How do I use an AeroPress?

The AeroPress is unusually tolerant of variation, which is why there are so many competing recipes. Almost all of them work. Starting from one consistent method and changing a single variable at a time is how you find your own.

What you'll need

• AeroPress
• Filter papers
• Scales
• Grinder (optional)
• Kettle (optional)

Step by step

1. Rinse the paper filter with hot water.It removes the papery taste and preheats the cup and the brewer. A small step with a noticeable effect.
2. Use around 15g of coffee to 220ml of water.A medium-fine grind, slightly finer than for a cafetière. Weighing once establishes what your scoop actually holds.
3. Use water at 85-90°C.Cooler than most brewing methods. Boiling water in an AeroPress gives a harsh bitter cup — let the kettle stand a minute or two.
4. Add the water, stir for ten seconds, and fit the plunger.Stirring ensures all the grounds are wetted. Seating the plunger without pressing creates a seal that stops it dripping through.
5. Steep for about a minute.Longer extracts more. If the cup is thin and sour, extend it; if it is bitter, shorten it.
6. Press slowly and steadily over about thirty seconds.If it presses very easily the grind is too coarse; if it is very hard work, too fine. The resistance is useful feedback.
7. Stop when you hear the hiss.Pressing beyond that point forces through the last bitter portion. Stop at the hiss and dilute in the cup if you want it longer.
8. Adjust one variable at a time.Grind first, then steep time, then dose. Changing several at once tells you nothing about which mattered.

Tips

• The inverted method — assembling upside down and flipping before pressing — allows a longer steep without dripping. It works well but is more prone to accidents.
• The AeroPress travels exceptionally well. It is nearly unbreakable and needs no power, which makes it the best option for holidays and camping.
• Cleaning is a single push into the bin followed by a rinse, which is much of its appeal over other methods.

Common mistakes

• Using boiling water — It scalds the grounds and gives a harsh bitter cup. 85-90°C is the range this method wants.
• Pressing hard and fast — It forces water through unevenly and extracts bitterness. Slow and steady over thirty seconds is right.
• Changing several variables at once — You cannot tell which change improved or ruined the cup, so the next adjustment is guesswork.

Questions people ask