# Best method for Aeropress??



## Pollage (Dec 6, 2018)

Hey!

I really love my Aeropress, but after following Aeropress champions on Instagram I've seen there's loads of different ways to do it - can anyone share how they prepare theirs at home? Would love to see if I can get more flavour out of it


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## PaddySherz (May 4, 2018)

What grinder are you using?


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## Pollage (Dec 6, 2018)

I'm using a Krups GVX2 - so I have some grind sizes to play with if that helps


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

With aergrind. Grind 16g to salt texture.

Inverted, fill to the top, 10 stirs no more no less.

2 mins from first contact with the water then 20 second push.

Works well and consistent for me - mainly light and medium roast African beans.

For darker roasts or for tighter grinds i reduce brew time to 1 minute.


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## Badgerman (Nov 23, 2017)

kennyboy993 said:


> With aergrind. Grind 16g to salt texture.
> 
> Inverted, fill to the top, 10 stirs no more no less.
> 
> ...


What's salt texture on the aerogrind dial?


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## kennyboy993 (Jan 23, 2017)

On mine it's one full turn then 7 - though I don't think mine is zero-ised.

I'll check over the weekend and let you know the offset ;-)


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

I agree. My Aergrind is usually set to somewhere around 1.7 give or take.

Pollage have you tried long steep Aeropress?

Pre warm the AP and your cup. 14g ground just coarser than espresso (like cooking salt as Kenny says). Inverted method, top up with 236g hot water to 250g total. You can bloom 40g water if you want but it's not necessary if you just stir it well. Turn AP up the right way over cup. Come back after 10 minutes, empty the warming water from the cup and break the vacuum in the aeropress by pulling up the plunger slowly to allow air in the top. This allows the coffee to slowly drip out without pulling silt into the cup.

You get a lovely clean coffee with surprising sweetness. It's not at all bitter or overextracted; it will never overextract because of the declining temperature. Props to MWJB for putting me onto long steeps.

___

Eat, drink and be merry


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## Rom (Jan 20, 2017)

I do long inverted steeps but never came across this 'vacuum release' method. I've got 3 aeropress (not sure of the collective name







) I'm going to do a side by side this morning....

thanks.



hotmetal said:


> I agree. My Aergrind is usually set to somewhere around 1.7 give or take.
> 
> Pollage have you tried long steep Aeropress?
> 
> ...


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

Pollage said:


> Hey!
> 
> I really love my Aeropress, but after following Aeropress champions on Instagram I've seen there's loads of different ways to do it - can anyone share how they prepare theirs at home? Would love to see if I can get more flavour out of it


Yep , they have the same coffee , so with alot of this competitions, it's all about trying to find a unique way fo brewing it for the judges.

They tend to be quicker brews, as they have a time limit . Alot as a consequence will fit into the Strong with some sweetness category as opposed to the longer steeps you have on here which will be sweeter and possibly a little weaker.


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## Gabriele Conti (Oct 20, 2018)

hotmetal said:


> I agree. My Aergrind is usually set to somewhere around 1.7 give or take.
> 
> Pollage have you tried long steep Aeropress?
> 
> ...


I've tried this and may have brewed the best aeropress in my life









I'm gonna try to do the same long steep, but press instead of let it drip.

Have you tried this ? Should just give a bit more body, right ?

Thanks for your advice!!


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

If I'm using paper filters I will often give it a gentle press. The metal filter that came with my Kickstarter edition Aergrind lets through a tiny bit more oil and silt which increases body. Hence I let it just run through under its own gravity. Worth trying both to see which you like best.

___

Eat, drink and be merry


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## Gabriele Conti (Oct 20, 2018)

hotmetal said:


> If I'm using paper filters I will often give it a gentle press. The metal filter that came with my Kickstarter edition Aergrind lets through a tiny bit more oil and silt which increases body. Hence I let it just run through under its own gravity. Worth trying both to see which you like best.
> 
> ___
> 
> Eat, drink and be merry


If it ends up with more body, but still sweet, I'll like it.

Also, I've backed the amenus metal filter on Kickstarter. They should be shipping shortly, so I'll have a new experiment to do.

Ideally, if I'll like the taste, I'd prefer metal filters in order not to waste paper.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

I like both, depending on the coffee. Paper gives more clarity at the expense of mouthfeel. You get more body and mouthfeel with the metal discs as they let through a little more of the oils and fines. And no waste! They say you can wash and reuse the paper filters a few times too, if you're running out.

___

Eat, drink and be merry


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## Gabriele Conti (Oct 20, 2018)

hotmetal said:


> I like both, depending on the coffee. Paper gives more clarity at the expense of mouthfeel. You get more body and mouthfeel with the metal discs as they let through a little more of the oils and fines. And no waste! They say you can wash and reuse the paper filters a few times too, if you're running out.
> 
> ___
> 
> Eat, drink and be merry


Yes, I know this should be the theoretical rule. I only had paper filtered coffee since now (both home and at the cafe).

I don't like the idea of washing a paper filter


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## Zephyp (Mar 1, 2017)

hotmetal said:


> If I'm using paper filters I will often give it a gentle press. The metal filter that came with my Kickstarter edition Aergrind lets through a tiny bit more oil and silt which increases body. Hence I let it just run through under its own gravity. Worth trying both to see which you like best.
> 
> ___
> 
> Eat, drink and be merry


How long does it take to drip down by it's own gravity when you use paper filters?


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Zephyp said:


> How long does it take to drip down by it's own gravity when you use paper filters?


With paper filters it'll take 15 mins to drip through by gravity alone. You can do this if you fancy a long steep with a clean taste. I recommend keeping the plunger in place but with just a small gap on one side to let the air in, otherwise it might lose too much temperature. I normally do this with the metal filter though, as it drains in a couple of mins and avoids the need to push the plunger (which can push fines in if you don't stop before the hiss). Ultimately though you can just play around with the AP and see what suits your taste, beans and routine. It's a flexible method yet somehow almost always nice. Once you find a way that works though it's good to document it so you can repeat it. (Beans, dose, grind level, bloom or not, amount of water, temperature (if you measure it), and time, whether good plunge or not...)

___

Eat, drink and be merry


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## Bmhillier2002 (May 22, 2018)

I love using James Hoffman's french press method with my aeropress, with the brew time reduced from around 14 minutes (if I remember correctly) to about 7.


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## caffn8me (Feb 19, 2019)

I don't think there's a 'best' method as there are so many variations possible in the coffee produced and because peoples' tastes are different. I'm sure my method is one of the best for me, but many would think I'm completely mad. They're probably right









I grind 28g of beans very fine (number 3 on a vintage Gaggia MDF grinder which has been zeroed - it's much finer than Illy pre-ground espresso). I use a filter paper, put the ground coffee in and then place the AeroPress on top of a pint mug. I add water at 85C up to the number 4 on the side. I then stir the coffee in the AeroPress and insert the plunger to form a vacuum seal.

I then go away for at least five minutes, sometimes up to thirty if I get distracted. I take the plunger out, stir again, reinsert the plunger and press down. This is a slow process because of the quantity of coffee and the very fine grind. It takes considerable force and isn't quick.

Anyway, I end up with some coffee in the mug. I top it up with a bit more hot water and milk.

That's what works for me


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