How to Make Coffee With an AeroPress

AeroPress coffee is made by steeping medium-fine ground coffee in hot water for about a minute and a half, then pressing it through a paper filter into a cup. A good starting recipe is 15 g (about 3 tbsp) of coffee, 200 ml (about 7 fl oz) of water at 85°C (185°F), a 90-second steep and a slow 30-second press.

The result is smooth, clean and low in bitterness. It sits somewhere between a French press and a pour-over, with more body than paper-filtered drip and less sediment than immersion brewing. Below you’ll find the full method, the difference between standard and inverted brewing, a concentrate version for milk drinks, and a short guide to fixing a cup that tastes off.

What You Need to Brew AeroPress Coffee

The AeroPress is a plastic brewing chamber, a plunger with a rubber seal, and a filter cap that holds a small round paper filter. It was designed by Alan Adler and has been on the market since 2005. It is light, hard to break and forgiving, which is why it travels so well.

• AeroPress with plunger, chamber, filter cap and paper filters
• 15 g (about 3 tbsp) of freshly ground coffee, medium-fine
• 200 ml (about 7 fl oz) of water, plus a little extra for rinsing
• A kettle, ideally with a thermometer
• A digital scale and a timer (a phone works)
• A sturdy mug or small server
• A stirring paddle or spoon

Grind size matters more than any other variable here. Aim for something finer than a French press but coarser than espresso, close to the texture of table salt. If you need help dialing in a grinder, our guide to grinding coffee beans covers burr types and settings.

Standard vs. Inverted Method

There are two ways to set up the AeroPress. In the standard method, the chamber sits on top of your mug and the water drips through as soon as it touches the grounds. In the inverted method, you flip the AeroPress so the plunger sits on the counter, brew from the open top, then turn it over onto the mug to press.

Point	Standard	Inverted
Setup	Filter cap and chamber sit on the mug	Plunger inserted a little way, chamber upside down
Steeping control	Some water drips through during the steep	Nothing drips, so steeping is complete
Risk of spills	Low	Higher when flipping, so go slowly
Cup character	Slightly lighter, with a cleaner finish	Fuller and more consistent
Best for	Beginners and quick cups	Longer steeps and experiments

We recommend starting with the standard method. Once your timing is steady, try inverted and compare the two side by side. If you flip, use a wide, stable mug and keep your hand over the chamber until the filter cap is locked on.

Step-by-Step AeroPress Coffee Recipe

This is the standard method. It makes one cup of about 180 ml (6 fl oz) after the grounds absorb some water.

1. Heat the water. Bring it to a boil, then let it cool to about 85°C (185°F). Without a thermometer, wait a couple of minutes off the boil.
2. Rinse the filter. Place a paper filter in the cap, twist the cap onto the chamber, set it on your mug and pour a little hot water through. This removes any papery taste and warms the mug. Discard the rinse water.
3. Add the coffee. Put the chamber on the scale or mug and add 15 g (about 3 tbsp) of ground coffee. Give it a light tap to level the bed.
4. Start the timer and pour. Add 200 ml (about 7 fl oz) of water in about 10 seconds, making sure all the grounds are wet.
5. Stir. Stir gently three or four times, back and forth rather than in circles.
6. Insert the plunger. Place it on top and pull it back slightly to create a vacuum. This slows dripping while you wait.
7. Press at 1:30. Push down steadily over about 30 seconds. Stop when you hear a hiss, which means the air is coming through.
8. Finish. Remove the cap over the sink or trash, push the plunger forward to eject the puck, and rinse the parts. Drink the coffee while it’s hot.

The AeroPress is not an espresso machine. Hand pressure is far lower than the pressure inside an espresso machine, so the cup tastes like strong filter coffee, not true espresso. To make something closer, see our notes on making espresso without a machine.

Water Temperature and Roast Level

Many AeroPress recipes use water cooler than the 93–96°C (200–205°F) typical of pour-over. The short, enclosed brew holds heat well, and cooler water keeps bitterness down. A range of 80–90°C (176–194°F) works for most beans.

• Dark roasts: 78–82°C (172–180°F). They extract easily and turn harsh with hot water.
• Medium roasts: 84–88°C (183–190°F). This is the safe default.
• Light roasts: 90–95°C (194–203°F). Dense beans need more heat to taste sweet and not sour.

If you aren’t sure what to buy, our guide on how to choose coffee beans explains roast levels and origins.

The Concentrate Method for Americanos and Milk Drinks

Because the AeroPress handles a small amount of water well, you can brew a short, strong concentrate and dilute it afterwards. This is useful for milk drinks or for a longer black coffee without weakening the flavor.

1. Use 18 g (about 3½ tbsp) of coffee, ground slightly finer than for the standard recipe.
2. Add 90 ml (3 fl oz) of water at 85°C (185°F) and stir for 10 seconds.
3. Steep for 1 minute, then press for 20–30 seconds.
4. For an americano-style cup, add 120 ml (4 fl oz) of hot water. For a latte-style drink, add 150 ml (5 fl oz) of steamed or heated milk.

That dilution is the same idea behind a classic americano, just built from AeroPress concentrate instead of espresso. The coffee won’t carry crema, but it tastes clean and balanced.

How to Fix a Cup That Tastes Off

Change one thing at a time and taste after each brew. The pattern is simple: sour means under-extracted, bitter or dry means over-extracted.

What you taste	Likely cause	Adjustment
Sour, thin, salty	Under-extraction	Grind finer, raise water temperature, or steep 15 seconds longer
Bitter, harsh, dry	Over-extraction	Grind coarser, lower temperature, or shorten the steep
Weak but not sour	Too much water	Use 17 g (3½ tbsp) of coffee, or reduce water to 180 ml (6 fl oz)
Muddy or gritty	Too fine, or pressing too hard	Grind slightly coarser and press more slowly

If the plunger feels very hard to push, the grind is likely too fine. If it drops with almost no resistance, the coffee may be too coarse or the dose too small.

Making Iced AeroPress Coffee

The concentrate method also works well over ice. Brew 18 g (about 3½ tbsp) of coffee with 100 ml (3½ fl oz) of water, then press it straight onto 100 g (about 3½ oz) of ice. The ice chills the coffee quickly and takes the place of the extra water, so the drink doesn’t taste diluted. For more ways to keep cold coffee full-flavored, see our article on iced coffee that isn’t watery.

Filters and Cleaning

The standard paper filter gives the cleanest cup. Metal filters are sold separately and let through more oils and fine particles, producing a heavier body. We compare the two styles in our piece on paper and metal filters.

Paper filters can be rinsed and reused a few times if you shake off the grounds and let them dry. Cleaning takes seconds. Pop the puck out, rinse the chamber and plunger seal under running water, and let everything dry separately. Once in a while, wash the rubber seal with mild soap so it stays flexible and doesn’t pick up stale coffee oils.

A Simple Routine to Start With

Pick one coffee and keep the recipe fixed for a week: 15 g, 200 ml, 85°C, 90 seconds. Then tweak a single variable, usually grind size or time. Write down what you changed and how it tasted, and you’ll find your preferred cup quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

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