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Method family

AeroPress

The AeroPress family — immersion-plus-pressure brewers invented by Alan Adler in 2005. Compact, forgiving, and endlessly versatile.

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The AeroPress is a hybrid immersion-and-pressure brewer invented by Alan Adler at Aerobie in 2005. The company is based in Palo Alto, California, and was acquired by Tiny Capital in 2021. It consists of two cylindrical chambers, a rubber-tipped plunger, and a paper microfilter held in a screw-on cap. Coffee and water sit in the main chamber for a chosen steep time, then manual plunger pressure pushes the brew through the filter. The result is a concentrated, low-acid cup that can be served neat or diluted like an Americano.

How the AeroPress brews

Two variables the AeroPress controls that most other brewers do not: steep time is fully independent of drawdown, and final extraction happens under manual pressure rather than gravity. This makes it extraordinarily forgiving to grind size and ratio — almost any reasonable combination produces a drinkable cup — and it is why the AeroPress dominates travel and portable-brewing scenarios. The paper filter strips most oils and fines, producing a clean body closer to pour-over than to French press.

Two orientations are commonly used: upright (water and coffee in the chamber, cap at the bottom, plunger on top) and inverted (AeroPress flipped so the chamber is on top and the plunger acts as a seal). Inverted prevents early dripping during a long steep; upright is faster and dishwasher-friendly.

Sizes in this family

  • AeroPress Original — the standard size. 15-20 g dose, final brew 200-250 mL.
  • AeroPress Go — same geometry as the Original in a travel-friendly body with a mug lid. Identical recipe compatibility, slightly smaller dose range.
  • AeroPress XL — a larger chamber released in 2023 that doubles capacity (up to 40 g dose, 600 mL brew). Used for two-cup serving or for scaled-up versions of Original recipes.

All three accept the same paper microfilters (the XL uses a larger but otherwise identical filter). Metal and cloth filters exist as third-party alternatives and change the body of the cup.

What AeroPress recipes in this collection share

The AeroPress is the most technique-diverse brewer in specialty coffee. The World AeroPress Championship (held annually since 2008) has standardised the "competition recipe" as a genre: short steep, often inverted, with specific agitation and plunge cadence. This collection includes winning and finalist recipes from the WAC alongside classic Adler recipes, Tim Wendelboe methods, James Hoffmann's bypass recipe, and cold-brew adaptations. Typical parameter ranges:

  • Ratio: 1:10 to 1:17 (concentrate to diluted Americano-style)
  • Water temperature: 75 to 95 °C
  • Grind: medium-fine to fine (never as fine as espresso)
  • Total brew time: 0:45 to 4:00

Use the AeroPress when you want consistency across a wide range of beans, portability, or short brew times. It pairs naturally with a hand grinder like the Timemore, Comandante, or Kingrinder.

Learn the fundamentals

Definitions, ratios and protocols behind this recipe.

Models in this family

Frequently asked

Common questions

  • 01 Inverted or standard — which way should I brew?

    The standard (right-side-up) method has the filter cap down from the start, so water begins dripping the moment you pour. Use it for quick, low-effort brews. The inverted method puts the chamber upside down so nothing drains until you flip and press; it gives full control over steep time and is the format most World AeroPress Championship recipes use. Inverted brews longer and pulls more sweetness; standard is faster and cleaner.

  • 02 What grind size for AeroPress?

    Most published AeroPress recipes use a medium-fine grind — finer than V60, closer to fine sea salt. Competition recipes sometimes go finer (closer to drip espresso) for shorter, sweeter brews; longer immersion recipes go coarser. If the press feels very hard, grind coarser; if the cup is thin, grind finer or extend the steep.

  • 03 How much coffee for AeroPress?

    The Alan-Adler-original recipe uses 15–18 g for one mug (~200 ml of water). Most modern recipes sit between 12–17 g for a single-serve brew. World AeroPress Championship recipes typically use 15–18 g with 200–230 g of water (about 1:13 to 1:15). Scale up to ~30 g for the AeroPress XL.

  • 04 AeroPress vs French Press — what's the difference?

    Both are immersion brewers, but the AeroPress uses a paper filter and ~30 seconds of manual pressure — producing a clean, lower-body cup with no sediment. The French Press uses a metal mesh and gravity only — letting through oils and fines, producing a heavier, more textured cup. AeroPress is also faster and easier to clean.

  • 05 Can I make espresso-style coffee in an AeroPress?

    Not real espresso — the AeroPress reaches roughly 0.4 bar of pressure, while espresso machines reach 9 bar. But you can make a concentrated, espresso-style shot with a high coffee-to-water ratio (e.g. 18 g / 60 ml) and a short brew time. Use it as the base for an AeroPress latte or americano.

In the app

Brew it with the guided timer.

The app walks you through every step — timings, water amounts and pace — so you can focus on the cup.

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