Operated completely manually, and wonderfully portable, the AeroPress is one of the simplest coffee makers around today. It consists of 2 tubes that work together to produce a quick brew of full bodied coffee. It was invented by Stanford engineer, Alan Adler, who started working on the prototype in his garage in 2004. He had a simple goal - to reduce the bitterness in his coffee. With the espresso machine as his inspiration, his aim was to increase the pressure while reducing the brewing time. This combination made sure that the flavor of the brew remained intact. The AeroPress finally made its appearance in 2005, and at first it was not well received by the specialty coffee industry - it was viewed as just another novelty invention from a ‘toy maker’. However the results spoke for themselves and soon the AeroPress became one of the most popular coffee makers of our time.
The 2 tube system of the AeroPress uses manual pressure via human touch, thus replacing the mechanical and electrical levers of an espresso machine. The top plunger-like tube pushes the water through the coffee and filters it directly into your cup. This added external pressure extracts all the goodness of the coffee quickly thereby leaving out the bitter taste that often comes with longer brewing times. The simplicity and practicality of the AeroPress makes it a great tool not only at home but also while traveling. While the design of the AeroPress has remained unchanged over the years, it has evolved into a coffee maker that can be used to make a number of recipes by varying the brew time. This includes smooth filter coffee. We’ll show you how:
CLASSIC BREW
Tools
- AeroPress
- Aeropress Filter
- Cup
- Kettle
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Scale
Ingredients
- 17g/ 8.5 tsp coffee, ground medium
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230ml / 8 fl oz (1.5 tbsp less than a cup) fresh, filtered water
Method
- Heat water to 90C. Turn it off and let it stand for 5 ½ mins after it comes to a boil.
- Assemble the lower tube of the AeroPress with the filter and place it over the cup.
- Add the coffee.
- Once ready, pour in 80ml of the water and start the timer.
- Stir a bit to wet all the grinds and wait 20 seconds for the coffee to bloom.
- Add the remaining water and put the top / plunger like tube into the bottom tube to seal - but do not press down.
- Wait 90 seconds.
- Press the plunger tube down gradually and evenly for 30-50 seconds till you hear a hissing sound.
This recipe yields about 210 ml of coffee (about 7oz) that can be enjoyed black or or with milk / cream and, with or without sugar.
South Indian Filter Coffee - using an inverted AeroPress
Tools
- AeroPress
- Aeropress Filter
- Cup
- Kettle
- Scale
Ingredients
- 17g/ 8.5 tsp coffee, ground medium
- 230ml / 8 fl oz (1.5 tbsp less than a cup) fresh, filtered water
Method
- Heat water to 90C. Turn it off and let it stand for 5 ½ mins after it comes to a boil.
- Assemble the AeroPress - put in the top / plunger tube into the bottom tube and push it down a little bit. Invert the AeroPress.
- Wet the paper filter and put it into the filter basket but DO NOT attach the filter basket to the bottom tube.
- Add the coffee.
- Once ready, pour in 80ml of the water and start the timer.
- Stir a bit to wet all the grinds and wait 20 seconds for the coffee to bloom.
- Add 70 ml of water and stir it vigorously about 20 times.
- Screw on the filter cap and let it brew till the time reaches 1 minute.
- Flip the AeroPress over and press the plunger tube down gradually and evenly over 1 minute till you hear a hissing sound.
- Top it up with the remaining hot water.
This recipe yields about 210 ml of coffee (about 7oz) that can be enjoyed black or or with milk / cream and, with or without sugar.
Pro tips:
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Rinsing the filter gets rid of the papery taste
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Pressing the plunger tube down slowly and evenly is the key the key to a smooth cup
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Allowing the coffee to bloom is necessary to remove any sourness that might be present
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Darker roasts require slightly cooler water temperatures (195-200F)
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Light roasts do well with higher water temperatures (205-208F)
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This brew method tastes great with any of our coffee - we recommend trying our Bright and Heritage Blend offerings.
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Adjust the coffee to water ratio if you would like a stronger concentrated brew
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This coffee maker can be used for an iced coffee too. Simply place ice in your mug and brew, also known as Flash Brew and/or Japanese Iced Coffee