AeroPress
The AeroPress is a plastic syringe-style brewer invented by Alan Adler in 2005. You steep coffee in the chamber, then use air pressure to push it through a paper filter. It's quick, very forgiving, hard to break, and cleans up in seconds, which is why it's a travel favourite. It also has its own world championship, so there's no shortage of recipes to try.
Water by roast: light 90 °C · medium 85 °C · dark 80 °C
Steps
- PrepHeat water to 85 °C (boiling is fine if you can't control temperature)
- PrepPut a paper filter in the cap, twist the cap onto the chamber, stand it on your mug
- PrepAdd 16-18 g of medium-fine coffee and shake gently to level the bed
- 0:00Pour water up to the 4 mark (about 230 g)A little coffee dripping through is normal
- 0:10Stir gently for about 3 seconds
- 0:15Insert the plunger about 1 cm and pull back slightly to stop the drip
- 0:45Press down with gentle, steady pressure
- 1:15Stop when you hear the hissThen eject the puck over the bin
Variations
The Ultimate AeroPress TechniqueJames Hoffmann
Small dose, boiling water, no stir, a long steep and a gentle swirl before pressing. Standard (not inverted) position.
11 g · 200 g water · 100 °C · medium-fine (finer end of medium for light roasts)
- PrepPut a filter in the cap, no need to rinse or preheat
- PrepAdd 11 g coffee, set the brewer on a mug on the scale
- 0:00Pour 200 g just-boiled water, aiming to wet all the coffee as you pour
- 0:10Insert the plunger about 1 cm to create a vacuum
- 2:00Hold the brewer and plunger together and swirl gently
- 2:30Press gently all the way down
2025 World AeroPress ChampionNémo Pop (Australia)
Short, upright brew through a Flow Control cap with two filters, sifted grounds, and 70 g of warm bypass water in the carafe.
18 g · 170 g water · 84 °C · medium, fines sifted out at 200 µm
- PrepFit 2 paper filters in the Flow Control cap and screw it onto the chamber
- PrepPour 70 g of 50 °C bypass water into the carafe
- PrepGrind slowly, blow off the chaff, sift out fines, add grounds to the AeroPress on the carafe
- 0:00Pour 100 g of 84 °C water, wetting all the grounds
- 0:25Stir north-south-north-south, then west-east-west-east
- 0:50Start pressing gently, about 20 seconds
- 1:10Press finished, serve
Inverted, 2nd place WAC 2025Jan Ahrend (Switzerland)
Inverted brew with two rinsed filters, a 1:30 steep, a press stopped early at 66 g, then diluted to 152 g.
18 g · 100 g water · 88 °C · medium-fine (Comandante C40, 24 clicks)
- PrepSet the AeroPress upside down with the plunger in, add 18 g coffee (chaff removed)
- 0:00Pour 100 g water in a circular motion
- 0:15Stir 5 times, N-S-W-E pattern
- 0:30Attach the cap with 2 rinsed filters, push gently to expel air
- 1:30Flip onto your carafe, give one controlled swirl
- 1:40Press at 1-2 g per second, stop when the output reaches 66 g
- 2:30Dilute to 152 g total and let it cool to about 54 °C before drinking
Fix your cup
| Taste | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Sour, thin | Under-extracted | Grind finer, use hotter water or steep 30 seconds longer |
| Bitter, harsh | Over-extracted | Grind coarser, drop the temperature or shorten the steep |
| Weak but not sour | Too little coffee for the water | Raise the dose or use less water |
| Hard to press | Grind too fine or too many fines | Grind coarser, press slower |
| Leaks around the cap | Filter not seated or cap loose | Wet the filter so it sticks, twist the cap on firmly |
Tips
- Don't press hard. If you're leaning your body weight on it, your grind is too fine.
- Stop pressing when you hear the hiss. Pushing the last of the air through adds little but bitterness.
- For a cleaner cup, use two paper filters, as the 2025 top two finishers did.
- To make one cup for two people, brew a stronger concentrate and top it up with hot water (bypass).
- Light roasts like hotter water and a finer grind. Dark roasts taste better at 80-85 °C.
- Rinse the rubber seal after use and store the plunger pushed all the way through, so the seal doesn't stay compressed.
Common mistakes
- Pressing fast and hard. It forces fines through and makes the cup muddy and bitter.
- Flipping an inverted AeroPress without a firm grip. It can tip and spill near-boiling water.
- Using too much water for the dose and getting a thin cup. Weigh both.
- Leaving the plunger in the chamber during storage, which flattens the seal over time.
What you need
- AeroPress (Original, Clear or Go)
- AeroPress paper filter
- Scale
- Kettle
- Stirring paddle or spoon
- Sturdy mug or carafe