AeroPress: The Complete Guide to Modern Manual Coffee Brewing
An AeroPress coffee maker standing on a mug. Photo: Bean Poet / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Summary
The AeroPress is a hand-operated coffee maker. Ground coffee steeps briefly in hot water inside a plastic chamber, then a plunger pushes the coffee through a paper filter into the cup. It was invented by Alan Adler, a retired Stanford University engineering instructor, and introduced in 2005. It inspired the World AeroPress Championship, which began in Oslo in 2008. This article covers the device's history, how it is used, and what its maker and its competitors say about water temperature and recipes.
The Inventor
Alan Adler invented the Aerobie flying ring in 1984, while teaching engineering at Stanford University; the ring was used to set a Guinness World Record for the farthest thrown object. He founded a company to make it and added other sports toys over the following decades. Adler began studying coffee brewing in the early 2000s: the 2021 announcement of an investment in his company dates this to 2002, while the World AeroPress Championship gives 2004. The AeroPress was introduced in 2005 at the Coffee Fest trade show in Seattle.
The maker is now AeroPress, Inc., based in Palo Alto, California. In August 2021 Tiny, a Canadian holding company, invested in AeroPress, Inc., and Adler kept a minority stake. The company says the AeroPress is popular in more than 80 countries.
How It Works
The AeroPress has three main parts: a chamber, a plunger that fits inside it, and a filter cap that holds a round paper filter. In AeroPress's own instructions, the user puts a filter in the cap and twists the cap onto the chamber. The chamber is stood on a sturdy mug. Ground coffee and hot water are added and given a brief stir. The user then inserts the plunger and presses gently, pausing when it meets resistance, until it reaches the grounds. Finally the cap is removed and the spent coffee pushed out.
Many users brew "inverted". They set the AeroPress upside down with the plunger already in place, add coffee and water, then fit the cap and flip it over the cup to press. The 2015 world champion used this method.
Water Temperature and Recipes
AeroPress's original user manual recommends water at 175°F (80°C). The company says its tasters preferred that temperature and that hotter water increases bitterness and acidity. A later AeroPress brew guide gives a range of 175–190°F (79–88°C), with one rounded scoop of coffee (about 18 grams) ground medium-fine, a brew of one to two minutes, and a gentle press. According to the manual, each scoop makes a single espresso-sized shot or about five ounces of American-style coffee.
Competitors use a wide range of recipes. In 2015, NPR reported that that year's world champion, Lukas Zahradnik of Slovakia, used water at about 79°C (174°F) with the inverted method, and that Jeff Verellen of Belgium, a two-time world champion, had done well with very low water temperatures.
Watch: The Ultimate AeroPress Technique (Episode #3) — James Hoffmann
The World AeroPress Championship
The first World AeroPress Championship took place in 2008 at Tim Wendelboe's coffee bar in Oslo, Norway, with just three competitors and Wendelboe as the judge. It was started by Tim Varney with friends, including Wendelboe, who were curious about how best to use the then-new brewer. The championship is now organised from Melbourne, Australia, as an independent organisation, with national championships in more than 60 countries.
Versions
Besides the original model, AeroPress, Inc. sells other versions, including the AeroPress Go for travel, the larger AeroPress XL and the transparent AeroPress Clear.
Key Facts
- Inventor: Alan Adler, retired Stanford engineering instructor and inventor of the Aerobie flying ring
- Introduced: 2005, at the Coffee Fest trade show in Seattle
- Maker: AeroPress, Inc., Palo Alto, California; investment by Tiny in 2021
- Manufacturer's recommended water temperature: 175°F (80°C) in the original manual; 175–190°F (79–88°C) in a later brew guide
- World AeroPress Championship: first held in Oslo in 2008; national events in more than 60 countries
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the AeroPress? A hand-operated coffee maker in which coffee steeps briefly in hot water and is then pressed through a paper filter with a plunger. It was invented by Alan Adler and introduced in 2005.
Q: What water temperature does the maker recommend? AeroPress's original manual recommends 175°F (80°C); a later AeroPress guide gives 175–190°F (79–88°C).
Q: What is the inverted method? Brewing with the AeroPress upside down, plunger first, then flipping it onto the cup to press. Competitors often use it, including the 2015 world champion.
Q: When did the World AeroPress Championship begin? In 2008, in Oslo, with three competitors.
Sources
- Techcouver, "Tiny Capital Takes The Plunge With AeroPress Investment", 11 August 2021. Supports: the Aerobie ring (1984) and its Guinness record; coffee research from 2002; introduction at Coffee Fest in Seattle in 2005; Tiny's investment and Adler's minority stake; AeroPress, Inc. in Palo Alto; the company's statement about more than 80 countries.
- World AeroPress Championship, "About us" and "Our story (so far)". Supports: Adler as a retired Stanford engineering instructor; study of brewing from 2004; the first championship in Oslo in 2008 with three competitors and Tim Wendelboe as judge; organisation from Melbourne; events in more than 60 countries.
- Tim Wendelboe, announcement of the 2018 Norwegian AeroPress Championship. Supports: the first competition held at his Grünerløkka coffee bar in 2008.
- BeanScene magazine, "Poland's Filip Kucharczyk wins 2016 World AeroPress Championship". Supports: Tim Varney as co-founder.
- AeroPress, Inc., AeroPress Original user manual, as reproduced by Seattle Coffee Gear. Supports: the 175°F (80°C) recommendation and the company's reasons for it; one scoop for an espresso-sized shot or about five ounces of American-style coffee. Manufacturer's material.
- AeroPress, Inc., Ultimate Beginner's AeroPress Brew Guide (PDF). Supports: 175–190°F (79–88°C); one rounded scoop (18 g) ground medium-fine; a brew of one to two minutes; pressing gently. Manufacturer's material.
- AeroPress, Inc., suggested brewing instructions (as transcribed by Drew Breunig). Supports: the order of the brewing steps.
- NPR / WGBH, "How AeroPress fans are hacking their way to a better cup of coffee", 16 April 2015. Supports: Tim Varney and the 2008 Oslo origin; Lukas Zahradnik's 2015 win at about 79°C with the inverted method; Jeff Verellen's low water temperatures.
- Coffee Chronicler, AeroPress review. Supports: the AeroPress Go, XL and Clear versions.
Claims this encyclopedia could not source
The following statements appear in published material about the AeroPress. This encyclopedia could not trace them to a reliable source:
- That the AeroPress produces about 0.35 bar (5 psi) of pressure.
- That it costs less than $40, weighs under 500 g (the AeroPress Go under 300 g), and that its filters come 350 to 360 to a pack.
- That its design has remained essentially unchanged since 2005.
- That recent championship recipes typically use 80–85°C water, coarser grinds and longer steeps.
- That steeping AeroPress coffee in room-temperature water for one to two hours gives a cold-brew-style coffee.
- That millions of people use the AeroPress as their daily brewer.
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