The Aeropress has become one of the world's most beloved manual coffee brewing methods, and for good reason! A unique, functional and versatile brewer, it really does make a stellar cup of coffee - and to top it off, you can get started brewing coffee with an Aeropress for $30.
If you aren't brewing with this brewer yet, here are a handful of things you'll love about it.
It's Affordable
The Aeropress is a very affordable starting point, unlike many pourover systems. I totally recommend having multiple brew devices, but the Aeropress is a great place to start simply because you don't need a gooseneck kettle or a scale. Those are essential items for making great pourovers at home, but not necessary for a great Aeropress. The device also includes a year's worth of paper filters, while most pourovers don't include filters with the device. The best part? The whole package comes in at just under $30.
The Taste
What makes coffee from an Aeropress great? It tastes similar to a french press, but cleaner. The Aeropress uses a paper filter, which filters out oils and small coffee particles that a french press does not. Oils and very fine grinds can make coffee taste bitter and take away from the sweetness and flavors that make coffees really unique. I do liken the taste of an Aeropress to a french press though because of the depth and fullness present in the cup. Like a french press, you'll taste everything the coffee has to offer in terms of body and sweetness, just without the bad stuff!
You Can Brew It Anywhere
No joke, the Aeropress is my camping brewer. It's compact and durable - you can toss it in your backpack and take it on the road or the trail. You can brew it anywhere that you can conjure up hot water.
It's Quick and Easy to Use
With a total brew time of less than 2 minutes, it comes in as the fastest way to brew a high quality cup of coffee - great for when you're dashing out the door, but don't quite want to settle for gas station coffee. Clean up is even easier; dump the grounds into the trash, give it a quick rinse and its clean and ready to use again.
How-To: The package comes with standard brewing instructions, but there are many, many ways to brew with it! It can be as easy as you want it to be or as complex as you want it to be. Just check out our simple recipe below, or Youtube "Aeropress brewing" to see more ways to use this thing. Who knows, before long you could compete in the Aeropress Championship! (Yeah...it's really a thing!)
The verdict: You need an Aeropress at your house. Your coffee at home could take an immediate, giant step forward with this device without hurting your pocket.
If you haven't gotten one yet, what are you waiting for?
Our Recipe
NOTE: this is the "inverted process," which isn't as complicated as it sounds. However, I started with the instructions in the box until I felt comfortable enough to try something new. When you feel ready, check out this recipe!
1. Heat water to 205 degrees
2. Measure 20g of coffee and grind on a fine setting. Just a couple of steps above an espresso grind.
3. Pre-wet your filter inside of the cap.
4. Put the plunger inside the brew chamber about an inch or so and stand upside down on your scale. Pour coffee grounds in.
5. Tare scale and start timer. Pour 40g of water into chamber.
6. At :30, fill the chamber with water until you reach 220g. Then stop pouring and stir your grounds gently.
7. At 1:25, screw on the cap with pre-wet filter, flip over onto your mug and press the plunger down. You should finish pressing around 1:55.
8. Enjoy! It makes a smaller concentrated amount of coffee, so if it's too strong for you, just add a little bit of hot water to your cup.