Imagine a romantic dinner followed by a spectacular cup of coffee brewed right at your table. The waiter brings a siphon brewer – how interesting; or a french press – how elegant; or a pour over filter – how special; or an AeroPress – how ???. There is nothing elegant about an AeroPress. The AeroPress was created by a toy company which may explain its lack of elegance.
I have always resisted using one and have thought that if I had company I would use it in the garage when no one was looking. That said, the AeroPress is popular and there is a place for it (other than an elegant dinner table.)
The AeroPress works like a hypodermic syringe. You fill the tube with ground coffee and hot water and then push the plunger to force the coffee through a filter (instead of a needle.)
The pro’s:
- inexpensive about $25.
- hard to break
- quick brewing
- easy to clean
- compact for travel
- convenient for office or for one cup
The con’s:
- strange instructions
- useless graphics on the brew cylinder
- hard to press down
- requires sturdy coffee cup under plunger
There seems to be a consensus among coffee processionals that the instructions in the AeroPress box are wrong. Here are some of the issues:
Upside Down Brewing The instructions say to put the filter on, add the grounds and then the water. If you do that some of the liquid will leak through the filter before brewing is complete. The geek answer is to put the plunger in, turn the brew chamber upside down, add coffee grounds, add water, brew, put on the filter and flip the AeroPress onto a cup. I am not sure for most of us the small amount of leak really makes a difference.
Temperature The instructions say to use water between 165° F and 170° F. I have a Mr. Coffee that brews at that temperature and it tastes awful. Most of the geek instructions say brew at 200° F. We recommend that you use 200° F. However, some reviewers report that over time pouring 200° F+ water into the brew cylinder will result in the plastic cracking and deforming.
Extraction Time The instructions call for a 10 second extraction time. This is a long way from the 4 minute extraction in the siphon, french press or pour over. We recommend at least a 2 minute steep time.
Add Water If you follow the instructions you create a coffee concentrate. AeroPress states that this is espresso coffee. It is not. It is just coffee concentrate. The instructions say to add hot water to the concentrate to create a brewed coffee. Most geeks put all of the water into the cylinder instead of adding water to the concentrate. We recommend this, however, you are only going to get about a 6 ounce cup of coffee.
There are dozens of alternative instructions for AeroPress coffee on the internet and videos on YouTube. It is OK to create your own recipe since there does not appear to be any “one right recipe.” Our brew method for an AeroPress cup of coffee is:
1. Put filter on bottom of cylinder
2. Put cylinder on sturdy cup
3. Wet filter Pour out excess water.
4. Grind two tablespoons of coffee slightly finer than drip
5. Add grounds to cylinder
6. Pour 200° F water into cylinder to top of grounds
7. After 30 seconds, add more 200° F water to top of cylinder and stir (water will leak through filter which will give you room for the plunger)
8. After another minute and a half, put in plunger and press slowly
Our opinion is that AeroPress coffee is better than automatic drip brewed coffee, but not as good as a well made siphon, french press or pour over cup of coffee. We think that the short extraction time leaves some of the subtle flavors behind. But if you just want a quick cup of coffee without a lot of work or mess, it is an excellent choice.
Karen Jue Paterson is the owner of Hula Daddy Kona Coffee, a 33 acre coffee farm in Kona, Hawaii. She is a member of the Hawaii Coffee Association, the Kona Coffee Council, the Kona Coffee Farmers Association, the Holualoa Village Association and the Specialty Coffee Association of America. She is also the author of a number of articles on Kona Coffee including: Kona Coffee Farmers at a Crossroad https://www.huladaddy.com/?p=696 ;How Typica is Your Kona Coffee? https://www.huladaddy.com/?p=710 ; Are Roasters Eroding the Kona Coffee Brand?https://www.huladaddy.com/?p=952; Coffee Cupping Competitions – Real or Random Chance? https://www.huladaddy.com/?p=1670 ; Seven Easy Steps to Become a Gourmet Coffee Taster https://www.huladaddy.com/?p=1785 ; How to Brew Coffee Using a Pour Over Filter https://www.huladaddy.com/?p=1754; Before You Buy an Automatic Single Serve Coffee Brewer https://www.huladaddy.com/?p=1899 You can email her at huladaddycoffee@gmail.com
This morning, for the first time, I made my Hula Daddy coffee in the AeroPress. I used 17 grams of coffee and 275g of 180° water. The coffee was ground on a Baratza Virtuoso at a setting of 13. After wetting the grounds with about 40g of water, I let them bloom for 20-30 seconds, while giving them a 5 second stir. That’s followed by the remainder of the water, a quick stir, inserting the plunger part and then a 1 minute steep time that starts :45 into the process. The pressing happens at 1:45 and lasts :30. I stop the moment I hear the hissing sound. This immersion process delivers an outstanding quality coffee that’s made under pressure in 2 minutes and 15 seconds. Coffee experts, more knowledgeable than I am, are amazed at the quality the AeroPress delivers. I’d give it another try. Yes, you can do it at 200° but many agree that 175° or so delivers an excellent cup of coffee. I know coffee house guys who use 204° water all day long in the AeroPress with no cracking or warping at all. Using a metal filter instead of paper will result in a cup that’s a bit more like a French press, with more oil and particulate. Yes, the inverted process works fine but some say the difference is minimal. The AeroPress is not just something created by a toy company. That’s like dissing the airplane because it was created by a couple of bicycle shop owners. The man who created it is a respected inventor who sought to create a new way to brew that delivered a quality cup in a short amount of time. The shorter brew time even lowers the acidity of the brew. I also did a pour-over this morning with a Kalita and it was also excellent. What else would you expect when you’re starting with Hula Daddy coffee? I did that at 200°. We’re enjoying our memories of Hawaii, here in Chicago, pressing out one delicious Hula Daddy cup at a time.
We were just visiting your farm last week. It so happens that my girlfriend’s company contract manufactures the Aeropress Aerobie, right here in California, USA. It actually takes pretty sophisticated manufacturing and molding equipment to make all the parts for one. Quite fascinating to watch really. They also contract manufacture lots of high tech and medical equipment too.
I agree with the coffee geeks (I happen to be one!) that it makes more sense to prep it upside down, use hotter water and let it bloom, stir then add the water by weight and let it steep before turning it over and pressing it through the filter. It is quite the ticket for travel and for avoiding terrible office coffee from the company cafeteria!
I remember talking to you and your girlfriend about AeroPress. Laura our roaster loves our AeroPress. You are right it makes a great travel coffee maker. It was fun meeting you and talking coffee. We hope to see you again soon. Mahalo Karen
My AeroPress won’t last a “minute and a half” … there would be no water left in the chamber by that point.
I find it leaks so quickly I might as well be using a drip filter ; there’s nothing left to plunge by time i’ve waited!
That isn’t happening to us and it doesn’t happen in the AeroPress championship contests. You may need a new AeroPress