 What is the Aeropress? The Aeropress is a plastic piston-style coffee brewer that gives you a cup that is medium-bodied, rich and relatively clean. Each Aeropress comes with a brewing chamber, plunger, filter cap, as well as accessories such as the stir paddle and coffee scoop. What are the characteristics of a coffee brewed with the Aeropress? The Aeropress is an immersion brewing method -- meaning coffee grounds are steeped in water as they brew. This is in comparison to drip brewing methods, whereby water runs through the coffee grounds and drip into your carafe immediately. As you might expect, Aeropress coffees are more full-bodied and robust than their drip counterparts. However, unlike the French Press (another immersion brewing method) that gives a muddled cup with the presence of coffee oils, an Aeropress coffee is relatively cleaner as the coffee is driven through a paper filter as it is extracted. How to brew? Grind size: Consistency similar to table salt. Filter: Use with the Aeropress paper filter, though reusable metal filters are also available on the market. Setup: Get ready a scale. Rinse paper filter thoroughly with warm water before brewing to avoid any papery tastes. When you're ready to start brewing, grind your coffee beans. There are 2 ways to brew with the Aeropress: the Original (upright) method, or the Inverted method. The Original (upright) method is super simple and straightforward. Setup your Aeropress on your carafe with the filter cap pointing down. Place your coffee grounds inside the brewing chamber and add your desired amount of hot water. If you don't have a scale, you can use the Aeropress's number markings as a guide. Give the brew a few stirs using the stir paddle, and let steep for a few minutes. When the brew is ready, put the plunger on and press down gently to expel the coffee. Stop when you hear the hissing sound of air.  This illustration by Sip Coffee House shows the Inverted brewing method perfectly! (Source: https://sipcoffeehouse.com/how-to-use-an-aeropress/) The Inverted method is slightly more complicated. First, attach the plunger to your brewing chamber, before placing your Aeropress with the plunger side down. (Meaning, you should see your brewing chamber sitting on top of the plunger.) Place your coffee grounds inside and add desired amount of hot water. Give the brew a few stirs using the stir paddle, and let steep for a few minutes. When the brew is ready, screw on the filter cap, and in one swift motion, flip the Aeropress around and place it on top of your carafe. Press down on the plunger to expel the coffee. Stop when you hear the hissing of air. Recommended recipe One of the best parts about brewing with an Aeropress is how flexible it is. There are just so many variables you can play around with -- apart from the usual suspects like grind size and brew temperature, you can also change the steeping time, number of stirs, how you stir and so on. Below, we share the Original Aeropress Recipe created by none other than the Aeropress founder, Alan Adler. Aeropress newbies can use it as a guide, and change it up as you go along!
Have you brewed using the Aeropress before? Share with us your favourite recipes through our Facebook page, or on IG @smittencoffeeroasters!
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