What is an AeroPress? How should I use an AeroPress? How to make coffee with an AeroPress?

About the AeroPress

The AeroPress is a plastic brewer built from two main parts: the upper chamber (plunger) and the lower chamber. It's lightweight, durable, affordable, and travels well — which is why it has earned a devoted following among campers and commuters alike.

Coffee brewed in an AeroPress tastes closer to drip coffee than to espresso, but with a rich, mellow body. That body comes from pressure: compressing the air trapped in the chamber during extraction gently forces the coffee through the filter.

Beyond speed, the real fun of the AeroPress is its versatility. It can brew everything from clean drip-style cups to something resembling moka-pot coffee, and it supports both the standard and the inverted brewing methods.

Standard Brewing Method

1. Place the filter paper in the filter cap and rinse it with hot water.

2. Screw the filter cap onto the lower chamber.

3. Add the ground coffee — grind size and dose to taste. Pour in hot water and let it bloom for 30–40 seconds.

4. Pour in more hot water, let it sit for 30 seconds, and stir. Insert the plunger and press down slowly so the coffee passes through the filter paper. You now have a full-bodied cup.

Inverted Brewing Method

1. Assemble the plunger and lower chamber, then set the whole unit upside down (plunger down, chamber up). Add the grounds, then pour in 30g of hot water to bloom.

2. Let it bloom for 30–40 seconds.

3. Pour in more hot water and let it sit for 30 seconds.

4. Stir slowly. (The bloom, rest, and stir steps mirror the standard method, but the inverted position lets you adjust steep time freely.)

5. Finally, screw the filter cap (with rinsed paper) onto the open end, flip the whole assembly upright onto your server, and press down.

FrontStreet Coffee's Recommended AeroPress Method

Parameters & Technique: Grind size: BG 5R (58% retention on the China-standard #20 sieve), water temperature 90°C, coffee-to-water ratio 1:15.

Using the inverted method, add 15g of grounds and pour water straight to 225g. Stir three times so every particle contacts the water, stir again at one minute to boost extraction, then flip and press at one and a half minutes. Total extraction time: two minutes.

Flavor Profile: The aroma carries spices and fermented fruit. On the palate, cocoa and cream with lime acidity; as the cup cools, citrus, dark plum, and grapefruit emerge, finishing on hazelnut.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

The AeroPress rewards both blends and single origins, depending on the cup you're chasing. For a classic, low-acid, full-bodied brew, FrontStreet Coffee's PWN Indonesian Gold Mandheling — deep roasted, with herbal and dark-chocolate aromas, a faint earthy note, and long, mellow richness — suits drinkers who love intensity without acidity. Brazil Fazenda Rainha is another natural fit: very low acidity, balanced, with pronounced nut and cocoa aromas and clear caramel sweetness, smooth and never astringent.

For blends, the FrontStreet Coffee classic blend was designed specifically for espresso and moka-pot brewing, built on the traditional Mandheling-Brazil pairing: thick, warm, and exceptionally rich in crema — approachable for beginners and veterans alike. The 100% Arabica FrontStreet Coffee signature blend (Brazil Cerrado matched with Colombia Huila) delivers the familiar, timeless espresso flavor that has anchored the shop's Americanos and lattes for nearly a decade.

And if you want fruit character from your presser, look for distinctly floral-fruity lots: FrontStreet Coffee's Colombia Pink Bourbon, grown at 1650–1800 meters and double-anaerobic natural processed, smells of jasmine and citrus and pours with passion fruit, blueberry, grape, and apricot juiciness; the popular Strawberry Candy espresso blend recreates a vivid strawberry-gummy sweetness that works beautifully across brew methods.