.
Easy? Let me show you and let us brew some coffee
What do you need to make an AeroPress?
- An AeroPress brewer, obviously,
- An AeroPress filter
- A kettle, we love our Fellow Stagg kettle; PLease read our article here about this great kettle.
- A cup or a mug. Make sure it has a stable base and that the diameter is compatible with the AeroPress since it will sit on the cup during the process.
- A timer (optional)
- Fresh filtered water,
- Fresh coffee beans,
- A burr grinder (but if you don’t own a coffee grinder, you can get good results with fresh pre-ground coffee).
The following is not by any means “the ultimate AeroPress method.” Still, it is one that I settle on when I want to brew a tasty cup of coffee, without any fuss, or when I am in a hurry.
Put the plunger in the cylinder but barely engage it, just enough to create a seal. Turn the assembly upside down. This is called the “inverted AeroPress method.” Like everything with this mighty little brewer, this approach has devoted fans and die-hard opponents. I will illustrate why I prefer to use it that way later in the process.
Heat some fresh filtered water with your trusted kettle. Aim for a temperature around 200 degrees F/ 90 degrees C (or stop it before the boiling point).
Grind about 12g of fresh coffee beans using a medium grind size, similar to the grind size used for filter coffee. Using the provided funnel, dump the coffee grounds into the brewer.
Slowly pour your hot water on the ground coffee and cover everything evenly. Fill the brewer until it reaches the first mark (on top since the assembly is inverted) and let it rest for 2 minutes. You will enjoy a bubbly, frothy bloom if your coffee is freshly roasted.
Put a filter in the filter cap and secure it to the front of the brewer. Now you are ready for the dangerous part: turning your brewer upside down. Hold your cup in front of the brewer with one hand, and hold the assembly with the other hand. Rotate the cup and the brewer together, ensuring that the plunger and the cylinder remain together while moving. You do not want to create a hot mess (no pun intended). Securely swirl the brewer above the cup to distribute the mixture and let it rest for another 30 seconds.
The physical part comes: hold your cup and the cylinder firmly and apply firm and steady force on the plunger. You will encounter resistance, and it is normal. Your pressure will force the water through the coffee and the filter. You see that the air above the water pushes the coffee, hence the “AeroPress” name. Push all the way. When the air goes through the grounds, you hear a hissing sound.
When no drops come out of the brewer, you can remove the filter holder and discard the puck of coffee and the used filter (or keep your spent ground coffee for composting).
Enjoy your cup of coffee.
Compared to most other brewing methods, AeroPress is probably the easiest to clean and store.
So? How does the AeroPress compare to other methods?
I prefer coffee brewed with the French press, the pour-over method, or the Moka pot. Yet, the AeroPress has its place since it is the easiest and the most convenient way to brew a single cup on a whim. It is still more involved than inserting a pod in a machine and pressing a button, but it barely takes more time and does not require any skills or experience. Providing that you use fresh coffee, anyone can obtain a far tastier and smoother cup of coffee than you would get from a pod. Spend a little time to tweak the parameters, and you can get something even better.
Thanks to its compact and sturdy packaging, it is also a perfect travel companion. You can use it anywhere if you can find hot water.
Sources:
Perfect Daily Grind, The history of the AeroPress from concept to championships, 2019/03, https://perfectdailygrind.com/2019/03/the-history-of-the-aeropress-from-concept-to-championships/
