The AeroPress is a terrific, inexpensive, durable, portable, single serving coffee maker. Many coffee professionals travel with one. There are AeroPress championship events running in over fifty countries, culminating annually in the World AeroPress Championship. BTW, it was invented by the same guy (Alan Adler) who invented the Aerobie flying ring! 

An AeroPress combines two different brewing methods; French press and filter. Initially, the coffee and water steep together like in a French Press. To complete the brewing, a piston is used to push the water through grounds and through a paper filter. The resulting cup is full bodied like a French Press, with a little more clarity like filter coffee.

Do a search for AeroPress recipes and you will find an enormous number, far more than other brewers. Different grinds, different ratios and different temperatures. Here is one recipe to get you started.

What you will need: water, coffee, AeroPress, AeroPress filter, AeroPress funnel, AeroPress paddle, scale, timer, large mug

Dosage: 17.5 grams of ground coffee; 280 ml (230 g) of hot water

Grind: medium (like medium sand) (17/40 on a Baratza)

Water Temp: 30-45 seconds off boil (180 -190° F)

Total Time: 1-1.5 minutes

  1. Place a filter in the AeroPress fitler holder and lock it in to the AeroPress body.
  2. Place your AeroPress over your mug. Fill the AeroPress body with hot water to pre-heat the brewer and mug and to rinse the filter. Empty your mug
  3. Weigh and grind your coffee while you boil your water for brewing.
  4. Place your mug on your scale. Place the AeroPress body on your mug. Add the ground coffee to the AeroPress body. Tare your scale.
  5. Pour in the correct weight (280g) of water (30-45 seconds off the boil)
  6. Start timer.
  7. Give the coffee a quick stir with the paddle, then place the plunger in to the AeroPress body, but don’t push down yet. Pull the plunger up a bit to create a vacuum and stop coffee from dripping out the bottom.
  8. After 1 minute, take the mug and brewer off the scale and place it on the counter.
  9. While holding the AeroPress body with one hand, gently and slowly push down the plunger until all the coffee has been expelled (you will hear the bubbling sound of air). About 30 seconds.
  10. Pull the plunger back a couple centimetres to stop the brewer from dripping.
  11. Remove the filter holder and push the plunger down to expel the spent coffee.
  12. Enjoy your coffee!