How to Properly Use an Aeropress | Hustle Coffee Brew Guides

Person pressing down an AeroPress coffee maker over a glass carafe on a counter near a gooseneck kettle, demonstrating how to use an AeroPress properly. | Hustle Coffee

The AeroPress is a simple device created approximately a decade ago by Alan Adler—an engineer, physicist, and Stanford lecturer. Frustrated by the challenge of brewing a single high-quality cup of coffee with a drip coffee maker and the time-consuming nature of pour-over methods, which typically take around 4 minutes, he experimented and developed a rather unassuming tool that efficiently pushes hot water through the coffee.

Adler was amazed by how effortless this plastic device was to use and by the flavor of the coffee. He created a high-quality paper filter that produced a remarkably pure-tasting cup of coffee, free of bitterness or the residue typically found at the bottom of French press coffee.

He began manufacturing the kit for sale, and it gained a dedicated following among coffee enthusiasts. At first, he promoted it as an espresso machine, but thankfully, he abandoned that idea, as it produces robust, richer coffee than real espresso machines. Find out how you can brew the perfect espresso with this guide.

AeroPress Coffee Maker Guide

a person using an aeropress to make coffee | hustle coffee

The AeroPress provides a quick method for consistently producing a smooth flavor profile in your favorite cup of coffee. Boil water, wait for 60 seconds, and you'll have a cup of coffee that is full-bodied and flavorful without any grittiness. It is small, portable, and easy to clean, making it a perfect method for on-the-go hustlers like you!

This recipe follows a 1:12 brew ratio and utilizes the inverted brew method. Follow these simple instructions to familiarize yourself with using the AeroPress, then practice your technique to enjoy the ideal cup of Hustle Coffee.

Things You'll need

AeroPress
Filter (we recommend using three filters)
8oz coffee mug
Boiling water
Coffee (we recommend Confidence Blend)
AeroPress scoop or Tablespoon

Things You'll Want

Digital kitchen scale
Quality burr grinder
Timer

Total Brew Time: Approximately 2 minutes.

Step 1: Prepare the AeroPress

Boil 250mL (9 fl oz) of filtered water.
Put the filters in the AeroPress cap, then pour water to wet the filter and warm the mug.
Dispose of the water that was added before continuing.
Place the AeroPress plunger 2cm into the chamber.
Keep the cap off for now, ensuring the filters are in place, and position the chamber on the kitchen scale with the plunger side down.

Step 2: Grind Your Coffee

Grind 18 grams of coffee into medium-fine grind, the consistency of powdered sugar. The weight equals slightly above 1 AeroPress scoop or two heaping tbsp.  

Place the ground coffee beans into the brew chamber.

Step 4: Brewing Coffee

Start the timer as you pour the filtered water. Slowly and steadily add the remaining water (about 210 grams) to the brew chamber. This pouring process should take about 15 seconds.

After pouring, the water level should be at the four mark or slightly higher.

Step 5: Let the Coffee Steep and Stir

After one minute, turbulence involves a 10-second stir. Remember to gently mix the coffee using a spoon or the stirring paddle provided to get rid of any lumps. Place the cap on the AeroPress and secure it.

Step 6: Flip Carefully and Press

At 1:30, carefully flip the AeroPress over onto your cup and begin pressing for a steady pressure. Press slowly to ensure the last bit of liquid exits the AeroPress around the 2-minute mark.

Hustle Tip: A hissing sound indicates that all the water has been pushed through the chamber.

6 Factors Affecting AeroPress Brew

a close up of a cup of coffee brewing inside an aeropress coffee chamber | hustle coffee

Six primary factors can be adjusted and managed to customize your brew when making coffee. If you look at winning AeroPress World Championships recipes, you'll notice that all recipes are different, and participants experimented with each brewing factor to create the perfect cup. We will outline each factor and then explore its relevance to AeroPress.the last bit of liquid exits the AeroPress around the 2-minute mark

Coffee-To-Water Ratio

The amount of coffee compared to the amount of water is the first factor to consider. How do we balance the quantity of coffee and the quantity of water? The standard ratio for most brewing methods is 1:16, that is, 1 gram of coffee for every 16 grams of water). But for AeroPress, aficionados lean towards a more potent brew – the original AeroPress recipe proposes a ratio of 1:6! After completing the brewing process, you can fine-tune the flavor by adding water, but the outcome should be akin to espresso. While most alternative AeroPress recipes recommend ratios varying from 1:12 to 1:16, they rarely go much weaker than that.

Coffee Grind Size

Another factor to consider is the fineness of the grind. Read more about how grind affects flavor here.

Brew Time

Timing plays a significant role in AeroPress brewing. Typically, AeroPress brews take only 2–3 minutes, even with inverted and immersion variations. The coarseness of your coffee grind will primarily determine the duration of the brew. Finer grinds result in shorter brew times, while coarser grinds take longer. Our recommended recipe gives you complete control over this aspect because you decide when to flip and press the AeroPress from an inverted position. This feature is both cool and convenient!

Turbulence

The next factor to consider is turbulence, which refers to the amount of movement between the coffee and water. As a general rule, increased turbulence leads to greater extraction of flavor, resulting in a more full-bodied flavor profile. Turbulence is also essential for ensuring even saturation of all the coffee grounds. When following an AeroPress recipe, it's usual to incorporate thorough stirring as part of the brewing method. However, it's important to note that measuring turbulence accurately can be challenging. The number of stirs, the intensity of the stirring, the utensil used for stirring, and the duration of stirring all influence the level of turbulence. Consistently practicing your process is vital to achieving reliable results.

Water Temperature

The AeroPress recipe emphasizes water temperature significantly. While the typical coffee brewing temperature ranges from 195–205˚ F, the AeroPress suggests using a much lower temperature of around 175˚ F. We have found that this considerable variation does not yield the best outcomes. Coffee brewed at these lower temperatures often lacks acidity and seems to have a flat taste. While it may produce a sweet and robust brew, it lacks subtlety. We recommend experimenting with brewing at different temperatures to determine your preference.

Water Quality

The final factor, water quality, is a topic for a future blog post. It can be pretty intricate! We suggest using a filter for your tap water to eliminate any taste and smell. There is a lot more to learn about water quality, but we will save that for a later conversation.

The recipe above includes all the earlier-mentioned factors. Each factor relies on the others, so adjusting one may require adjusting another to achieve a satisfactory outcome.

The AeroPress – A Counter Culture Coffee

a person is pouring coffee into an aeropress coffee maker | hustle coffee

Alan Adler, who established Aerobie, created AeroPress in 2004 with the vision of creating a tool capable of producing high-quality cup of coffee using a shorter brew time. To cut the story short, he achieved his goal. Adler developed a compact device that has undeniably become popular. The AeroPress today is widely used and adored by the coffee community. With innovation and hustle, Adler has changed the world.

Try our recipe, create your variations, and share the results with us! For the latest updates, follow our Instagram and Facebook Pages.

From 24.88
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
From 26.88
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
From 28.88
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
From 31.88
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Subscribe & Save

Coffee Subscription

Hustle Coffee Subscription

From: Original price was: 55.88.Current price is: 49.17. / month
Sale!
Bundle Deal
From: Original price was: 74.64.Current price is: 70.91.
From 25.00
This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Close