Brew Guide: How to Brew with an AeroPress

How to brew the best cup of coffee with an AeroPress!

As we come to the end of our brew guide, it’s time to discuss one of the more exciting brewing devices—the AeroPress. Who would have thought this tube-like, syringe-looking thing would make such a perfect cup of joe?

This coffee brewing device was created to solve the issue of portable coffee makers. Its inventor, Alan Adler, wanted to make something easy to clean, durable, compact, and, of course, excellent at making coffee. The AeroPress ticks all these boxes.

This brewing device combines the immersion and drip methods, creating a cup brimming with flavour. Similarly to the cafetière, the water and coffee are submerged together and plunged. The difference is that the AeroPress has a paper filter at the base, and the coffee drips through here when it is plunged. This catches the coffee grounds and oils, creating a clean-tasting cup.

Why we love the AeroPress!

The AeroPress is small, but you don’t get this from the flavour. This single-serve, portable device really changed the game. Its unique design creates a strong, smooth, and rich taste in the cup. With its low acidity and full-bodied feel, it’s not dissimilar to the brews you get from an espresso.

Another green flag is this device’s compactness. As it is traditionally made from durable, lightweight plastic, it is favoured by campers. Due to its plunge-style method, almost every drop of coffee is squeezed out of this tube, leaving a neat coffee puck at the bottom. All that’s left to do is discard this; the device is clean and ready to pack away.

The best Two Chimps coffee to use in an AeroPress

The AeroPress uses pressure to create coffee, which ultimately develops the natural acidity found in coffee beans. With this in mind, you want to steer away from lighter-roasted coffee when using this device. These coffees have been roasted for shorter periods or at a lower temperature, meaning the flavours haven’t caramelised as much as in medium or medium/dark coffee. This means that the natural acidity of the beans is intact, and when combined with the AeroPress, it may result in an overly sour and acidic flavour.

We want you to get all the best flavours that speciality coffee offers when you brew with your AeroPress. Starting with our medium dark roast, our best-selling, orange-labelled coffee! At first sip, you will experience a dark chocolate body topped with a drizzle of caramel. We’re drooling.

If you want something a little less intense, try our green label. It has a silky-smooth milk chocolate and caramel body and a fruity acidity of cherries and apples.

For an extra special cup, our red-labelled limited edition has some funky, unique flavours, a match made in heaven when brewed with an AeroPress. You’ll find a smooth chocolate base with fruity strawberry jam and fresh grapefruit notes.

How to brew

So, you’ve chosen your coffee and have an AeroPress ready. Now, let’s share the secrets to brewing perfectly!

As always, let’s get that grind size right. When ordering from us, you can select the AeroPress under the grind options, and we will take care of this stage for you! If you are worried about it going stale too quickly, as it will arrive pre-ground, don’t worry! Our bags are resealable and have a valve which keeps your coffee fresher for longer. It will stay fresh for 12 weeks once opened and 12 months if not. That’s right, there’ll be no stale coffee around here, folks. Hurrah!

If you’d rather have whole beans and grind them yourself, that’s okay! You want to get it to a fine consistency, like table salt. Your coffee is ready to rumble; the next step is knowing the correct ratio. An AeroPress has a 1:16 of coffee to water. This is about two heaped teaspoons (15g) and 240ml of water!

Are you ready for the best part? Let’s make this coffee already!

1. Pop the kettle on and let it cool for 30 seconds.
2. Rinse the AeroPress with hot water to preheat.
3. Place the filter inside the filter cap and rinse it with the boiled water.
4. Place the AeroPress on your mug. Add your coffee and all the water.
5. Stir a few times.
6. Insert the plunger to create suction.
7. Wait 60 seconds and then plunge the coffee into your mug. The plunge should take about 30 seconds.

This is the standard way of brewing with an AeroPress, but there is also a topsy-turvey inverted method. If you fancy becoming a brewing mastermind, you can try it!