This is how I make a 250g of coffee using an Aeropress. An Aeropress combines immersion brewing with filter brewing and is a good compromise between the lightness of filter coffee and the robust flavour from a French Press. The Aeropress itself is a hardy bit of kit, making it great for travel. A hardy plastic cylinder and plunger, the Aeropress was invented by the same guy who came up with the Aerobie (the circular, frisbee style toy from your youth). Your Aeropress will come with filter papers, a funnel, and a paddle for stirring.

Kit

  • water filter
  • Aeropress
  • filter paper
  • Hario Mini Mill Hand Coffee Grinder
  • Salter digital scales
  • funnel
  • kettle
  • stirrer
  • mug
  • timer

Ingredients

  • coffee beans
  • filtered water

Method

  1. Boil the filtered water and leave to cool a little (pouring boiling water on ground coffee will burn it)
  2. Place a filter paper in the Aeropress cap and screw it to the cylinder, then place it on the mug and rinse the paper with some of the boiled water (this prevents your coffee from tasting of the filter paper)
  3. Measure 17g of coffee beans into the grinder and grind them (note 1: The guidance is 6g coffee beans per 100g of coffee, making 15g coffee beans for a 250g mug, however this is only a guide and should be tweaked for personal preference. I seem to get my best results from 17g coffee beans. Note 2: To measure the coffee beans, I place the grinder on the scales without the arm or the lid but with the funnel in it. I then zero the scales and pour out the beams. This prevents the beans from going all over the place)
  4. Pour the rinsed water from the mug. Once the boiled water has cooled, place mug and Aeropress cylinder on the scales, pour in the ground coffee using the funnel, then zero the scales
  5. Pour 250g water in to the Aeropress, stir with the paddle, then place the plunger in the top (this will create a vacuum and prevent the coffee from filtering though)
  6. Start the stop watch and let the coffee brew for 2 minutes before slowly pressing the plunger. Stop plunging when you hear a ‘hiss’, just before you’ve completely pressed it down
  7. Leave the coffee until it’s cool enough to taste, then drink.