How to Use an AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker

Coffee drinkers are always looking for the best way to make a home brewed cup of coffee without all the hassle and expense of a complicated barista brewing system. If you don’t have the money or the time to buy a cafe-style coffee each morning and are looking for a way to make coffee at home, the Aeropress Coffee and Espresso Maker is a new and convenient way to make single-cup coffee. Similar to a French Press, the AeroPress uses a combination of air pressure and micro-filter to produce a fresh cup of coffee in just 30 seconds.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• AeroPress Coffee and Espresso Maker
• Coffee or espresso beans
• Coffee grinder
• Tea kettle
• 10 oz. mug

1. Grind coffee beans. Freshly ground coffee beans are the key to a great cup of coffee. Use a grinder and pulse your beans to a fine powder before each cup of coffee. If you do not have a coffee grinder at home, you may have the beans ground at your local coffee shop or grocery store.

2. Fill a tea kettle with water and set it on the stove to boil. It is recommended that you use bottled or distilled water.

3. Set up your AeroPress. Remove the various parts from the box and look at the directions to make sure that you know what each part is and how it functions. There is a round perforated black cap, clear plunger, clear chamber, plastic stirrer paddle, coffee scooper and a pack of micro-filters.

4. Take the perforated black cap and place a new micro-filter into it. The micro-filter fits into the bowl side of the cap.

5. Attach the perforated cap to the clear chamber. The chamber is the larger of the two clear pieces. The other, thinner chamber, is the plunger. The cap will screw into the bottom of the chamber, sandwiching the micro-filter between the cap and the chamber.

6. Place the chamber, black cap side down, over a coffee mug. Make sure that the mug is sturdy and the chamber sits stable atop it. The cap should be a little wider than the mouth of the coffee mug so that it doesn’t fall into the mug.

7. Pour two scoops of coffee into the base of the chamber, using the provided AeroPress coffee scoop. The amount of coffee is dependent on your preference. In an AeroPress Coffee Maker, a 10 oz. cup of coffee takes about 2 scoops of coffee grinds. You can adjust this amount accordingly.

8. Pour your hot water slowly into the chamber over the coffee grounds. For a 10 oz. cup of coffee, fill the water to the 2 line.

9. Stir the hot water and coffee grinds, using the included stirrer paddle or a metal spoon, for about 10 to 20 seconds.

10. Place the plunger into the chamber and slowly and gently push it down. It should take about 30 seconds for you to reach the bottom of the chamber, so push slowly enough to extend to this amount of time. You will now have a double espresso in your coffee mug.

11. Doctor your espresso. If you’d like to make a regular, milder cup of coffee, fill the rest of the mug with hot water from the tea kettle. If you’d like a cafe con leche (coffee with milk), top the mug off with milk. If you enjoy espresso, drink it as is.

12. Clean your AeroPress. Remove the black cap and toss the micro-filter in the trash. Holding the chamber over the trash can, depress the plunger all the way through the chamber, until it pushes the wet coffee grinds out and into the trash. Rinse the remaining grinds off of the plunger before pulling it back through the chamber. Wash the pieces with dishwashing soap and warm water, rinse and dry thoroughly.

Tips & Warnings

• If you find it difficult to push the plunger through the chamber, wet it before fitting it into the chamber.

• For milder coffee, use a lighter roasted bean and less coffee grounds.

• Use bottled or distilled water for a fresher tasting coffee.

• When making cafe con leche or cafe ole, slightly warm the milk in the microwave before pouring into your coffee.

• Espresso grounds are much finer than coffee grounds, so grind your coffee accordingly.