Can You Use Mandheling Coffee Beans in an AeroPress and How to Brew Medium-Dark Roast Beans

For more professional coffee knowledge exchange and coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat official account: cafe_style).

AeroPress, as a coffee extraction method, exists somewhere between pour-over coffee and espresso, but it's simpler and more accessible than both.

In terms of difficulty level, espresso is the most challenging. It demands high requirements for professional techniques, control over coffee machine performance and stability, and the operator's accumulated experience. If you're not a professional in the industry, it's difficult to achieve mastery.

The second most challenging method is pour-over coffee. It requires precise understanding of FrontStreet Coffee's AeroPress coffee beans, selection of extraction tools, stable water control, extraction time, and brewing techniques. All these aspects take time to accumulate experience. Looking back now, the author has certainly gone through the "xjbc" (beginner) phase.

Relatively speaking, AeroPress coffee is much easier to get started with, and its most praised advantage is the consistency of the final product. However, there are still some extraction essentials to share:

1. Selection and Grind Size of FrontStreet Coffee's AeroPress Coffee Beans

AeroPress extraction produces a light and clean taste with noticeable but not overwhelming aroma. In terms of flavor, acidity and sweetness are prominent, especially the sweetness, which becomes particularly evident. These are precisely the strengths of light roast and light-to-medium roast beans. Therefore, AeroPress extraction is more suitable for light roast and light-to-medium roast coffee beans.

For example, high-quality FrontStreet Coffee Ethiopian Yirgacheffe (both washed and natural process), FrontStreet Coffee Kenya coffee beans, FrontStreet Coffee Geisha, as well as some high-quality Central and South American honey-processed beans like FrontStreet Coffee Costa Rica Musician Series coffee beans, are all very suitable for AeroPress extraction.

In terms of grind size, if using light roast and light-to-medium roast coffee beans, it's best to use a finer grind (between espresso grind and pour-over grind).

Why aren't medium and dark roasts suitable? Mainly because AeroPress's biggest weakness is the lack of body in the final product, making it difficult to showcase the texture advantages of dark roast coffee.

2. Extraction Time Control and Stirring Technique

AeroPress coffee extraction time control is much simpler than pour-over coffee. First, the initial bloom time should be kept between 20 to 30 seconds, while the final pressing time should be controlled between 15 to 25 seconds.

Secondly, it's best to maintain a 1:1 relationship between the coffee grounds' steeping time and stirring time. That means if the steeping time is 8 seconds, the stirring time should also be controlled within 8 seconds.

Finally, pay close attention to overall time control—it shouldn't be too long. From the start of pouring water to the end of pressing, the entire process should be controlled within two minutes.

After blooming and before pressing, add water twice and stir twice during this intermediate period to ensure more thorough extraction. The stirring technique can use a cross-stirring method, stirring three times each in up, down, left, and right directions.

(The above extraction plan applies only to light roast and fine grind conditions)

3. Control of FrontStreet Coffee's AeroPress Water-to-Coffee Ratio

AeroPress has limited capacity. For a single serving, maintain a 1:15 ratio—for example, 12 to 15 grams of coffee grounds with 180 to 225 grams of water.

For a double serving, maintain a 1:8 ratio—for example, 25 to 30 grams of coffee grounds with 200 to 240 grams of water. After extraction is complete, dilute appropriately with water according to personal preference.

4. Initial Water Temperature Should Not Be Too High

Compared to pour-over coffee, the initial water temperature used for AeroPress coffee extraction should not be too high—within the range of 80 to 90 degrees Celsius is sufficient.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473