I love the wide variety of brewing methods to make the perfect cup of coffee. It seems almost weekly a new accessory comes out hoping to revolutionize the home coffee brewing experience. To be honest, I have a slight obsession with collecting different home brewers. From the french press, V60 to an old LL Bean percolator I enjoy mixing up my afternoon cup.
Today I want to share with you the Aeropress. It's a neat brew method that can be used in a variety of ways, and can even function as an espresso maker in a pinch. The Aeropress is great for travel, because it's made of really tough plastic, and typically comes with a neat carry bag.
Brewing requires a kettle or pot to heat water, and fresh ground coffee. It uses a plunger system to apply pressure for brewing allowing you to really experiment with brew times, and ratios. Below is a great starter recipe to get you used to how the Aeropress works.
You will need:
- Aeropress
- Paper filter
- Ground coffee (medium-fine grind)
- Hot water (just off boiling, around 175-185°F/80-85°C)
- Stirrer or spoon
- Timer
Instructions:
- Begin by heating up some water to just off boiling temperature. You can use a kettle or a pot for this.
- As the water heats up, prepare your Aeropress by placing a paper filter into the filter cap, and then twisting the cap onto the chamber.
- Wet the paper filter with some hot water to rinse it and remove any paper flavor.
- Add your coffee grounds to the Aeropress. For a standard 8oz/240ml cup of coffee, use 15-20g of coffee (about 1-2 scoops).
- Start your timer and pour enough hot water over the coffee grounds to saturate them. Give the mixture a stir to ensure all the coffee is wet.
- Fill the Aeropress with hot water up to the desired level (number 1 or 2 on the Aeropress chamber).
- Give the coffee another quick stir for about 10 seconds.
- Place the plunger into the Aeropress and apply gentle downward pressure to create a seal. This will prevent any water from leaking out.
- Let the coffee steep for 1-2 minutes, depending on your preference.
- Once your desired steep time is up, start pressing down slowly and steadily on the plunger. This should take about 20-30 seconds to fully press down.
- Remove the filter cap and push the plunger all the way through to eject the coffee grounds and filter into the trash or compost.
- Serve and enjoy your freshly brewed coffee!
Pro tips:
- Experiment with the coffee-to-water ratio and steep time to find your perfect cup of coffee.
- Rinse the Aeropress with hot water before brewing to preheat it, which can help maintain the temperature of the brewing water.
- Use freshly roasted coffee beans for the best flavor.
- If you prefer a stronger cup of coffee, try using a finer grind or increasing the amount of coffee used.
Photos by Ben Moreland on Unsplash
