COFFEE MAKING- HOW TO BREW AEROPRESS COFFEE

COFFEE MAKING- HOW TO BREW AEROPRESS COFFEEBrewed coffee in a white mug


Brewing coffee with an Aeropress is simple and can be played with to achieve a delicious and flavorful cup of coffee- This explains why coffee connoisseurs love it. Of course, you have to achieve this with freshly roasted coffee beans. An Aeropress is one of the most approachable manual methods of brewing coffee. It can be a coffee brewer of intrigue and experimentation. 

Newbies, coffee lovers, and caffeine seekers- this guide is for you.  After reading, we bet you'll be intrigued and set to start brewing. 

WHAT IS AN AEROPRESS AND HOW DOES IT WORK? 

This brewer was invented by Alan Adler. Adler was a ‘one cup kind of guy' who was really dissatisfied with the way coffee was brewed in his time. This was because the other makers made too much coffee that resulted in waste.  He then put in so much work to create a quick single-cup brewer. So the Aeropress coffee maker was born.  

The Aeropress has 3 parts- a cylindrical brewing chamber, a plunger that has a rubber seal that fits well into the brewing chamber. It also has a filter cap that attaches to the brewing chamber on the opposite side of the plunger.

For brewing pressure, one of the defining features of the Aeropress is its reliance on pressure as a modifier. This is how it works- the water extracts all flavors from coffee grounds during contact time. If you add more pressure to the mix, you’ll change the rate of the original extraction process. 

As a result of this, the Aeropress can brew a full cup of coffee in 3 minutes. The Aeropress is also fit for travelling, the plunger just slides into the brewing cylinder, making the equipment portable. The brew result of the Aeropress can be quite diverse, but two factors make a lot of difference on the coffee: The coffee beans you use and the filter material. You have to use fresh coffee beans, not stale ones, you can get it here

Then, the kind of filter paper you use also affects the flavor you’ll get. The paper filters that come with the Aeropress produce a relatively clean cup. But it may be too clean for you. It depends on how you like your coffee. Some filter papers absorb most of the coffee oils, that's not how it should be. These aromatic oils are what bring life to our coffee in the form of youthful and robust flavors. If the Aeropress filter produces a cup that's too clean for you, then you can go for a stainless mesh filter. 

So are you ready to start brewing specialty coffee? Do you want a well-rounded flavorful cup? Let's get started!

CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING FIRST 

START WITH GREAT COFFEE BEANS: A delicious cup of coffee always starts with using freshly roasted specialty coffee. Buy from coffee roasters that proudly display the roast date and expiry date on the coffee bags. 


Fresh coffee beans in AustraliaFreshly roasted coffee beans in Sydney


When you buy the coffee, try to consume it within two within 2 to 3 weeks. Don't batch grind the coffee, it's best to grind the coffee some minutes before brewing to retain all the freshness and flavors. Check our guide on the best way to store coffee beans. Use a burr grinder if you want a consistent and incredible brew every time.  

USE A CONSISTENT, A FINE TO MEDIUM GRIND: Use a medium to fine grind setting. With a fine to medium, you will be able to have a quick extraction you are after without clogging the filter. 

FIND A COFFEE TO WATER RATIO THAT WORKS FOR YOU: The importance of using the right water to coffee ratio cannot be underestimated. If you don't get the ratio correctly, you’ll likely use too much ground coffee and each coffee particle won't receive the amount of water it needs to extract a sweet and balanced coffee. Or you’ll use too much water that’ll end up drowning the coffee grounds. 

Use a gram scale to weigh out the ingredient. The optimal water to coffee ratio is 1:15 and 1:17 (1g of coffee to every 15-17g of water). You can scale the ratio up and down to see what works best for you. In this guide, we’ll be brewing with 20g of coffee and 250g of water. We are using more coffee because it will allow us to brew the coffee fast, and we’ll still have a robust, flavorful cup.  

METHODS OF BREWING AEROPRESS COFFEE 

There are two methods of brewing with an Aeropress- a normal and inverted method. In the normal method, you need to place the filter cap on the brewing chamber and set it to filter down on top of the mug you want to use. After pouring the water on the coffee grounds and let it steep, then insert the plunger and press down. This brewing method is not encouraged by the global specialty community because it allows some water to drain into the mug before a balanced extraction is achieved. 

But with the inverted method, the entire device flips over, as the plunger is already inserted into the brewing chamber and the filter cap is set to the side. So, you can brew the coffee easily without any leakage. 

FOLLOW THESE STEPS FOR THE INVERTED METHOD 

What you’ll need 

  • Freshly roasted coffee 
  • Water 
  • Aeropress coffee maker 
  • Aeropress filter A burr grinder Scale 

HOW TO BREW 

  • Weigh 20g of coffee (4 tablespoons) and grind it at a medium-fine setting using the burr grinder. 
  • Preheat and rinse your Aeropress by placing the filter inside the Aeropress cap and use hot water to wash the filter and wet your Aeropress. If you are using paper filters, don't miss this step. Rinsing the filter removes any lingering paper odor or dust. 
  • Heat the water to 90 to 96 degrees Celsius. If you don't own a thermometer, just heat the water until it boils and allow the water to cool for 30 seconds. 
  • Put the plunger into the brewing chamber, then add the coffee ground. 
  • Set a timer and gently pour some of the hot water on the grounds. 


Coffee grounds in Aeropress


You can swirl the Aeropress a little so the grounds can get saturated, you can use a spoon or a paddle to make this. At this stage, you'll notice the ‘bloom’. This phase enables the coffee grounds to expel all carbon dioxide trapped inside and makes it possible for even extraction to occur. 

  • After a minute, slowly fill the Aeropress all the way up to the top After 2 minutes or 3, place the filter (we’re using a metal mesh filter for this guide) on top of the brewer and screw the filter cap on. 
  • Place your mug upside down on top of the filter and grab the Aeropress with your other hand. Then, you're going to flip them both at the same time so that the mug will stay below the Aeropress so the plunger can be pressed down. 
  • Press down the plunger. You can stop when you hear air being forced through the plunger. Enjoy the delicious coffee


A barista brewing Aeropress coffee


To clean up the Aeropress, just unscrew the cap and push the plunger until the filter and the coffee grounds pop out. Pushing harder will bring the coffee grounds faster. If you want to brew another cup, then your Aeropress is preheated and reading to be used again. 

If you prefer brewing with the normal method. 

THIS IS A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE TO THE NORMAL METHOD 

This method starts just like the inverted method, you’ll still need the same ingredients. Just weigh the coffee you need and grind properly. 

  • Place the filter inside and screw the filter cap onto the brewing chamber. 
  • Place the brewer on the mug you are using and add the coffee grounds. 
  • Set a timer and pour some of the water, then swirl the brewer or use a spoon or paddle to stir the coffee grounds for about 5 to 10 seconds. After 30 seconds have passed, slowly pour the remaining water into the Aeropress. 
  • After 3 minutes, attach the plunger and push down the plunger till you hear air being forced through the filter. That's it! Enjoy your brew. 

MORE TIPS FOR BREWING 

USE FILTERED WATER FOR BREWING: Imagine getting the best coffee beans and brewing them with bad water. Most coffee enthusiasts are getting more aware of the importance of quality water. Use filtered water to brew. Do not use tap water as it may contain dust and other particles that may affect the taste of your coffee. 

DON'T FILL THE AEROPRESS TO THE BRIM: Filling the Aeropress container to the top will make it overflow when you add the filter and the lid. This may ruin your coffee and you may burn yourself. This is surely not how you want to start your day. It's better to use less water in the Aeropress, brew a much-concentrated coffee, then dilute it with warm water afterward. 

TRY NEW RECIPES, BE CREATIVE: You can make more than 5 different kinds of coffee with an Aeropress. We have given you the important tips to start, why not get creative, try other recipes. You can use Aeropress to brew different types of beans- single-origin, coffee blend, dark roast, light roast, etc. 


FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS 

HOW DO I CLEAN AN AEROPRESS SEAL? 

The seal can be cleaned occasionally- monthly, or weekly. Remove the seal from the bottom of the plunger and wash it with warm water and dish soap. Make sure you rinse it properly. This prevents the coffee oils from accumulating the seal. You can also add a bit of abrasion when cleaning.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FRENCH PRESS AND AN AEROPRESS?  

Aeropress is different from the French press because it takes roughly 2 to 3 minutes to brew coffee while the French press takes about 5 minutes or more. Also, the Aeropress provides greater control over each aspect of the brew. It is that pressure that facilitates a deeper extraction, it allows coffee oils to pass into your coffee, leaving your final cup with robust flavors. 

An Aeropress is a great coffee maker and gives you a good brewing result- but you have to brew with good coffee beans to get this result, it's non-negotiable. Just click here to get freshly roasted specialty-grade coffee beans.  Our coffee beans are roasted and shipped within some hours. You can taste it and see the difference. 

Get started with your brew!


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