What is an AeroPress? How to Use AeroPress to Brew Delicious Coffee

The Unique Funnel of FrontStreet Coffee

"Boss, your bean funnel looks quite special. Where did you buy it?"

"It's just an item that comes with the AeroPress."

This reminded me that in the corner of FrontStreet Coffee, there's a long-forgotten AeroPress. Its syringe-like shape makes it hard to associate this device with coffee brewing. There are even specialized AeroPress brewing competitions, which naturally makes one curious - how can such a unique device produce a cup of coffee?

The Origin of AeroPress

The AeroPress first appeared in 2005, and its inventor, Alan Adler, was a lecturer in mechanical engineering at Stanford University. According to him, the idea for inventing the AeroPress came from dissatisfaction with existing coffee brewing devices. He then immersed himself in researching extraction principles. As an inventor, turning ideals into reality is their strength. In two years, this gentleman in his late 70s created the AeroPress.

The Structure of AeroPress

The AeroPress itself is quite an interesting invention. It consists of three parts: the chamber, the plunger, and the filter cap (which requires filter paper or a metal filter to use). It can extract coffee from different roasts and grinds. The extraction principle combines the immersion method of single-origin coffee with the pressure method of espresso. In the early stage, coffee grounds are mixed with water and then steeped, followed by using the plunger to press and extract, resulting in a cup of coffee with rich flavors.

AeroPress Brewing Methods

AeroPress brewing methods are divided into standard and inverted. The standard method involves first attaching the filter cap to the chamber with the filter facing downward, then adding coffee grounds and water for stirring and steeping, before inserting the plunger for pressure extraction. However, the standard method has the problem of water leaking from the filter cap during pouring, which led to the birth of the inverted brewing method.

The inverted method involves assembling the plunger and chamber in advance, placing the plunger at the bottom to act as a base, then adding coffee grounds for stirring and steeping. After completion, the filter cap is attached, a cup is placed on top, and the entire assembly is flipped upright for pressing extraction. This time we'll focus on the inverted method because FrontStreet Coffee believes that the inverted method brings fewer uncertainties, allowing for more stable extraction, enabling beginners to quickly get started and enjoy AeroPress coffee.

Preparation Before Brewing

AeroPress, coffee beans, hot water, a sturdy cup, stirrer, and circular filter paper.

This time we're using FrontStreet Coffee's Papua New Guinea·Bird of Paradise medium roast beans. The grind size is finer than pour-over coffee, with 90% passing through a #20 standard sieve. Using 15g of coffee beans with 240ml of water, the coffee-to-water ratio is 1:16. The water temperature for AeroPress doesn't need to be too high, between 90-93°C is sufficient.

Inverted Brewing Process

① Press the plunger into the chamber with the plunger facing downward.

② Pour the ground coffee and start timing the brew.

③ Stir the coffee grounds to ensure thorough saturation.

④ After one minute, place the pre-wetted filter paper on the filter cap, attach it to the chamber, place a cup on top, hold the entire assembly firmly and flip it over.

⑤ Begin pressing to extract the coffee liquid. Total time: 1 minute and 30 seconds.

And there you have it - a simple AeroPress coffee! If you want to enjoy iced coffee in the summer, simply reduce the ratio to 1:8. The extracted coffee with 100g of ice cubes will perfectly satisfy your summer refreshment needs.

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Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473