AeroPress Coffee

Is it a plastic pipe? Some sort of pen pot? No, it’s an AeroPress!

A brewing device that looks more like some outer-space contraption, the AeroPress is the device to use if you want smooth, full-flavoured coffee with a touch of fun!

Introducing Mr Aero and Mrs Press

The AeroPress was invented in 2005 by a very clever toy engineer named Alan Adler. Alan invented the record-breaking Aerobie Superdisc before turning his creative energy to coffee (coffee and fun are just made for each other – we told you!).

Frustrated at the watery mess he’d get when he tried to make a single coffee in a drip machine, Alan decided to experiment with different single-serve designs. It took many taste tests and numerous prototypes but, eventually, Alan perfected the iconic tube-shape form that makes AeroPress coffee taste so awesome.

The AeroPress combines elements of pressure and immersion brewing. Pressure brewing is when pressure (who would have thought it?) is used to extract the coffee by forcing hot water through the grounds. The pressure method is speedy and creates an intense, richly flavoured cup that tastes more concentrated than drip coffee. Espresso and moka pots are other examples of pressure devices. Pressure brewing intensifies the acidity in the coffee, but we’ll tell you a bit more about this in a bit.

A is for Awesome (and also for AeroPress)

We love the AeroPress because it’s sturdy, easy to care for and inexpensive. All this, while still making a barista-standard cup of coffee! The AeroPress is great for taking on your post-lockdown travels because their durable plastic material and lightweight design make them great for packing in an overnight bag. The single portion also makes them ideal for day trips and weekends away, or for stay-in dates (between you and your coffee, obviously). Taking only minutes to brew and with minimal washing up, the AeroPress is the best device for a hassle-free brew.

Want to get creative with your coffee brewing? Then the AeroPress is for you. The ways to use it are near endless and, though most people stick to the two main methods, we’re always up for a bit of experimenting! So, what are these two ways we speak of? The first is the right-way-round method, which involves stacking the AeroPress on top of your mug and plunging down with all your might. The second way is the inverted method. This takes a bit of practice (and the odd spill) because you have to hold your mug upside-down on the AeroPress stack and flip the whole lot around. Both methods give a slightly different flavour. Neither create a coffee you want to miss.

How should I grind coffee for my AeroPress?

Getting the grind size bang on is really important in coffee brewing. For an AeroPress, your coffee should have the consistency of table salt. Any finer, and the coffee will pack too tightly into the chamber, and the water will not be able to seep through. This will create an over-extracted coffee that tastes way too bitter. If your coffee grind is too coarse, the opposite will happen: the water will come through the coffee too quickly and leave your coffee under-extracted and sour to taste.

So, stick with a table salt consistency and you’re good to go.

Lorna, our Bespoke Order Creator, loves grinding coffee beans at the roastery, so will be more than happy to grind them for you. Simply select ‘AeroPress’ when you check out in our online coffee shop and you’ll have AeroPress-ready coffee delivered to your door the very next day! What could be simpler?

How much do I use?

They say baking is a science and that you’ve got to get your measurements absolutely right. With coffee, it’s a bit different. You might like a stronger coffee, and will therefore need a little more coffee or a little less water. Equally, you might want to take the coffee down a notch. You might prefer milk, you might not. Who’s to say you can’t?

You might know the ratio which is just right for your taste buds but if not, don’t panic. We recommend an AeroPress starting ratio of 1:16, so that’s one part coffee to 16 parts water. This equates to 2 heaped tbsp (15g) of lovely ground coffee and 240ml of water.

But, as we said, this might not be quite right for you, so feel free to have a play!

What’s the best AeroPress Coffee?

You can use any Two Chimps speciality coffee in your AeroPress, but there are a few we recommend. Remember the acidity levels we mentioned earlier? Let’s find out what they’re all about.

Pressure methods like the AeroPress amplify the natural acidity in coffee. Lighter roasts (coffee beans that haven’t been roasted for quite as long) are slightly more acidic and less sweet. This is because roasting caramelises the sugars in the coffee. Darker roasts, therefore, contain more caramelly sweetness and slightly less acidity, and balance out the acidity of pressure brewing. It’s like yinging and yanging your way to yummy coffee!

Which Two Chimps coffee will be great in an AeroPress? We have one medium roast, More Coal for the Internet, which is great for all-day drinking and has a creamy, chocolaty taste. We also have a rather tempting trio of medium dark roasts. There’s Oh Do Beehave, a velvety, almondy, ever-so-slightly orangey coffee as well as Canoeing in a Cornish Pasty, which will bring sweetness to your mornings, and Knitting Badger – Decaffeinated, which will add oat and cinnamon spice to your evenings. These darker roasts all brew beautifully in an AeroPress, but feel free to mix it up and try one of our lighter roasts – it might just be your new favourite!

Let’s get AeroPress-ing

Coffee connoisseurs snubbed the AeroPress when Alan first invented it – they didn’t believe a toy inventor could create such a cracking brew device. Now, we’re all raving about it. Speedy, simple and super tasty, the AeroPress is a great device to try if you want one cup of loveliness with minimal faff. The table salt consistency is pretty key to great AeroPress coffee, but feel free to experiment as far as the brew ratios are concerned. And as for how you use your AeroPress, well, the possibilities just keep on coming!

Fancy a go at flipping your AeroPress? We’ve got top-quality devices in our online shop, as well as some oh-so-awesome coffees! Check it out!

See the coffee!