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Customer Review
Reviewed in the United States on April 19, 2016
I bought this for my coffee-loving girlfriend and at first she was unconvinced. There is, I admit, something unmistakably cheesy and even off-putting about its appearance. Everything about it screams "As Seen on TV," and how you react to hucksterism will likely dictate your first impression of the AeroPress (from the people who brought you the Aerobie Superdisc and Flying Ring). But give this cheap-looking contraption a chance! The proof is really in the pudding, and once you get past the initial learning curve (which is considerable), you can make a perfect cup of coffee in just a few minutes.
The process my girlfriend has settled on is:
1) Boil about 500ml of water (roughly a pint).
2) Insert the plunger into the chamber and turn the whole thing upside down.
3) Add 2 tsp coffee to the chamber.
4) Add water until you reach the "4" fill line.
5) Stir coffee and water.
6) Wet a paper filter, place it into the screen, then lock the screen into the bottom of the chamber.
7) Hum a happy tune for 30 seconds to 2 minutes (a longer wait means a stronger brew).
8) Turn the whole thing upright on top of your mug.
9) Press the plunger down slowly (thanks to physics, it's not possible to do it quickly) until it reaches the bottom.
10) Add a little more water to your brew, along with whatever else you like in your coffee.
11) Enjoy!
If this seems somewhat complex, that's because it is (at least the first few times you do it), but it doesn't take long. Cleanup is even faster: you pop the filter out, slide the plunger out of the chamber, and give both a quick rinse with hot water.
But it's precisely the amateur-scientist complexity and potential for nerdy experimentation that makes the AeroPress such a cult sensation—there's even a World AeroPress Championship, which features try-it-home "recipes" like this one:
17 grams of coffee (light roasted fresh crop washed Sidamo from Heart roasters)
fine filter grind on a Mahlkönig Tanzania
paper filter rinsed with hot water
water from Maridalsvannet (brought in glass bottles from my flat in Oslo, Norway)
inverted brewing method
preheat aeropress for 10 sec
96 Celsius pour temp (gives a 90 C actual brew temp)
260 grams of water
no stirring
50 sec steep time
20 sec press time – slow enough to get a clean brew but also some fines (yuck) and oils (yum)
stop pressing before air comes out
wait for the fines to sink and temp to cool, then pour but hold back the last part with the fines (taste sample for yourself!)
The cup: a clean brew with floral notes and taste of sweet lemons.
As the diversity of winning recipes makes clear, there seems to be no definitive best way to brew coffee with an AeroPress, only what's best for you. Give it a shot—you may just find your own holy grail brewing method!
The process my girlfriend has settled on is:
1) Boil about 500ml of water (roughly a pint).
2) Insert the plunger into the chamber and turn the whole thing upside down.
3) Add 2 tsp coffee to the chamber.
4) Add water until you reach the "4" fill line.
5) Stir coffee and water.
6) Wet a paper filter, place it into the screen, then lock the screen into the bottom of the chamber.
7) Hum a happy tune for 30 seconds to 2 minutes (a longer wait means a stronger brew).
8) Turn the whole thing upright on top of your mug.
9) Press the plunger down slowly (thanks to physics, it's not possible to do it quickly) until it reaches the bottom.
10) Add a little more water to your brew, along with whatever else you like in your coffee.
11) Enjoy!
If this seems somewhat complex, that's because it is (at least the first few times you do it), but it doesn't take long. Cleanup is even faster: you pop the filter out, slide the plunger out of the chamber, and give both a quick rinse with hot water.
But it's precisely the amateur-scientist complexity and potential for nerdy experimentation that makes the AeroPress such a cult sensation—there's even a World AeroPress Championship, which features try-it-home "recipes" like this one:
17 grams of coffee (light roasted fresh crop washed Sidamo from Heart roasters)
fine filter grind on a Mahlkönig Tanzania
paper filter rinsed with hot water
water from Maridalsvannet (brought in glass bottles from my flat in Oslo, Norway)
inverted brewing method
preheat aeropress for 10 sec
96 Celsius pour temp (gives a 90 C actual brew temp)
260 grams of water
no stirring
50 sec steep time
20 sec press time – slow enough to get a clean brew but also some fines (yuck) and oils (yum)
stop pressing before air comes out
wait for the fines to sink and temp to cool, then pour but hold back the last part with the fines (taste sample for yourself!)
The cup: a clean brew with floral notes and taste of sweet lemons.
As the diversity of winning recipes makes clear, there seems to be no definitive best way to brew coffee with an AeroPress, only what's best for you. Give it a shot—you may just find your own holy grail brewing method!
