Aeropress is not the most popular way to brew coffee, but it is definitely one of the most interesting. It allows you to precisely control the taste of the resulting drink. It’s not just about strength: you can easily change the density, sourness and bitterness. Let’s figure out how to make delicious coffee in an Aeropress. And at the same time, we’ll tell you how you can experiment with recipes.
In This Article
Operating principle
Aeropress consists of a flask, a mesh lid and a piston. You will also need a paper or metal filter for preparation.
- A filter is placed in the lid, and the lid is screwed onto the flask.
- Ground coffee is poured onto the filter in the flask.
- Coffee is poured with hot water and placed in a cup.
- A piston is inserted into the flask. The coffee is forced through the filter by air pressure. The entire process takes about two minutes.
The coffee is either not brewed at all or brewed for a short time. The main emphasis is on forcing the coffee through the filter with air – hence the name. The result is a kind of manual espresso.
The drink turns out thicker than in a pour-over, but cleaner than in a geyser or drip coffee maker. And this is without boiling, special circular movements, electricity costs, etc.
Basic recipe
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of AeroPress coffee recipes. AeroPress championships are held annually, where new preparation options are presented. Let’s consider a universal recipe, which is easy to start from in the future.
- We install a special round filter in the mesh cover. Filters can be paper or metal.
- If the filter is paper, wet it with water. This will get rid of any possible cellulose taste. Hot water is usually used, but this is not necessary: cold water will do.
- Screw the lid with the filter onto the flask. Place the flask on a cup, teapot or other container. Do not use wine glasses or other fragile dishes – they may crack under pressure.
- Pour ground coffee into the flask – onto the filter. Use 12-15 grams of coffee per 200-250 ml of water. Shake and level the coffee “tablet”.
- Fill the coffee with hot water to the desired level. The water temperature can be almost any, but it is worth starting with 92-95 °C – that is, a couple of minutes after boiling.
- Stir the coffee with the included spatula for a couple of seconds. If you don’t have a spatula, you can use a sushi stick. At worst, a longer spoon will do.
- Wait 10-15 seconds and close the flask with the piston. During this time, some liquid will spill out. Air and space for the piston will appear in the flask.
- We wait one minute . The flask is closed with a piston, so the coffee hardly flows through the filter.
- Smoothly press the coffee with the piston for 20-30 seconds. You need to press hard, but not too hard. The main thing is not to rush, so that the cup does not get grounds and the filter does not break.
- Lower the piston until a hissing sound is heard. The rubber of the piston should not touch the coffee.
- The water has completely spilled, the coffee is ready. Unscrew the lid, throw away the filter with coffee and rinse all parts of the Aeropress.
There is an opinion that after preparation the cup should be covered with something for a couple of minutes. They say that this will make the taste deeper. It does not always work, but it is worth a try.
Inverted recipe
In addition to the basic version, the inverted version is popular. In it, the Aeropress is turned upside down, and the focus is shifted to brewing coffee.
- We insert the piston shallowly into the flask.
- We place the entire structure on the piston so that water can be poured into it.
- Pour coffee into the flask. The piston rubber fits tightly to the walls, so the coffee will not fall on the table.
- Pour hot water into the coffee and stir with a spatula for a couple of seconds.
- Wait one or two minutes. During this time, place the filter in the lid and wet it.
- Screw the lid with the filter onto the flask. Carefully turn the Aeropress over onto the cup.
- Slowly press the coffee into the cup, as in the main recipe.
I didn’t notice any fundamental difference in taste between the direct and inverted methods. But many people prefer the inverted method: it allows you to steep the coffee for as long as you need.
Experiments
You can control the taste of the drink by changing the grind, water temperature, steeping time, stirring time and pressure. The result is also affected by water and filter.
Grinding and roasting
The Aeropress is good because you can get delicious coffee from beans of any roast. Want a thicker drink with noticeable bitterness? Take dark. Want something lighter and cleaner? Take light. And it’s better to start with a universal medium roast.
To start, it is worth taking a grind finer than for a pour-over, but coarser than for espresso. Visually – like fine granulated sugar (or slightly finer).
A coarse grind will give a lighter, less oily taste, and allow you to steep the coffee longer without fear of over-extracting it.
Fine grinding makes coffee denser and brighter. It is more difficult to press water through such a coffee “tablet” – you will need to exert more force. With fine grinding and strong pressure, you can get a drink similar to espresso. However, there is a risk that the coffee will start to overflow through the holes on the top of the lid. As a result, grounds can get into the cup.
Coffee grinder
For a balanced taste, uniform grinding is important. When all coffee particles are approximately the same size, extraction is stable and the taste of the drink will be more predictable. This can only be guaranteed in burr grinders. Blade models are a less optimal option in this case.
Coffee lovers often prefer manual coffee grinders. They are quiet and convenient for grinding the required portion right before brewing. In this case, it is important to rotate the millstones evenly and without jerking.
Before brewing, you can remove the light husk from the grounds – silverskin. This is the part of the coffee berry that remains in the beans after roasting. It can slightly affect the taste of the entire drink, making it “dirtier”. You can remove the silverskin by gently blowing it out of the ground coffee. This works best with coarse grinds. Advice, of course, for real coffee lovers: most are unlikely to feel the difference.
Water
The level of extraction depends on the water temperature. Simply put: the hotter the water, the more actively the coffee is brewed. Coffee in the Aeropress is prepared at temperatures from 65 to 95 °C.
Temperatures below 85°C are an experimental zone for those who have already mastered the basic recipes. You can make coffee with low acidity and a light structure. In this case, active stirring makes sense (more on that below).
85-87 °C is an option for those who value purity of taste rather than density. Extraction is easy to control. To prevent watery coffee, it is worth increasing the steeping time.
87-95 °C — “working zone”. By changing the steeping time and stirring activity, you can get noticeably different drinks. At the same time, the risk of “breaking” the coffee is minimal.
The water itself also affects the taste, because coffee is 95% water. Standard recommendation: pH around 7 and mineralization 150 mg/l. Among bottled water, there are brands that more or less consistently meet these requirements: Svyatoy Istochnik, BonAqua, Pilgrim, Aqua Minerale. But for starters, you can not bother and just filter tap water well.
Infusion, stirring and pressure
Steeping gradually increases extraction, stirring and pressure – more actively. Here are approximate effects of different actions:
- stirring adds sourness and bitterness;
- infusion enhances the bitterness;
- The pressure makes the coffee denser and more oily.
The classic recipe from the creator of the Aeropress does not involve steeping at all. It suggests stirring the coffee vigorously for ten seconds. And then immediately pressing (from 30 seconds to a minute). This way the drink may turn out more interesting, but the chances of “catching” bitterness or excessive acidity are also higher.
Filters
By default, Aeropress uses round paper filters: original or from third-party manufacturers. Good Chinese filters are no worse than original American ones, although their density is slightly different. But in this case, you can save money.
Metal filters make coffee denser. You can even get foam-cream, like in espresso, with them. To do this, you need to press the coffee with great pressure.
Paper filters make the drink cleaner and lighter, but not too liquid. If, of course, you follow the standard proportions. Also, paper better retains cafestol, which raises cholesterol levels.
Aeropress competitions sometimes use both types of filters at the same time. This way you can get a dense but clean coffee. I haven’t yet tried such experiments, but if anyone has tried them, please share.
Choosing and Caring for an Aeropress
The original Aeropress is always Made in the USA. It is better to overpay and buy it. There are plenty of Chinese analogues on marketplaces (there are even good models). But all parts of the “device” are plastic, so it is better not to risk it. You can easily run into a flask with thin fragile walls. Or a piston that is easily scratched.
After each use, all parts of the Aeropress should be rinsed with water. Once a month, soak them in a solution of citric acid. This will make the plastic “live” longer.
Aeropress is the easiest way to make real coffee outdoors. No boiling water, no need to cook anything. Just take ground coffee, hot water in a thermos and a strong mug.
Conclusion
Aeropress is a tool for those who like coffee as a drink, not as a morning energy drink. It allows you to get exactly the drink that suits your mood. Stronger – for a hard day at work, lighter – for rest.
The recipes above are just a starting point. If you want to go deeper, you can pay attention to thematic applications. Yes, there are well-designed applications with hundreds of recipes, including champion ones – with a timer and other delights. For example, Aeropress Timer and Aeromatic. Happy experimenting!
