How to brew Aeropress coffee?

Reference recipe: 15 g of medium-fine coffee (between V60 and espresso), 220 g of water at 85 °C, inverted method, 1:30 steep, flip and 25-30 s press. The result is a filtered, concentrated, balanced cup with no bitter edge. Longer version: 15 g / 250 g at 92 °C, 2 min, dilute to taste afterwards.

The inverted method is the popular choice in specialty circles because it eliminates drip-through — water starting to leak through the filter during the steep, which throws off contact time. Setup: slide the piston a few centimetres into the tube, stand the Aeropress upside down (piston down, tube opening up). Add grounds (15 g), tare, pour 220 g of water at 85 °C in about 15 seconds to saturate the bed evenly.

Stir briefly (three back-and-forths with a thin paddle), screw on the cap with a pre-rinsed paper filter, wait until the 1:30 mark. Place a sturdy cup upside down over the cap, flip the whole assembly decisively — the Aeropress now sits upright on the cup. Press with steady even pressure over 25 to 30 seconds until you hear the final hiss (air passing through the spent puck).

World-championship recipes change every year with every champion. A modified Tim Wendelboe classic uses 14 g of fine grind, 220 g of water at 80 °C, inverted method, 1 min steep, 25 s press. Other world champions have published ratios from 1:10 to 1:18 depending on the style sought — concentrated or long. A common thread: lower water temperature (80-85 °C) than most filter norms, producing a gentler extraction that works well with light roasts.

The upright method is faster and more forgiving: Aeropress on the cup, filter cap screwed on the bottom, grounds and water added on top, 1 min steep, press. The downside is that water begins to filter on pour, so contact time is less precise. Fine for daily use, less ideal for competition. In Belgium, the Aeropress is the apartment and office tool par excellence — cleanup is a 5-second puck-eject, no rinsing rituals.

Aeropress inverted recipe — 15 g / 220 g