What is aeropress coffee?

The perfect coffee under pressure

What is it?

Introduced in 2005, The Aeropress is a far more modern design than some of the other brewers we've featured at Hips (like the french press). In fact, it's so new; it's one of the few pieces of coffee hardware that's actually younger than me. Much to my dismay in realizing 2005 was in fact 20 years ago, the Aeropress still stands as quite a modern invention in the coffee world, having undergone a handful of remodellings over the years. 

These improvements have allowed the Aeropress to become a cult favorite amongst coffee geeks. Today, it is a widely used at-home brewer, being a cheap, portable, and effective alternative to bulky espresso machines or other messy drip coffee brewers. 

It's a modern way to brew coffee that suits the hustle and bustle of 21st century living, the epitome of coffee under pressure... using the science of pressure itself. Created by engineer and coffee enthusiast Adam Adler, the Aeropress was created out of his frustration at the harsh and bitter notes he found came from domestic coffee brewers. He decided to put his expertise in aerodynamics to the test, creating a brewer that made coffee in a short period of time without compromising on taste. 

The modern-day aeropress is accessible and seriously affordable (Image Credit: Hips Social)

The perfect Aeropress recipe

• 10-12g of fine-medium ground coffee (adjust measurements depending on taste) 
• 200ml of hot water. Ours is around 90 degrees due to using a darker roast. Remember, the darker the roast, the cooler the water. 
• Aeropress
• Sturdy mug (make sure this fits under the Aeropress) 
• Paper filter 
• Set of scales
  

Super accessible, great tasting coffee

Despite its use of complicated aerodynamics, when looking at the instructions provided, Aeropress brewing is literally as simple as 1, 2, 3. The process goes as follows:

1. Push the plunger out of the chamber and place the filter into the filter cap. Fix the filter into place, twisting it into the bottom of the chamber.
   
   
2. Stand the aeropress on your mug or coffee server. Place one heaped scoop of finely ground drip coffee into the chamber. Shake this to level.
   
   
3. Add water up to the number one mark on the chamber. The water should be at least 80 degrees Celsius for hot brewing. Stir for 10 seconds. Insert the plunger and plunge until you reach the grounds. 

Is there more to Aeropress mastery?

At first glance, the overall process does seem simple sure. Still getting the most out of specialty coffee is a burgeoning field, with many competing to find new and innovative ways of bringing even more flavor to the forefront of coffee enthusiasts. There's even an annual Aeropress world championship that baristas and coffee enthusiasts compete in, to see who can brew coffee the best using the plucky little device.

There's no small degree of skill required to get consistently tasting coffee out of an Aeropress that's for sure. One cup can be brilliant, and the next can miss the mark significantly.

Many of the issues that cause that can boil down to three major factors when brewing with an Aeropress. 

• Temperature: Although Aldler stressed the importance of brewing at 80 degrees Celsius when using an Aeropress, this can in some cases be too cold. Upping this to around the 90-100 degree mark (depending on roast), can make for more effective brewing if you find that your coffee is too weak or sour.
   
• Measurements: Despite the instructions to use the provided scoop, precision is key to using any coffee brewing method. Relying on scoops or markers on your aeropress may be problematic, with roasts and grind size affecting the weight of coffee required. Using a set of scales instead is way better to ensure the consistency of your brews. 
  
  
• Timings: Despite the instructions advising to stir for 10 seconds, it may be better to let your coffee steep for a few minutes instead before stirring and plunging. In our case, we let this sit for about a minute. It may also be worthwhile letting your coffee grounds bloom at this point as well, like you would with a V60. This acts as an effective way to remove CO2 from the coffee grounds; this is what sometimes causes uneven extraction and that bitter aftertaste. 
  
  
• Grind: Like with any brewer, grind size is a huge factor in the end product. For a general rule of thumb, too fine a grind can result in an overly bitter tasting coffee, whereas too coarse a grind can yield an overly weak or sour cup. This type of troubleshooting may take time to perfect, but will allow you to really dial in that flavor.

Can you brew espresso with an Aeropress?

Sadly, this just isn't a simple yes or no question. At Hips, we believe that the best way to brew espresso is by using an espresso machine. The clue is in the name after all. Although Adler does stand by his invention's ability to make "espresso-like" coffee, unsurprisingly, it does differ significantly from the real deal. 

Yes, an Aeropress does use pressure to brew, technically mimicking an espresso machine by using a small amount of water and a very quick plunge, but it just can't compete with nine bars of pressure and 92-degree Celsius water. If you like your espresso punchy with a thick crema, the aeropress just can't quite deliver it. 

Sorry espresso lovers, there's just no current way to deliver an espresso with an aeropress (Image Credit: Hips Social)

Aeropress Cold Brew

One thing you may not know is that the Aeropress has one unique selling point over other at-home brewers, this being its effectiveness at brewing cold-brew coffee. According to Aeropress, their device can brew cold brew coffee in just two minutes due to "optimized contact between the coffee grounds and water". To put it simply, classic cold brew methods that use a cheesecloth or a french press take around 12-24 hours. Aeropress simply advises to swap hot water for cold and increase the stirring time from 10 seconds to 1 minute. It's also worth noting they specify a medium-fine grind for cold brew as opposed to a finer grind for hot brewing. 

So what do we think?

The Aeropress is, on the face of it, a very easy, mess-free way to brew coffee from home. Yet, as you may find, the perfect recipe and technique comes with trial and error. Although it may take time to perfect, the end result is still an impressively good-tasting cup of coffee, as well as a smaller hole in your pocket compared to buying an espresso machine. There is also the option to experiment with cold brew coffee… something that is a lot harder and more time consuming if done with other coffee brewers.