how to make coffee using an aeropress
why we love this method
the aeropress is a really fun brew method to play with. there are numerous ways to brew an aeropress, depending on the result you’re trying to get. this is our recipe for a simple, bold, and balanced cup.
about the method
the aeropress is great, too, because it’s portable, and not super technically complicated. it’s a mix between percolation (think, V60 or drip coffee) and immersion (think French press) brewing and it’s so easy it feels a little bit like cheating. (if you have a handheld grinder, this is the best brewing device to travel with!)
this is a good recipe for our coffee, or any light to medium roast.
we use 300 g of water and 17 g of coffee, so it’s about an 18:1 water to coffee ratio.
brew water around 206 degrees F.
the steps
start heating the water.
grind your coffee to a few ticks finer than a medium grind-size that you would use for a pour-over.
put the filter in the round short filter part of the aeropress and lock it into the tube.
set the tube over a mug or carafe. pre-wet with the heating water and dump out.
place the mug and tube on a scale and pour the coffee grinds into the bottom of the aeropress. Shake to flatten the bed.
start your timer when the water is at the right temperature and pour 40-50 g water into the aeropress. swirl or mix and wait until the timer reads 30 seconds.
continue pouring water quickly in a small circular motion until you have 300 g of water in the aeropress. ideally this should only take until the timer reads 1 minute.
if your coffee is foamy, tap the sides of the aeropress with a utensil.
remove the aeropress and mug from the scale.
put the plunger on top of the tube like a lid and wait until the timer reads 2 minutes.
slowly press down, allowing this to take 30 seconds, so you are done pushing the coffee through the filter into the cup by the time the timer reads 2:30.
you should hear a squish and last audible squeeze when the plunger is at the bottom, and you’ll know you’re there.
remove the aeropress from the mug and unlock the filter bit at the bottom, and push the puck of grounds into the trash. clean your aeropress and get excited for your next cup!
note: if your cup seems too easy to plunge, or is dripping too fast, or, most importantly tastes sour and salty and lacks sweetness, consider grinding finer. if your cup seems impossible to plunge and tastes bitter and hollow, consider grinding a little coarser.