How to Brew Great AeroPress Coffee
The AeroPress is one of the most versatile coffee brewers ever made. It is fast, portable, nearly impossible to break, and capable of producing everything from espresso-style concentrate to a clean, bright filter cup.
Why AeroPress?
The AeroPress combines immersion brewing (like a French press) with pressure filtration (like espresso), giving you a cup that is full-bodied but clean. It brews in under two minutes, costs under forty dollars, and is the most forgiving brewer you can own. Mess up your grind by a little? The AeroPress still makes a good cup. It is also the only brewer with its own world championship — which tells you how seriously the coffee community takes it.
Dose
15-18g
Grind
Medium-Fine
Water Temp
185-205°F
Brew Time
1-2 min
What You Need
The AeroPress setup is minimal. A grinder, a kettle, and the brewer itself — that is basically it.
AeroPress
The original AeroPress or AeroPress Go (travel version). Both produce the same cup — the Go just packs smaller.
Paper or Metal Filter
Paper filters give a cleaner cup. Metal filters let more oils and body through, similar to a French press. Try both and see what you prefer.
Burr Grinder
Medium-fine grind — finer than drip, coarser than espresso. A hand grinder like the Timemore C2 is a great companion for the AeroPress.
Kettle
A gooseneck is nice but not required. Any kettle works — just let boiling water cool for a minute to drop into the 185 to 205 degree range.
Digital Scale
Weigh your coffee and water for consistent results. The AeroPress is forgiving, but a scale removes the guesswork entirely.
Timer
A phone timer works perfectly. Total brew time is only 1 to 2 minutes, so every 15 seconds matters.
Standard Method
The standard method is how the AeroPress was designed to be used. Simple, fast, and produces an excellent cup right out of the box.
- 1
Rinse the Filter
Place a paper filter in the AeroPress cap and screw it onto the chamber. Set the AeroPress on your mug and pour hot water through the filter to rinse it and preheat the mug. Discard the rinse water.
- 2
Add Coffee
Weigh 15 to 18 grams of coffee and grind to medium-fine — about the texture of fine sand. Add the grounds to the AeroPress chamber. The standard recipe uses a 1:15 ratio, so 15g of coffee to 225g of water.
- 3
Add Water and Stir
Start your timer. Pour 225 grams of water at 185 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit in a steady stream. Stir gently back and forth for 10 seconds to make sure all the grounds are saturated. Lighter roasts benefit from hotter water (closer to 205). Darker roasts do better with cooler water (closer to 185).
- 4
Steep
Insert the plunger just past the top of the chamber to create a seal and prevent dripping. Let the coffee steep for 1 minute. For a stronger cup, extend to 1 minute 30 seconds. Do not go beyond 2 minutes or you risk over-extraction.
- 5
Press Slowly
Remove the plunger seal, give one final stir, reinsert, and press down slowly and steadily. The press should take about 20 to 30 seconds. Stop pressing when you hear a hissing sound — that means you have pushed all the liquid through. Pressing too hard or too fast forces fine particles through the filter.
Inverted Method
The inverted method flips the AeroPress upside down to create a sealed chamber. This gives you full control over steep time and prevents any premature dripping. Most competition winners use this method.
- 1
Set Up Inverted
Insert the plunger into the chamber about 1 centimeter. Flip the entire AeroPress upside down so it sits on the plunger. This creates a sealed brewing chamber where no coffee can drip through prematurely.
- 2
Add Coffee and Water
Add your ground coffee to the inverted chamber. Pour in your water and stir for 10 seconds. Because the chamber is sealed, you have complete control over steep time — nothing drips until you are ready.
- 3
Steep and Flip
Steep for 1 to 2 minutes. While steeping, place the filter cap (with a pre-rinsed filter) on top and screw it on. When your timer is up, carefully flip the AeroPress onto your mug in one smooth motion. Press slowly for 20 to 30 seconds.
Tips for Better AeroPress Coffee
The AeroPress rewards experimentation. Here are a few pointers to get you started.
Water Temperature Matters
The AeroPress is more sensitive to temperature than most methods. Light roast single origins open up at 200 to 205 degrees. Dark roasts can turn bitter above 190. Start at 195 and adjust from there.
Try Different Grind Sizes
The beauty of the AeroPress is its versatility. A finer grind with a shorter steep produces an espresso-like concentrate. A coarser grind with a longer steep gives a cleaner, tea-like cup. Experiment freely.
Travel Brewing
The AeroPress is nearly indestructible and weighs almost nothing. Pack it with a hand grinder and you can brew great coffee anywhere — hotel rooms, campsites, office break rooms.
Dilute If Needed
The AeroPress produces a concentrated brew. If it tastes too strong, add hot water after pressing to make an Americano-style cup. This is not cheating — it is how many AeroPress champions serve their competition coffee.
Best Beans for AeroPress
The AeroPress is a chameleon — it handles every roast level well. But it truly shines with light to medium roast single origins where clarity and complexity come through.
Ethiopia
Floral, bergamot, and stone fruit. Ethiopian beans in the AeroPress produce an incredibly aromatic, tea-like cup that highlights delicate flavors other methods can miss.
Kenya AA
Bold blackcurrant, grapefruit, and a juicy sweetness. Kenya AA beans love the AeroPress — the short brew time captures the bright acidity without any harshness.
The AeroPress goes through a bag quickly when you are experimenting with recipes. Subscribe and we will keep fresh beans on your doorstep so you never run out mid-dial-in.
Brew Better Coffee Anywhere
The AeroPress and a bag of freshly roasted beans is all you need for an exceptional cup — at home, at the office, or on the trail.