How to Brew With the AeroPress

When you are a coffee drinker and know what you like, taking a vacation or going camping presents a potentially unpleasant coffee experience. As you pack, you wonder, "what am I going to do when I get up in the morning and want my delicious cup of coffee?" Coffee can become such a habitual part of life that it’s hard to be flexible. Coffee brewing developments have come a long way. You no longer have that old percolator or coffee maker with one temperature option and a single way to brew. Now, you can have your favorite coffee the way you like anywhere you go. The AeroPress is a brewing device that has revolutionized coffee brewing on the go. While you sit in your camping chair enjoying the outdoors, you can pretty much brew from a simple cup of coffee to an espresso shot to your liking using the AeroPress. The advantage of the AeroPress is speed and efficiency. You can have that delicious cup of coffee not having plugged in a single appliance requiring electricity. The outdoors just got even better, if that was even possible. 

The Technology of the AeroPress

Recently the AeroPress took the coffee brewing community by storm.  Who would've expected a frisbee company to come up with a fantastic coffee brewer? That is what happens when smart people ask right questions.  Alan Alder from Aerobie thought that air pressure could reduce brew time and therefore reduce the acidity. He was right, and in 2005, Aerobie brought an amazing little single cup brewer to market. There are now AeroPress competitions all over the world. It is a total immersion brewing system that does a fantastic job of removing bitterness from the beans. It is one of the most common workplace and on-the-go brewing systems because it is so easy to use and even simpler to clean.

The AeroPress works by using the pressure of your hand applying force which causes water to pass through ground beans. Run-of-the-mill coffee makers use gravity to pull water through grounds. The AeroPress uses the air pressure applied to the plunger, which pushes the water through the beans.

Components of the AeroPress

Chamber – made of heat-resistant plastic

Plunger – Used to apply the pressure used to pass water through ground beans. This piece forms an airtight seal.

Filter Cap – Holds the filter and is secured to the base of the cylinder and holds the filter and coffee grounds in place.

Brewing Steps:

1. Place the filter in the filter cap. Twist to close. Rinse if you prefer.
2. Place the coffee grounds and water into the cylinder. We suggest a medium grind.
3. Stir.
4. Place the plunger at the top at the right angle to create the airtight seal.
5. Allow coffee to brew for a few seconds.
6. Press the plunger down slowly which will force the water through the cylinder into the cup below.

The AeroPress is the closest thing to espresso you can get without requiring an espresso machine, which is big, expensive, and most definitely not portable. When you find yourself in the outdoors, you can still have a delicious cup of coffee without plugging in a single appliance.

Inverted Brewing Steps

1. Put the tip of the plunger in and turn it upside down on a flat surface. Make sure the plunger is in far enough to create an airtight seal.
2. Add coffee and water in the opening of the AeroPress.
3. Stir.
4. Place the filter cap with a filter and secure it in place. Rinsing the filter first may help with cleaning it out from previous brews and will help the filter to stay in place.
5. Let it steep for a full minute.
6. Then, flip it over carefully in one complete motion.
7. Apply pressure to the plunger.
8. Enjoy!

Don’t be limited by just the two brewing steps we covered. There are many ways to use the AeroPress and it all depends on how you like to drink your coffee.