How to Make Many Types of Coffee with AeroPress

I love coffee. I love to try new ways to brew it. One tool that I use a lot is the AeroPress. It looks small, but it can make many styles of coffee. It is cheap. It is fast. It is fun. I can brew hot or cold coffee. I can brew in one minute or wait many hours. With AeroPress I can do it all.

In this blog I will show you step by step. I will make nine ways of coffee with AeroPress. I will use the same coffee beans for all. The beans are from Peru. I grind them fresh. I use around 14 grams of coffee for most brews. That is one scoop. If I need more coffee, I just add more.

What will change in each brew?

the grind size,
the water amount,
the water heat,
the time I wait.

So let’s start.

1. The Original AeroPress Recipe

Alan Adler made the AeroPress. He wanted a cheap tool to make coffee like espresso in less than one minute. Here is how I do it.

I take 14 grams of coffee. I grind it fine. I use 50 to 60 grams of hot water. The water is around 85–90°C. I pour the water in. I stir for 10–15 seconds. Then I press. That is all. In one minute I get about 40 ml of coffee.

I can drink it as it is. It is strong. I can also add hot water to make it soft. That is like an Americano. Or I can add milk. If I want two or three shots, I just add more coffee and water.

If I want even more pressure, I use a tool called Prismo. It helps to make the coffee closer to espresso.

2. Cold Brew in One Minute

I can also make cold brew fast. Not in hours. Just in one minute. I use 14 grams of coffee. I grind it fine, even finer than espresso. I add 50–60 grams of water, but this time it is room temp. Around 20°C.

I stir for 30 seconds. Then I press. Done. I get cold coffee in one minute. It is smooth. It is good if my beans are not fresh.

3. Full Cup Brew

Many baristas in Europe did not like the short shot style. They wanted a full cup. One early recipe was made in Oslo.

I take 14 grams of coffee. I grind it medium. I add 200 grams of hot water, about 93°C. I stir quick. I put the plunger on top to stop drip. At one minute I stir again. Then I press slow. In 90 seconds I get one full cup.

If too much water passes too fast, I check three things:

Is the coffee bed flat?
Did I fit the plunger well?
Is my grind size too coarse?

4. Inverted Method

Many people use this method first. I flip the AeroPress upside down. I put 14 grams of coffee. I grind medium. I add 200 grams of hot water, 93°C. I wait one minute. In the meantime I rinse the paper filter and fix the cap.

At one minute I flip the AeroPress on the cup. I press. Done in 90 seconds.

Why do I like this? Because I can use any grind size. I can steep longer. It is like French Press but with paper filter. The hard part is the flip. If I am not careful, I can spill. But with time I get better.

5. Iced Coffee

If I want cold coffee fast, I use this way. I put AeroPress upside down. I add 14 grams of coffee. I grind a bit finer than before. I add 100 grams of hot water. I wait one minute.

While I wait, I put 100 grams of ice in a cup. I flip the AeroPress and press over ice. The ice melts. I get cold coffee fast.

6. Cold Brew Overnight

This one takes time. I use 14 grams of coffee. I grind coarse, about 30 clicks on Comandante. I add 200 grams of room temp water. I put it in the fridge for 12 hours.

Next day I press. I get cold brew. It has less acid, less bitter, more body, more caffeine. I must be careful, it is strong.

7. Cold Drip

This one is cool. Normally, I need a big machine. But with AeroPress I can do it with a tool called PUCK PUCK.

I put 19 grams of coffee, medium grind. I attach PUCK PUCK. I add 50 grams ice and 200 grams water. I set drip to 20 drops per minute. It drips for 2.5 to 3 hours. I get smooth cold drip coffee.

8. Long Steep Method

With inverted AeroPress I can brew like French Press. I add 14 grams of coarse grind. I add 200 grams of hot water at 93°C. I let it steep for 4 minutes. I stir. I wait 4 more minutes.

At 8 minutes I put the filter cap on and press. I get a bold cup. But cleaner than French Press. Easy to clean too.

9. Big Batch

Some people say AeroPress makes only one cup. That is not true. I can make more. I use 23 grams of coffee, fine grind. I add 350 grams of hot water in two parts.

First, I add 50 grams and stir. Then I add rest of water. Now I must press with care. I plunge only one cm and twist. I remove plunger and repeat. When water is gone, I add more water inside plunger (175 ml). I wait one minute. Then I press.

This way I make more coffee at once.

End

So you see, AeroPress is not just one way. I can make espresso style, Americano, cold brew, iced coffee, cold drip, French Press style, and even big batch. It is small. It is light. It is cheap. It is easy. It is fun.

I hope you try these ways. Tell me which one you like most. For me, the best part is that I can choose. Hot or cold. One minute or twelve hours. With AeroPress I can do it all.