If there’s one coffee brewer that all coffee connoisseurs around the world unite around, it’s the Aeropress. This unique coffee brewer was invented in 2005 by the man behind those Aerobie discs that would fly farther than most frisbees. Despite the odd origin, the Aeropress is a world hit.
When you first lay eyes on the Aeropress it doesn’t really seem all that impressive. But looks can be deceiving - especially in this case. This is the brewer of champions, of tinkerers, of connoisseurs.
Let me show you why.
1. It Brews Incredible Coffee
Coffee from the Aeropress is no joke. It’s well rounded, often has a medium body, and generally produces a rich, full flavor. Imagine coffee somewhere between that of a french press and a pour over dripper - it’s rich but not robust, clean but not sterile.
The Aeropress has a high margin of error and is very forgiving when it comes to brewing mistakes or coffee that’s not as fresh as it used to be, so brewing coffee that’s mind-blowingly good is not very difficult.
Coffee connoisseurs love the Aeropress for how easy it is to make delicious coffee, but they also love it for how many ways it can be used.
Read: The Ultimate Guide to AeroPress Coffee
2. It’s A Tinkerer’s Paradise
Few coffee brewers rival the Aeropress when it comes to the number of ways you can use it. Like other brewers, time, grind size, water temperature, and pouring style all affect the final mug. However, there’s a new variable at play with the Aeropress that most brewers don’t try to include: the element of pressure.
The Aeropress plunger is a game changer in terms of brewing techniques and science. It makes things possible that aren’t with regular french press or pour over brewing by infusing pressure into the brewing process, which slightly changes the way some of the other variables interact.
Let me show you a practical example.
Coffee brewing typically is done with water between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Water at 176 degrees, for example, typically brews coffee that’s weak and under extracted (sour tasting). It’s not hot enough to extract enough from the coffee grounds, and the result is quite noticeable.
However, with pressure, 176 degrees can actually work in the Aeropress. When you use a medium-fine grind (for a quick extraction), stir the grounds (also quickens the extraction), and use the plunger to generate pressure (also quickens the extraction), you can still achieve a rich, well-rounded mug of coffee.
Without pressure, the grind size and stirring variables wouldn’t be able to extract enough from the grounds to counteract the effects of the colder water. But with pressure, balance can still be achieved. This is nearly impossible with every brewer aside from the Aeropress.
The Aeropress is the most versatile manual coffee brewer out there. It can brew coffee in ways that no other brewer can, which makes it perfect for the coffee connoisseur who likes to tinker and explore.
(Yup. That's me in Guatemala, enjoying a stellar cup of AeroPress coffee on a cool morning!)
Read: A Recipe For Shaken Iced Aeropress Coffee
3. It’s Great For Travel
The coffee connoisseur hates to settle for less-than-delicious coffee, even while traveling. And when you think about it, there’s no reason you should have to compromise your daily mug of liquid encouragement when you’re visiting family or exploring new places.
The Aeropress really thrives here: it’s an excellent travel coffee brewer!
It’s lightweight, small, brews a great cup in less than two minutes, and is nearly indestructible. It’s a reliable, durable, and powerful brewer that can be used on mountaintops, in valleys, at sea, and beyond.
4. It’s A World Sport
Every year, thousands of coffee professionals from around the world convene for the World Coffee Expo, a major coffee industry event that includes several high-profile competitions. Among these are the World Taster’s Cup, the World Barista Competition, and the World Aeropress Championship.
I’m completely serious. Coffee competitions are a thing.
Competitive Aeropress brewing took off in Scandinavia around 2012 and have blossomed since. The versatile nature of the brewer makes it perfect for this type of competition, where brewers from around the world compete to brew the best coffee they can using their own coffee and recipes.
Every year new, interesting, and odd uses of the Aeropress are revealed at this competition.
- The recipe with 176 degree water from the example above was used by the 2015 World Aeropress Champion, Lukas Zahradnik from Slovakia.
- In 2014, Martin Karabiňšo, champion of Slovakia, brewed his coffee for 3 minutes using 95 degree water. 95 degrees is crazy - the norm is 195-205!
- The 2016 World Aeropress Champion, Poland’s Filip Kucharczyk, brewed a concentrate and then topped off the result with extra water. Strange!
Coffee connoisseurs love reading these strange recipes every year and trying them out at home. If your curiosity is tickled by this idea, you’re on your way to connoisseurship!
5. It’s A Lifetime Buy
The Aeropress isn’t going away anytime soon. It’s breaking sales records, generating a vibrant community, and inspiring a new generation of coffee lovers. It’s a modern classic, a staple among connoisseurs.
But the Aeropress’ durability goes beyond the abstract. The device is extremely difficult to break. It can survive any physical challenge you throw at it - even running it over with a heavy car. How do I know? You’ll just have to take my word for it.
Its communal timelessness, along with its physical durability, makes the Aeropress a coffee brewer that will remain relevant, valuable, and productive for a lifetime.
Every coffee connoisseur needs one - just one - and will treasure it forever.
*Images taken by Niall Kennedy and Pål-Kristian Hamre.
