AeroPress Recipes Every Coffee Lover Should Know

When it comes to hand-brewing coffee, the AeroPress is on the more sophisticated side. It doesn’t have the crafty authority of a pourover, the solidity of a Moka pot, or the time-honored reliability of a French press. However, originally designed to brew one cup of reliably delicious coffee in one minute, this small plastic piston coffee maker is more versatile than you might think and more than deserving of a place in any coffee lover’s arsenal.

Despite the seeming simplicity, there is no single correct way to make coffee in an Aeropress, so we will look at several recipes, each of which has proven to be reliable over the past few years (or even more than a decade) . And we tested them all in our grueling lab (a special coffee table tucked away in the corner of the living room).

If you have an Aeropress at home and don’t know what to do with it, this guide will help you. And if you’re already good with AeroPress, we hope you’ll find at least a couple of interesting recipes that will change your morning routine.

Note . To make this list global, we will use the metric system. So, degrees are in degrees Celsius, weight is in grams, and water is measured in milliliters.

Before you start

While you’re getting ready to make your first cup, let’s first answer a few frequently asked questions about making coffee with the AeroPress.

What size should coffee be ground?

This may depend on which recipe you’re using, but as a rule of thumb, you’ll need to grind the beans to a medium grind. Your grind should be finer than a pourover or French press, but not as fine as an espresso. Somewhere in the middle is the right place.

What do you need to get started?

For simple recipes, you will need an aeropress and a kettle. You don’t really need a scale. The recipes below list the coffee dosage, but you can ignore it completely if you want. Simply use the coffee spoon included with the AeroPress, which will give you about 15-18 grams of coffee, perfect for one cup.

But if you want to make a consistent cup of coffee every time, we recommend a scale (any kitchen scale will do) and a temperature-controlled electric kettle.

How important is all this “water temperature”?

Again, this depends on the recipe, although the AeroPress is usually quite forgiving when it comes to water temperature. However, as a general rule, you don’t want to use water that is just after boiling. Leave it in the kettle for about 30 seconds and the temperature will drop below 194 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the optimum temperature for most coffee drinks. (If you don’t want to buy a temperature controlled kettle , you can use any kitchen thermometer .)

Is there a “correct” way to use it?

Nope. The recipe you like is the recipe you like. But the only way to figure it out is to try different recipes.

So, we’ll introduce you to a couple of them, starting with the “traditional” method. We will then discuss the flip method and how to make an AeroPress Espresso coffee. And remember, recipes are meant to be tweaked. While these recipes will work for most people, no two coffee lovers are the same. So don’t be afraid to change the coffee dosage or water temperature to make the drink you like.

Understanding the Basic Aeropress Brewing Methods

If you’re new to AeroPress, let’s take some time to learn the basics. AeroPress can be brewed in two ways: traditional and inverted. traditional method

In this method, you add a paper filter to the AeroPress lid, screw it into place, and place the teapot on the coffee cup. Then you add coffee and hot water. Once the brew time has elapsed, you place the plunger on top and slowly press down on it, squeezing the coffee (but not the grounds) into the mug.

This is the original method, and it does provide a decent cup of coffee. The problem is that the water immediately starts to drip, and this does not give you enough control over the brewing process.

For beginners The traditional method is a great starting point. But if you’ve just got a new pack of light roasted Geshi or Kenyan coffee and want to get every possible note out of it, you should use the inverted method.

Inverted Method

The inverted method is a favorite of the third wave coffee community. This is what most AeroPress enthusiasts (including us) use to make coffee every day. Here you put the piston in reverse, so your AeroPress is on top of the piston itself.

Then you add coffee and water, let it steep, wet the filter and insert it into the lid, screw it on, and then turn the entire AeroPress onto the cup (this part requires some skill). Then you slowly push down on the piston. (If this sounds confusing, this YouTube video should help you visualize it.)

Now that we’ve covered the basic methods, let’s move on to the recipes.

AeroPress inventor Alan Adler’s original recipe

Let’s start with where it all began. It is from this recipe that AeroPress was created. This gives you 100 ml of coffee to use as a base for making an Americano or a latte. This is a short recipe and uses less coffee. The result is a sweet, diluted cup that’s good for beginner coffee drinkers.

• Method : Traditional
• Time : 1 minute
• Scale : not needed

1. Use 14 grams of medium ground coffee.
2. Place the filter and cap on the AeroPress. Place the camera on the cup and add ground coffee.
3. Fill with water (80 degrees C) to level 1.5 or 2. (About 100-120 ml of water.)
4. Stir 10-15 seconds.
5. Place the piston on top and sink slowly for about 30 seconds.

Your coffee will be ready in less than a minute. Alan recommends adding 150 ml of 70-proof water for a nicely balanced cup—not too sour and not too bitter.

The Ultimate AeroPress Recipe by James Hoffman (customize however you like)

James Hoffmann is a YouTube coffee blogger and creator of many popular coffee recipes, and he has his own take on AeroPress. Although it is similar to Alan Adler’s recipe, we recommend watching the short recipe video above to catch all the nuances. (Note that he offers his water measurements in grams, but they are equivalent to ml.)

• Method : Traditional
• Time : 3 minutes
• Scale : recommended

1. Grind 11 grams of coffee to a medium grind (err on the side of a finer grind).
2. Prepare the Aeropress in the traditional way. There is no need for preheating.
3. Start the timer and immediately add 200 ml of water (almost boiling water for a light roast, 90-90 degrees for a medium roast and below 90 degrees C for a dark roast).
4. Place the plunger about 1 cm into the brewer to block the vacuum. Wait two minutes.
5. Now hold the cup and aeropress and mix gently.
6. Wait 30 seconds.
7. Slow dive for 30 seconds.

Inverted Aeropress Daily Recipe

If you’re looking for a balanced cup of coffee, this recipe is a good starting point and it’s easy to customize depending on your coffee or your taste preferences. It’s like brewing a pour over in an Aeropress (there is a 50 ml swelling period to reduce the acidity).

There is room for experimentation here. You can make this recipe using as little as 8 grams of coffee or as much as 22 grams, whichever you prefer. This recipe works well with a neutral medium roast coffee with hints of chocolate and nuts.

• Method : Inverted
• Time : 2-1/2 minutes
• Scale : Recommended

1. Prepare the aeropress using the inverted method. Place the piston at the bottom, at about level 4.
2. Then stand it upright so that the screw cap area is at the top.
3. Rinse the filter with hot water and put it on the lid, not on the Aeropress.
4. Add 17 grams of medium ground coffee to the chamber (you can reduce it to 8 grams or 22 grams if you like).
5. Slowly add 50 ml of water (87-99 degrees) over 30 seconds, then stir.
6. Now add 150 ml of water, very slowly, as if you were pouring.
7. Stir and wait 2 minutes.
8. Put on the filter cap.
9. Dive slowly for 30 seconds.

If this is too much coffee for you, you can dilute it with another 100-150 ml of water. One of our favorite things to do in the morning is making an Inverted AeroPress cup, adding 150 ml of water, then pouring coffee into a travel mug that gives us a hot, balanced cup of coffee to drink for the next hour. or so.

Inverted Ice Aeropress Recipe

If you’re a fan of black iced coffee, try this version of the recipe above. Here the ratio between water and ice will depend on your taste, but we recommend that you use 150 grams of ice and 100 ml of water for a smoother cup.

• Method : Inverted
• Time : 2 minutes
• Scale : Recommended

1. Start with the AeroPress upside down. Rinse the filter in hot water and put it on the cover.
2. Add 16/17 grams of medium ground coffee to the brewer.
3. Add 100 to 150 grams of ice to a cup.
4. Add 50 ml of water (87-99 degrees) over 30 seconds, then stir.
5. Add another 50 ml of water and mix again.
6. Put on the cap.
7. Wait 1 minute and 30 seconds, then dive into the ice for 30 seconds.

How to make an AeroPress Espresso for milk-based drinks

If you like milk-based coffee drinks, try this recipe for a rich, espresso-like drink. This recipe is developed by European Coffee Trip (great coffee YouTube channel) for flat whites, but we personally found it too weak after adding milk. So while the recipe recommends 14 grams of coffee, don’t be afraid to use 18 or 20 grams for a punch cup.

• Method : Traditional
• Time : 1 minute
• Scale : Recommended

1. Grind 14 grams of coffee on the finer side – almost as fine as an espresso and definitely finer than usual for an AeroPress.
2. Prepare the Aeropress in the traditional position.
3. Add 14 grams of coffee and level the bed.
4. Add 70-90 ml of water at a temperature of 93 degrees (can be hotter if you want).
5. Stir continuously for 20 seconds.
6. Install the piston and dive for about 30 seconds.

As a result, you will get about 50-60 ml of strong coffee with fruity acidity, like an espresso. Add about 150 ml of steamed or frothed milk (heated to about 60 degrees) to make a delicious latte.

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