AeroPress Official Recipe
The AeroPress was invented in 2005 by Aerobie's Alan Adler — the same engineer behind the record-setting flying ring — to make a single, smooth, low-bitterness cup fast. The original instructions are unlike any pour over: relatively cool water, a quick stir, then air-pressure plunging through a thin paper disc within about a minute, producing a strong concentrate you then dilute to taste, Americano-style. Adler deliberately keeps contact time short — he considers a long steep contrary to the device's point. It's an immersion-and-pressure hybrid, included here as a contrast to gravity brewing. 💨
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Brewer | AeroPress (standard, upright) |
| Dose | ~17 g (one rounded official scoop) |
| Water | ~100 g over the grounds, then dilute |
| Ratio | concentrate ~1:6, diluted to ~1:13-1:16 in the cup |
| Temp | 80°C / 175°F (cooler than most pour over) |
| Grind | fine, finer than V60 |
| Bloom | none in the classic method |
| Brew time | ~10 s stir, then ~20-40 s press (~1:00 total) |
| Roast | medium to dark |
| Source | Aerobie / Alan Adler, 2005 |
| Resulting cup | Smooth, round, low acidity and low bitterness; adjustable strength via dilution |
#Pour Schedule
- Setup — Insert a rinsed paper filter in the cap, screw on, place upright on a sturdy mug; add ~1 rounded scoop (~17 g) and shake to level the bed.
- 0:00 — Pour 80°C water to about 100 g (Adler's original fills to chamber level 1-1.5 for a single scoop).
- 0:00-0:10 — Stir ~10 seconds with the paddle.
- 0:10 — Insert the plunger and press gently and steadily for 20-40 seconds; stop at the hiss.
- Finish — You now have a concentrate; top up with hot water to your preferred strength, Americano-style.
#Why It Works
Two things make the AeroPress forgiving: the short contact time and the cool water, which together hold bitterness and over-extraction in check even with a fine grind. The plunge isn't espresso pressure — it's gentle, just enough to push water through the puck in seconds. Because you brew a concentrate and dilute, strength is decoupled from extraction: you can pull a clean, well-extracted shot and then set its intensity in the cup, which is why the device is so beginner-proof.
The AeroPress is famously hackable — countless variations exist, including the popular inverted method and the more developed James Hoffmann Ultimate AeroPress. Official guidance has shifted over the years (newer cards suggest hotter water), so treat the temperature as approximate and tune to your roast.
#Continue Reading
- AeroPress — the device and its many methods
- James Hoffmann Ultimate AeroPress — a refined community take
- The Clever Dripper — another immersion-style brewer
- Brew Method Family Tree — where immersion and pressure sit
- Recipe Variables and Cup Outcomes — tuning the dilution and steep