Learn how to brew the perfect cup of coffee using an aeropress. So smooth and full-bodied, you’ll never use another method again.
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Thanks to my husband, I’ve become a bit of a coffee snob.
In college I was all about the French press as it was easy to keep in a dorm room, and I thought it made a pretty good cup.
But after years of going with the French press method, I discovered the magic of aeropress thanks to a trip to Norway.
I wasn’t convinced until we went to Norway. If you haven’t been, then you may not realize how serious Norwegians are about their coffee.
And nearly every coffee shop we went to used an aeropress. I was sold. It really does make the best cup of coffee.
Not only is it my favorite way to brew coffee, but the aeropress itself is inexpensive and travels well. So whether you’re going camping or cozying up at home, you’ll never be without an excellent cup of coffee.
I don’t know about you, but I like my coffee to taste smooth and clean, rather than bitter.
While I once thought that the only way to achieve this was to buy a pour-over, I was happily surprised at how the coffee I made in the aeropress tasted just as smooth and delicious as pour overs that I used to buy at fancy cafes.
Before we get going, it’s important to mention that there are SO many ways to tweak your aeropress method depending on the flavor and strength that you prefer.
The following method makes what I’d consider a medium-strong cup that’s smooth and full-bodied.
For more ways to tweak your brew, check out these winning recipes from the World Aeropress Championships (yes, there’s actually a competition for making coffee this way).
The grind size of your coffee beans is essential for the flavor of your coffee and should be tailored by the method.
When it comes to making aeropress coffee, I recommend using a medium-fine grind. It should look finer than sand, but slightly coarser than espresso.
On my KitchenAid Burr coffee grinder, setting it to 4.5 is perfect! (P.S. While it’s pricey, I fully recommend the KitchenAide Burr grinder. It’s super easy to adjust and clean).
As different grinders have different settings, I recommend checking out this site that lists the grind size based on the grinder you’re using.
The hard part about using medium-fine grounds is that it’s near impossible to buy bags that are pre-ground.
However, that’s not the worst news in the world, as buying whole beans and then grinding them yourself is often cheaper and the flavor is noticeably better.
There are a lot of things to think about when it comes to choosing your coffee: flavor, price, and ethical sourcing are the big three.
If you live in Colorado, I cannot recommend Sweet Bloom Coffee Roasters any higher.
Not only do they have a great subscription service that can be adjusted based on how quickly you go through your beans, but the roast and overall flavor of each bag has been consistently phenomenal.
I recommend looking for a local coffee roaster in your area. However, if that’s not an option, then I’d go with a Fair Trade certified coffee.
What’s unique about coffee beans is that they absorb moisture, smells, and flavors from the surrounding air.
This means that you want to keep them in an airtight container to keep out these factors that can negatively affect the flavor and freshness of your beans.
The best way to store coffee that you plan on using within 2 weeks is keeping the beans in an opaque (not clear), airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place.
A cabinet or pantry is perfect. Just make sure that the cabinet doesn’t get hot from being too close to your oven.
For coffee that won’t get to as quickly, transfer the beans to a freezer-safe zip-top bag and store in the freezer for up to 1 month (any longer and they’ll start to lose their flavor).
To thaw, simply set out at room temp for 1-2 hours before grinding.
Step 1: Grind your coffee beans and heat water.
See notes above about what grind your coffee beans should be. I like to use an electric grinder, but a hand grinder works too.
Heat water to about 205 F(96 C) in a stovetop or electric kettle. If you don’t want to take the temperature, I recommend heating the water until it just starts to boil, but take it off before it reaches a rapid boil.
Step 2: Rinse filter and scoop out coffee.
Take one paper filter and quickly rinse it under cool, running water. If you’re really sensitive to bitter, you can use 2 filters to help filter out even more of the natural oils in the beans.
Place the filter in the bottom of the filter cap, making sure its lies flat and fully covers the bottom of the cap.
Screw the filter cap into the chamber and place on top of your coffee mug.
Next, scoop ground coffee into the chamber.
I use the official aeropress 30 ml coffee scoop to scoop out my coffee. One scoop is about 2 tablespoons (17 grams).
Note that the grind-size of your beans will determine how much you’ll want to add to your coffee.
Step 3: Bloom coffee beans.
When coffee is roasted, CO2 forms in the beans. This can affect the flavor of your coffee as once hot water hits the grounds, the coffee grounds release CO2, which you can see by the bubbles that form.
One problem with this is that since your coffee is busy releasing CO2, water can’t get fully into the beans to extract their flavor.
So, to fix this you want to bloom your coffee first. (You can read more about the science behind blooming coffee here).
To bloom your coffee, you’ll simply pour enough water into the chamber to fully cover the coffee grounds. While some people measure out the water, I prefer to eyeball it.
Let the coffee bloom for about 45-60 seconds. I set a timer on my microwave.
Step 4: Stir and steep.
After your coffee has bloomed, slowly pour more hot water into the chamber. Again, you can measure this, but I like to use the numbers on the side of the aeropress. I aim to fill it up to the middle of the 4 on the side.
Once the water is poured, gently stir the beans, using a back and forth motion with the aeropress stirrer, or a rubber spatula. This agitation helps create a more uniform extraction of flavor.
I like to do 5 stirs.
After stirring, quickly place the plunger on top of the chamber. It should fit into the top, but do not press down yet!
How long you steep your coffee depends on how fine or coarse your grounds are. I find 1 minute to be perfect for grounds that are medium-fine (a 4.5 setting on the KitchenAide Burr grinder).
Step 5: Slowly press plunger down.
Once your coffee has steeped, slowly press down on the plunger to push the remaining water through the filter.
Be careful not to go too fast, otherwise you’ll end up with coffee going everywhere – trust me, I’ve had plenty of shirts get coffee stains from being too impatient.
Step 6. Remove aeropress and discard coffee beans in the trash.
Once the plunger is fully pressed down, gently tip the aeropress to let any remaining coffee go through the filter.
Flip the aeropress upside down and unscrew the filter cap. Place the filter cap in the sink to clean and bring the inverted aeropress over to the trash can.
Flip it so that the filter and grounds go into the trash. You can even give an extra push on the plunger to push any remaining grounds into the trash.
Clean the aeropress and filter cap with hot soapy water. Dry completely before storing.
I prefer my coffee with about 3-4 tablespoons of oat milk in it. Now, I’ve experimented with different ways of adding milk:
Unless you’re making a latte, which in that case you’ll want to add frothed milk to your brewed cup, I didn’t notice a huge difference between the methods.
While I slightly liked adding warmed milk to the cup before brewing the coffee better, as long as you give a good stir, any option will work.
However, if you add more than a 1/4 cup of milk or creamer, then I would recommend heating it first to avoid cooling off your coffee too quickly.
Looking for more ways to get your caffeine fix in the morning? Try one of these healthy coffee-infused recipes:
If you tried this aeropress coffee method or any other recipe on the blog let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment/rating below! Be sure to follow along on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook for even more deliciousness!
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What is your favorite coffee bean from Sweet Bloom? Thanks.
Oh, that’s hard to choose. . . the Guadalupe Herrera Jinotega is always a safe bet!
While you are going to experiment with filter paper, try using one filter paper as adding an extra filter paper will totally change the experience with the device. Using 2 x paper filters will give you high clarity brews, heavy textured full-bodied drinks with the metal filter to very light.
Thanks for the tip — I’ll have to try it!
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