Home Brewing Recipe: Aeropress

Invented in 2005 by Alan Adler, the Aeropress is a brilliant single-cup brewer for anyone who likes a strong cup of coffee. It is a simple, effective design, celebrated for its inexpensive, durable and reliable qualities. 

The Aeropress essentially works by combining two different brew methods. The water and coffee are initially steeped together in a similar way to a French Press. Then, a plunger is used to push the water through the grounds and a paper filter, a little like a filter coffee maker. This clever technology is championed in the specialty coffee industry for its efficiency.

The trick to achieving a great brew from your Aeropress is to experiment with your recipe, adjusting the variables. Try changing one variable at a time and noting what suits you. 

Step One

Grind your coffee to a similar consistency to brown sugar. Weigh out between 15 – 18g to start with, and adjust your recipe to your taste. 

Step Two

Wet your paper filter in the filter holder with a little hot water and secure it in the body of the Aeropress. This will remove any papery taste from the filter in your brew.

Step Three

Place the main part of your Aeropress on top of your coffee mug.

Step Four

Boil your kettle and let your water cool to around 93 degrees. Then, add your desired amount of water (we recommend around 240ml to start with) onto the coffee grounds.

Step Five

Stir your coffee and then position the plunger on top of the body of the Aeropress, ensuring that it has sealed. This creates a vacuum above the coffee, ensuring that the brew does not drip out of the bottom of the brewer before you want it to. 

Step Six

After around a 1 minute brew time, slowly push down the plunger until all of the liquid has passed through the filter.

Step Seven

Pull back the plunger to stop the Aeropress from dripping, remove your cup and enjoy!

Cleaning your Aeropress is easy! Holding the vessel over a bin, remove the filter holder and push the plunger out to dispose of the grounds. Tap out any loose bits and rinse. The simplicity of this method makes it very desirable.