The AeroPress looks like a large plastic syringe, yet it is one of the most versatile methods for brewing coffee at home. With just a few adjustments to grind size, water volume, and time, the same coffee can taste bright and light or dense and bold. However, this very freedom can be daunting at the start: how fine to grind, how hot to brew, how long to wait?
In short: For getting started, the manufacturer's standard recipe is ideal: medium-fine ground coffee, water at about 85 °C, a quick stir, inserting the plunger immediately, waiting 30 to 60 seconds, and pressing slowly. If you want to get more out of it, you can try a home version of the recipe that Némo Pop used to win the 2025 World AeroPress Championship: brewed upright, with little brewing water and a short brew time, pressed directly into a vessel containing pre-poured water.
What the AeroPress is – and what it is not
Alan Adler introduced the AeroPress in November 2005. It combines two well-known principles: like a French Press, the coffee grounds steep in water for a while, and like a manual drip filter, the coffee passes through a paper filter at the end. You just use the plunger to push the water through instead of letting it drip through.
The paper filter retains a large portion of the fine particles and oils. As a result, AeroPress coffee usually tastes clearer than French Press coffee and often has a bit more body than a pour over.
The AeroPress does not make espresso. An espresso machine works with about 9 bars of pressure; with your hands, you can only achieve a fraction of that. An AeroPress coffee can be strong and dense, but it will not produce a stable crema like one from a portafilter machine. It is good to know this before starting with the wrong expectations.
Recipe 1: The standard recipe (upright)
This recipe follows the AeroPress guide for the AeroPress Original and the AeroPress Clear. For the AeroPress Go, the manufacturer only fills up to mark 3; for other models, it is worth checking the respective manual.
| Coffee | Grind size | Water | Temperature | Wait time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16–18 g | medium to medium-fine | up to mark 4 | approx. 85 °C | 30–60 sec. |
- Heat water to about 85 °C.
- Place a paper filter in the filter cap and screw the cap onto the chamber.
- Place the chamber on a stable mug and add 16–18 g of coffee. Shake slightly so that the coffee grounds are level.
- Pour in water up to mark 4.
- Stir gently for about 3 seconds.
- Immediately insert the plunger about one centimeter into the chamber and pull it up slightly. This creates a vacuum, and hardly any more coffee drips through.
- Wait: about 30 seconds for a medium-fine grind, or about 60 seconds for a medium grind.
- Press the plunger down with gentle, steady pressure until you hear a hissing sound.
Recipe 2: Jovi's choice – home version of the 2025 World Championship winning recipe
For light, fruity coffees like our TIKI TAKA, I recommend a home version of the recipe that Némo Pop from Australia used to win the 2025 World AeroPress Championship. So, this recipe does not originate from us. I like that it is brewed upright, takes just over a minute, and was developed for a light, fruity coffee. Pop used a Sidra from Ecuador.
What is different about this version compared to the original: Pop removed the finest particles with a sieve (200 µm) and brewed with self-mixed water. We omit both here because most people at home have neither a sieve nor mineral concentrate. The result may therefore taste different than in the competition. The equipment remains the same as in the original: the AeroPress Flow Control filter cap and two paper filters. With the normal filter cap, coffee would leak through during the brewing time, and the contact time between water and coffee would change. That would then be a different recipe.
The principle: You brew with a small amount of water for a short time and press the coffee directly into a carafe that already contains warm water (bypass).
| Coffee | Grind size | Brew water | Bypass water | Total time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18 g | original: Comandante, 31 clicks | 100 g at 84 °C | 70 g at approx. 50 °C | approx. 1:10 min. |
- Pour 70 g of water at about 50 °C into a carafe.
- Place two paper filters into the Flow Control filter cap, screw the cap onto the chamber, and place the AeroPress upright on the carafe.
- Add 18 g of ground coffee.
- 0:00 – Pour in 100 g of water at 84 °C so that all coffee grounds are wet.
- 0:25 – Stir: twice from front to back, then twice from left to right.
- 0:50 – Insert the plunger and press down gently in about 20 seconds.
- Serve.
Grind size, temperature, and quantity: the three adjustment screws
Grind size: The standard recipe calls for medium to medium-fine. For the home version of the winning recipe, there is only the setting from the original (Comandante, 31 clicks), which cannot be directly transferred to other grinders. For comparison: for pour over with our filter coffees, we work with about 650 microns. What that looks like on your grinder depends on the model.
Temperature: For pour over with our light roasts, we use 93 °C. In the AeroPress, it is often cooler: the standard recipe calls for 85 °C, and the 2025 winning recipe uses 84 °C. If a light roast tastes too sour or thin to you, you can try increasing the temperature in small steps.
Quantity: A kitchen scale with 0.1 g increments helps. Even two grams more or less can noticeably change the taste.
The water itself also plays a role. Participants in the World Championship often mix their own water, Pop for example with 125 ppm of dissolved solids. This is a value for total mineralization, not for hardness. Munich tap water is hard, which can make light roasts taste duller. We explain why this is the case in the article Water for coffee in Munich.
Which beans suit the AeroPress
For both recipes, light roasts with fruit and acidity are a good fit, for example our TIKI TAKA from Ethiopia with jasmine, bergamot, and peach, or PLAYMAKER from Kenya with blackcurrant and red berries.
Espresso roasts also work in the AeroPress. With MATCH DAY (milk chocolate, hazelnut, caramel), the cup becomes rounder and chocolatier. If you want to drink the coffee with milk, that is the better choice.
Freshly ground coffee is always worth it because ground coffee quickly loses its aroma.
Typical problems and what you can change
The coffee tastes bitter or dry
Often the grind is too fine, the wait time too long, or the water too hot. Change only one thing at a time, preferably the grind size to be slightly coarser first.
The coffee tastes sour or watery
Usually, it was under-extracted. Grind a little finer, wait a little longer, or increase the temperature in small steps.
The plunger is hard to push
This often indicates a grind that is too fine or too much coffee. Do not push with force, otherwise the press can tip or the filter can tear.
Coffee drips through before pressing
Insert the plunger slightly right after stirring and pull it up a little, as in step 6 of the standard recipe. The vacuum slows down the dripping.
Frequently asked questions about the AeroPress
Is AeroPress coffee espresso?
No. Espresso requires significantly more pressure than you can generate by hand. However, the AeroPress can produce a strong, dense coffee that also works well with milk.
What grind size is right for the AeroPress?
For most recipes, medium to medium-fine. Start in the middle of your grinder's settings and adjust to taste.
How much coffee do I need for a cup?
The manufacturer recommends 16–18 g for one cup, which is about one heaping scoop.
Paper filter or metal filter?
Paper filters retain more oils and fine particles; the coffee appears clearer. Metal filters let more of them through; the coffee usually has more body but can be cloudier. Both are a matter of taste.
Normal or inverted – which is better?
For most people, the upright method is the better choice. It is simpler and more stable. You can prevent dripping with the plunger trick from the standard recipe. Some people use the inverted method for longer steep times, including many World Championship participants. However, it is less stable, and the manufacturer advises against it for safety reasons. The 2025 winning recipe, on the other hand, was brewed upright.
Can I use espresso beans in the AeroPress?
Yes, especially if you drink the coffee with milk. For a clear, fruity cup, lighter roasts are usually the better choice.
Conclusion
The AeroPress is forgiving and can still be adjusted precisely. The standard recipe is sufficient for the beginning. If you want to get more out of a light coffee, try the home version of the 2025 winning recipe. And if something doesn't taste right, change one variable at a time: first the grind size, then time and temperature.
About the author: Jovana is a professional footballer, owner of Nine Fine Roastery in Munich, coffee scientist, and roaster. She roasts the coffee for Nine Fine herself.
Sources: AeroPress – How to Use · AeroPress – About AeroPress, Inc. and Alan Adler · AeroPress Help – "Inverted Method" · World AeroPress Championship – Winning Recipes, 2025: Némo Pop
