Coffee maker
AeroPress
A portable manual brewer combining brief immersion with gentle pressure, producing a clean cup across a wide adjustable strength range.
How it works
Coffee steeps briefly with water in a chamber, then the user presses a plunger to force it through a paper or metal filter into a cup or carafe.
Who it suits
- travellers wanting a compact, durable brewer
- beginners wanting quick, adjustable results
- campers and outdoor use
Who it may not suit
- users wanting to brew many cups at once (typically single-serving)
- Starting dose
- 15g
- Starting water
- 200ml
- Coffee-to-water ratio
- 60–80 g per litre (typically 70)
- Grind
- Medium-fine, adjustable depending on recipe and steep time.
- Capacity
- 1 cup
- Brew time
- 2-3 min
- Skill level
- beginner
- Noise
- quiet
- Space
- compact
- Cleaning burden
- low
- Convenience
- high
- Manual control
- medium
Descriptive grind labels like this are illustrative starting points, not precise measurements — the same label can mean different particle sizes on different grinders. See the grind size guide for how to dial this in on your own equipment.
Uses the AeroPress brewing method.
Equipment
Requires a separate grinder.
Advantages
- highly portable and durable
- wide adjustable strength range
- fast cleanup
Disadvantages
- single-serving only
- requires paper filters as an ongoing consumable (unless using a reusable metal filter)
Steps
- Insert a filter into the cap, rinse it, and assemble the chamber.
- Add ground coffee to the chamber and pour in water.
- Stir and steep for around 90 seconds.
- Attach the cap and press gently and steadily for 20-30 seconds.
Cleaning & maintenance
Eject the used puck and rinse the rubber plunger seal after each use.
Replace the plunger seal periodically as it wears.
Consumables: paper filters (or a reusable metal filter), replacement plunger seal (occasional)
Common faults
- weak coffee if under-steeped
- bitter coffee if over-steeped or water too hot
Cost
Purchase cost band: budgetConsistently positioned as an affordable, widely available brewer.
Low ongoing cost — beans and inexpensive paper filters.
Suitable roast levels
Skills for this machine
The individual techniques this device asks of you, each with its own adjustments and failure modes.
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Related guides
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