The AeroPress, often referred to as the "Swiss army knife" of coffee, is a manual coffee maker invented in 2005 by Alan Adler. Compact, lightweight, and almost indestructible, it has established itself as one of the most versatile tools in specialty coffee. Easy to handle yet remarkably precise, it allows exploration of a wide variety of cup profiles, from light and delicate coffee to more intense and textured extractions.
In just a few years, the AeroPress has become a cult object, appreciated by both beginners and world champion baristas.
What you need
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What we used for this guide
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Tip for AeroPress ratiosNo matter the size of your coffee maker, a good basic rule is to follow a 1:16 ratio between coffee and water. In other words, for 1g of coffee, add 16g of water, which is roughly equivalent to 3 and a half tablespoons of coffee for 1 cup of water. From there, feel free to experiment to find the ratio that best suits your taste. |
The preparation
Step 1: Grind the coffee
Use 16g of coffee.
Grind your coffee to a texture similar to table salt. You can adjust the grind to match the intensity and bitterness you want in your cup
Step 2: Preparing the AeroPress
Place a paper filter in the filter holder, then rinse it with cold water.
Assemble the two parts of your AeroPress, turn it upside down and place it on your scale. This is called the inverted method.
Pour the coffee inside and distribute it by gently shaking the AeroPress.
Step 3: Pre-infusion
Start the timer and pour about 60 ml or 60 g of simmering water, at around 92 °C, ensuring all the grounds are wet. You can gently stir the mixture with a wooden spoon. Then let it sit for 30 seconds for the pre-infusion.
Step 4: Brewing
Pour the remaining 180 g of water, then close the AeroPress without pressing the plunger to retain the heat and all the aromas. Let it brew for another 1 minute 30.
Step 5: Filtration
Gently press the plunger to the bottom of the AeroPress for about 30 seconds, then serve and enjoy.
Feel free to add hot water if your coffee is too intense, or adjust the brewing time if you detect bitterness in your cup.
What few people know about the French Press
- The AeroPress was invented in 2005 by Alan Adler, a Stanford engineer. But before revolutionizing coffee, he was famous for inventing the Aerobie, that flying disc (frisbee) which holds world distance records. He went from "how to throw something very far" to "how to make coffee very quickly".
- The most popular technique among experts (turning the AeroPress upside down so the coffee brews without leaking) was never intended by the inventor. Alan Adler himself prefers the classic method and finds the inverted method unnecessary. But hey, the people have spoken!
- There is a World AeroPress Championship (WAC). What started as a joke among three friends in 2008 in Oslo has become a serious international competition. Baristas from around the world compete for the coveted trophy: a golden AeroPress.
French Press or Aeropress: what are the differences?
The French Press and AeroPress are two immersion brewing methods, but with very different results.
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French Press: it relies on full immersion and a metal filter. The result is a denser and more textured coffee, as the oils are preserved.
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Aeropress: it generally uses paper filters and a slight pressure to extract the coffee, resulting in a cleaner and lighter drink.
