The Aeropress has become popular because it’s easy to use and makes good coffee. As is the case with most coffee makers, however, you need to be familiar with the nuances of the Aeropress in order to get the best brews possible out of it. Here are six tips that will help you make truly great brews with the Aeropress.
Make Filter Coffee Instead of Espresso
First, come to terms with the type of coffee that the Aeropress can make.
The Aeropress is sometimes marketed as a substitute for espresso, but it’s unable to produce true espresso. It simply can’t generate the pressure required to produce actual espresso shots, which is why the brews it makes don’t have true crema. They may have some oils floating on top, but the sweet crema that distinguishes espresso from filter coffee is missing.
Instead of trying to make espresso with the Aeropress, focus on brewing filter coffee. If tyring for espresso, you’ll at best produce an espresso-ish brew. If making filter coffee, you can create some delicious cups of coffee. The maker does produce excellent filter coffee.
Wet the Filter Before Brewing
Second, take a moment to wet the filter before brewing your coffee. Dampening the filter will remove any paper flavors that the filter might otherwise impart into your cup. Simply run water over the filter for a few seconds before beginning to brew.
Weigh Your Coffee Instead of Using the Scoop
Third, weigh out your coffee when brewing instead of using the included scoop. Using a scale to weigh coffee provides greater accuracy than measuring coffee with a scoop will. A volume-based coffee scoop isn’t able to account for differences in bean density, but a scale will.
(If you don’t have a coffee scale, we have some recommendations in Coffee Scales.)
Ignore the Official Recipe
Fourth, feel free to ignore the “official” Aeropress recipe that’s included in the coffee maker’s instructions.
At Driftaway Coffee, we don’t endorse this recipe in part because it calls for water that’s below the ideal brewing temperature. The instructions recommend using water that’s 175°F (185°F for light roasts). We believe the best temperature for brewing coffee is between 195 and 205°F.
Try Lots of Other Recipes
Fifth, feel free to experiment with the many other recipes that people have created for the Aeropress. We’ve used the Aeropress Timer, which has lots of recipes on it that we like. The official Aeropress website also has recipes, as do many other sources.
Experiment and see what you like. Perhaps even create your own. Part of the fun of the Aeropress is the flexibility it offers to try lots of different brewing techniques.
Travel with the Aeropress
Finally, make sure to take the Aeropress with you. Its portability is one of the major features that makes this coffee maker stand out from so many others. The Aeropress is lightweight, metal-free and small, so it’s easy to take to the office, camping on a plane or just about anywhere you go. With the Aeropress, you can have great coffee wherever you are.
Get Coffee for Your Aeropress
Of course, the Aeropress will only produce a brew that’s as good as the beans that are used. To get freshly roasted, delicious coffee beans delivered to your door, sign up for one of our coffee subscriptions.
