Add fine-medium grounds, hot water and a 90-second steep, then press the whole thing through a paper filter into your cup. The AeroPress makes a smooth, strong, low-bitterness coffee, and it's near enough foolproof once you've done it twice. It's also close to indestructible, which is why it's the brewer half of us take camping.
There are a hundred "champion" recipes online. Here's the reliable one to start with.
What you need
- An AeroPress and its paper filters (or a reusable metal one)
- Fine-medium ground coffee (our Aeropress grind is dialled for it)
- A kettle
- A spoon; the scoop that comes with it works fine
The ratio
One AeroPress scoop (about 15–17g) to 200–250ml of water makes a strong single cup you can drink as is or dilute. Want it longer? Press it concentrated, then top up with hot water. That's the "Americano" move, and it travels well.
No scales needed here; the scoop is the measure, which is part of why it's such a good travel brewer.
How to brew it (standard method), step by step
- Boil the kettle and give it a moment off the heat; about 93°C, just off the boil, is the ideal. A rolling boil is what makes an AeroPress taste harsh.
- Pop a filter in the cap, rinse it with hot water, and screw the cap onto the chamber.
- Sit the AeroPress on top of a sturdy mug. Add one scoop of grounds.
- Start a timer and pour in water to about the number 3 mark, saturating all the grounds. Give it a gentle stir.
- At 60 seconds, top up with the rest of the water and pop the plunger in the top; this creates a seal and stops it dripping through.
- At 90 seconds, press down slow and steady. It should take 20–30 seconds and end with a hiss. Stop as soon as you hear it. Pushing past the hiss drags bitterness through.
- Top up with hot water to taste if you brewed it strong.
The inverted method (worth knowing)
Keen brewers flip the AeroPress upside down so nothing drips through while it steeps, then attach the cap and flip it onto the mug to press. It gives you more control over steep time. It's fiddlier and you can burn your hand on the flip, so we'd only bother once the standard method feels second nature.
The inventor's recipe (Alan Adler's original)
Worth knowing where this brewer came from, because its inventor makes it differently to almost everyone. Alan Adler's original recipe uses cooler water (around 80°C, not the usual near-boil) and treats the result as a concentrate you dilute. One scoop of fine-drip grind, water to about level 1–1.5, stir for 10 seconds, then press gently for 20–40 seconds and top up with hot water to an Americano.
The cool water is the whole point: it's how Adler keeps the bitterness down. So if your AeroPress ever tastes harsh, drop the water temperature before you change anything else. It's the inventor's own fix, and it works.
Where it goes wrong
Bitter. You pressed past the hiss, or your water was too hot. Stop at the hiss and let the kettle rest longer.
Weak. Too little coffee, or too much dilution. Use a full level scoop and go easy on the top-up.
A slow, hard press. Grind's too fine. Ours is set right for the AeroPress; if you grind your own, back it off a notch.
Grounds sneaking through. Filter not seated flat, or the cap not screwed on square. Reseat it.
AeroPress or drip bag on the road?
This is the closest fight in our whole range. Both are light, both make good coffee away from home. The AeroPress wins on flexibility: you control strength, and it handles multiple cups. The drip bag wins on zero cleanup and zero gear: nothing to rinse, nothing to pack out, nothing to lose in the dark. For a big camping setup we take both. For a day hike or a work bag, the drip bag every time.
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Quick answers
How much coffee for an AeroPress?
One scoop (about 15–17g) to 200–250ml of water for a strong single cup. Dilute to taste after pressing. The included scoop is the measure, so you don't need scales.
What grind for an AeroPress?
Fine-medium, a bit finer than filter but coarser than espresso. Our Aeropress grind is cut for it. If the press is a hard shove, your grind's too fine.
How long should an AeroPress steep?
Around 90 seconds for the standard method, then a slow 20–30 second press. Stop the moment you hear the hiss; going past it pulls bitterness into the cup.
Is an AeroPress good for camping?
Very. It's light, tough and makes a strong cup anywhere you've got hot water. The only catch is a bit of cleanup; for zero-fuss trips, a drip bag beats it.