THE AEROPRESS - Six Lessons From The Champions

[@guzmas31]

To invert or not to invert. Sprometheus and James Hoffman disagree and the coffee community is ripped apart.

[@phl0w666]

Ripped apart? To go with what a former WBC says, who approaches brew methods scientifically, or some random KZbinr... not that hard of a choice in my book.

[@guzmas31]

@@phl0w666 not a choice in my book, but the scientific approach is no a choice for lot's of people these days, unfortunately.

[@gilolaes4725]

Ngl, Hoffman's analysis boils down to "the taste difference is so negligible that it's not worth the risk and hassle", yet I still invert just because it seems easier for me to not muck up the extraction when I do so.

[@mrman4949]

James Hoffman is a 43 year old lesbian

[@achalgoel1]

@@phl0w666try both and make your own choice…desoite what refractometers say taste is subjective

[@mistilteinn3670]

diluting aeropress is my favorite way too, but using 35g of coffee for my everyday cup is way to expensive.

[@Sprometheus]

Mistilteinn yeah it’s definitely not a small amount of coffee. I’m sure you can adjust these recipes like you would in baking. For example just split all the amounts of coffee, water, etc in half. Maybe a bit less time on some of them. A little tweaking and you can get a solid cup I’m sure.

[@mistilteinn3670]

@@Sprometheus True true, but then I would just have a very small cup. Who wants that?

[@Sprometheus]

Mistilteinn haha, that’s true.

[@paperhanger29]

There are a few runner up recipes that I found pretty good that were around 18-20 grams. Worth a try

[@mexicanhalloween]

This is the main reason I switched to roasting my own coffee, that and my remote location from any roaster.

[@baristaodla7640]

1. Increasing dose helps to avoid over-extraction 2. Grinding coarse allows for even extraction? and reduce fines 3. Consider dilution gives complete control and a cleaner cup of coffee 4. Stirring allows for a more even extraction 5. Inverted method gives a complete control over all variables 6. Paper filter is still best :)

[@tasmedic]

You're right. Not sure why this guy didn't say this.

[@laudemgloriae3]

Thanks for helpful summary! Screenshot this for future reference 👍🏻 just made a better cup now

[@Sprometheus]

@@tasmedic hahah what do you mean? He’s literally summarizing the points from my video…

[@jaypee8768]

(Pensive newspaper cat) "This is supposed to be a 1 minute video"

[@ryanh8764]

@@SprometheusI believe he was making a joke

[@cycl0n362]

Thank you for this video. I just got an Aeropress for myself and find it very interesting how it can change the result when you adjust the parameters of the brew. I also learnt some things from James Hoffmans videos about that thing. In general there are some facts that translate to all methods of coffee brewing: 1. Roast - diffrent roasts need diffrent treatment - strong roasts tend to be more intense and can get overextracted more easily than lighter roasts. 2. Grindsize & variation - finer leads to more extraction but can make it harder for the water to get through the coffee (would need more pressure on Aeropress or Espresso-Machines, which can be problematic), if the grinds vary too much in size this can lead to channeling and underextraction as the water rather goes around the coarser grinds than picking up the flavor from the finer ones. 3. Water temprature - more tempreture leads to more extraction. 4. Amount of water and coffe - more water also leads to a higher extraction thats why you should always look for the best coffe/water ratio for your specific recipe and add hot water afterwards if you want a lighter cup, otherwise you will gett all the bitter tastes out of your coffee. Of course you can also just add more coffee as you mentioned about the recipes of the champs but I'd guess that in turn also the amount of caffeine for that cup will rise accordingly. 5. Bloom/brew time - more time again leads to higher extraction. Specific to the Aeropress: 1. Pressure - as the Aeropress isn't a espresso-maker you don't look to achieve high pressures, keep in mind that for one the coffe wont be as fine and is not tamped in the brewing chamber, so for one you won't even achieve very high pressure (and if you woul it could be very painfull or you might even break your equipment), and on the other hand it increases the chance of "byproducts" passing the filter and channeling through the coffebed. 2. Brewing method - as mentioned in the video inverted gives you more control as all of the water is in contact with the coffee for the whole brew-time. I tested this myself with otherwise the same recipe and inverted brewing increased the extraction as expected. The stirring thing was already mentioned in the vid. Hope this is helpful to anyone, but please don't just take my word for it, I'm ceartainly not an expert. Best thing is just to try for yourself. If you got additional thoughts feel free to reply.

[@mihir1997]

I think this may be your first video that I sorta disagree with. The competition recipes are brilliant, but they seem too impractical in terms of input output ratio. For competing this is not necessarily an important factor but at home I think it is for many. I have experimented a lot with this brew method and a 17g dose is actually going to produce a close to competition cup IF you grind coarse and minimize fines either using a seive, paper towel (thanks Hoffman!) or using a top tier brew capable grinder that is known to produce few fines at coarse settings.

[@Sprometheus]

I think maybe you misunderstood the idea behind this video. Even though I recommend trying the recipes, I more so wanted to present the common techniques used on the recipes and on how they impact the final cup. I’m not saying that you can’t make a good cup with lower doses. But more so introducing these ideas to those who maybe aren’t into the Aeropress or maybe fell off of it like I did.

[@mihir1997]

The Real Sprometheus fair enough.

[@mistasnazzy]

So what's your recipe? For years I used 17g in a stovetop espresso maker. It makes a very strong, great coffee, but but with lots of sediment and some bitterness. I feel like 17g should be plenty to brew a great cup. But I can't seem to find the right AP recipe.

[@malthuswasright]

So he spent ages not stirring, in spite of the fact that instructions tell you to do it?

[@chrishunter2228]

Isn’t dilution how the inventor intended it to be used? That’s my understanding.

[@Sprometheus]

Chris Hunter it might be, to be honest I haven’t read much about him other than what I’ve seen in passing. And what I did see that stuff it was during the time where the Aeropress wasn’t really front of mind. But I’ll look up this for sure.

[@chrishunter2228]

The Real Sprometheus great channel by the way. I really like your videos and appreciate all the effort you put in to camera work.

[@goldencalf5144]

I saw a video where the inventor recommended using an espresso grind and having a lower water temp (around 80 - 85 C). This works well for me because I don't have to change grind settings after making an espresso. The cup this method produces is full bodied, but still reasonably clean. There are some oils getting thru, but no solids. Just the way I like it. Best of all, it only needs 11g coffee for 200 ml water.

[@JamieFarr2006]

Definitely. Adler produces first an “espresso strength” cup then dilutes it. This is his standard way of brewing.

[@lumb3rj0e]

These seems very different from what James Hoffman recommends in his aero press videos for a sort of baseline brew (11-13g per 200mL water, pretty fine grind, standard method, etc.) interested to try some of these tips and seeing how they compare

[@kevadu]

I've been using Hoffman's method and I love the results. This seems..completely backwards. But then I generally *prefer* immersion brewed coffee and Sprometheus says right off the bat that he doesn't like it...

[@jotharn]

I use the Hoffman method, too, albeit with a few personal modifications. I agree that it is a great baseline. It's also strange to hear oils and tea-likeness as bad qualities of coffee since these are actually things that I kinda personally like, but I understand this is all ultimately about preference anyway so to each their own. It's a fascinating thing to have a diversity of options such as Hoffman's and Sprometheus' for a diversity of tastes.

[@MrDarren690]

Yes--James returns the AeroPress to it's immersion roots, which is why the lower ratio + steep has more attention than the press, which itself is used as filtration rather than a huge variable in the recipe. The WAC recipes are very much "fitted" to the quirks of the AeroPress but that means the recipes to get there are very unorthodox.

[@MrDarren690]

@@jotharn Normally heavy and light bodies are very much preference but I think Sprometheus was veering to the extremes. Immediate red flags when he said he thought of the AeroPress as an extension of espresso and had to grind fine, press _hard_. Yikes--press GENTLY! Trying to force the water out of anything unless you have the equipment to match is going to be messy.

[@-nomi.-]

@@kevadu It's not backwards, just a different ethos. If you go back to Hoffman's recipe video, he links to a similar WAC 2017 recipe, he's aware of it. Rather, as he states at the start, his focus isn't just best taste, but also least effort. With that in mind, you can see why Hoffman went with what he did. Avoiding inversion and dilution makes things far simpler, you put coffee and water in and you get a finished coffee out. It's the best taste you can get while adhering to this principle. If you aren't inverting, you aren't grinding coarse or it'll leak. If you're going fine, you're lowering your ratio.

[@infektdubstep]

One thing that you didn't mention that is really important is how much pressure you apply at the end of the brew. Immersion methods don't over-extract unless you either agitate too much or if there's channeling while pressing out water. If you press too fast, you might get some channeling through the puck that's being created, which results in unpleasant compounds being extracted into your cup. For example in cupping you can grind as fine as you like and wait for as long as you want - if you have well roasted, good quality coffee it won't taste bitter. In conclusion, it's really important with the Aeropress to press very very slowly and gently.

[@OutOfNamesToChoose]

+1 to that. It needs constant, but slowly applied pressure.

[@Sprometheus]

For sure. Two of the three winning recipes mention that they should be pressed over the course of about 30 seconds. That definitely encourages a slow approach to the push. But this is definitely an important aspect, and I’m sure this was one of the many reasons that caused me to get subpar cups from the Aeropress in the past.

[@jgalt99]

@@Sprometheus Also important to stop pressing at the first "hiss" of escaping air, those last few ml are really gross and can poison your whole cup. Try pressing that last bit into a second cup and taste - bitter, overextracted coffee.

[@harlinsetiadarma8817]

@@jgalt99 if inverted, you can push out all the air first when inverted (after screwing filter cap), so you will never push air to your mug/decanter.

[@platinumdynamite]

@@jgalt99 this is a myth. Press with/without hiss and do blind tests. You won't find a discernable difference in most cases.

[@richardbrimson1650]

I have neeeeever had sediment issues with aeropress. I’ve experimented with different grind sizes so I’m wondering how that happened. Anyone?

[@Sprometheus]

Its been a near constant experience with the Aeropress and fine grinds for me.

[@BxVelocity]

Never had any sediment over 8 years, with coarse or espresso fine grind, either. I find espresso grind works best for my palate. Another advantage of the paper filter is it takes care of the coffee oils that can raise your LDL cholesterol levels, espresso has them, paper Aeropress does not.

[@haterskeephatin101]

I've had it before when the paper isn't seated properly or when pressing too firm which I theorize also knocks the paper out of place.

[@anaotazu5975]

Yes very strange this guy is mentioning sediment, if it has a paper filter, never had sediment and I'm just a newbie to the aero press

[@johnjwilks]

My grind is about the same as I use for drip. I'm at about 16-20 grams of coffee depending on what I want, go inverted, stir vigorously while blooming, hold for 2 minutes before pressing, and then dilute with hot water. Never had any off-flavors. I cannot imagine using that volume of coffee for a single cup. But to each their own.

[@bubba101010]

I am somewhat entertained by all the debates. But. Original recipe does it for me. I dial in a fine espresso grind of ~14 g of coffee beans. Pour to the “1” marker. Stir 10 seconds with the paddle. Push down for 20-30 seconds. Dilute the result in my mug to taste, if desired. Done. If I’m going to wait for minutes, I’ll just use my pour over stuff instead. To me the genius of the Aeropress is that it saves time, tastes yummy and makes low-acid coffee, saving my gut!

[@normanski5074]

Love the aero press - been using it for 2 years and nothing else. have one at home, one in work and one in my hiking sack.

[@UserNameNiemand]

You might also need to mention about getting a decent grinder too. At least a hand grinder which doesn't produce a lot of dust.

[@geoffplywood6112]

Having watched dozens of videos on AeroPress, this one has been the single most helpful and admirably honest !

[@thebirofunk]

Using two paper filters for a cleaner cup was a game changer for me

[@lewistanner1538]

Competing at the 2019 worlds was definitely a challenge, we only had 2 x 250 bags given to us back stage, wasn’t sent out to us a week before like the National heats! 3 hours to dial in. Everyone one trying each other’s brews backstage and it was all pretty close!

[@ssnerd583]

Trying to get a new coffee dialed in can be a HUGE PITA....grind size and water temp lead to MANY variables.

[@wendelienvanbunnik]

And this 500 grams was for training ánd competition! Remember the chaos? 😁

[@marconemeth9683]

I use a modified version of Tim Wendelboe’s recipe . Inverted method, coarser grind and longer brewing time. 14g for 200ml, 2:30 total time (30sec slow pushing), double filter paper for a cleaner cup. It creates a V60-like coffee just with an extra punch.

[@marconemeth9683]

Coarser grind will also taste better at home unless you have an EK-43 or similarly super expensive commercial grinders at home.

[@khirek5335]

How coarse exactly? Around french press? A bit finer/coarser?

[@cylack]

The Aeropress is an amazing piece of technology that the general public still doesn't know about. Every guest that comes to my home is amazed by it after I brew them a cup of coffee with it. It truly does rival much more expensive devices. Perhaps not quite as good, but probably 90% of the way there with far easier cleanup and maintenance.

[@MikeTrieu]

I guess if "clean" is the taste you're going for, this is how you optimize for that. I'm not one of those people.

[@gregsullivan7408]

I'm finding James Hoffmann's Aeropress recipe for milk-based drinks works very well indeed. (18g slightly coarser than espresso grind, 90mL boiling water, 90 seconds steep, gentle press)

[@skyh3r0es]

feels like james recipe always spot on for me personally (slight change based on beans, but thats a given) even after trying some recipe out there, i always comeback to his recipe, especially the one where you pour it into ice

[@UltaPowderfinger]

The Aeropress ROCKS! I use it multilple times a day to brew an espresso-like espresso and tonic. With this, over extraction is not possible. I use 60 grams of coffee and and 200 grams of water. Press harrd over ice and add my fave tonic and gin if I am able. This rocks my world. I hand grind just before the press in a fairly fine grind. I use the filter papers on top of a the Fellows attachment. I re-use the filter paper about 10 times before replacing it. I use the invernted method and I stir the crap out of the bloom! Again, over-extraction is not an issue with the Aeropress. I am a big guy and I press hard. My Aeropress is bulging at the bottom. I def get at least o few bars. LOL It ROCKS for me! Your mileage may vary!

[@icowrich]

I've seen that some people like to use an orange press to bring the pressure way up on an Aeropress in order to get something akin to espresso. I'm sure you can reach 9 bars that way.

[@krUsberry]

My favourite everyday morning cup o joe. Inverted, 94c water 15g Coffee, "standard" brew grind, slightly finer for medium roasts, slightly coarser for light or very light roasts. wet grounds, stir until homogenous and let sit 30s Briskly fill to the very top, brew for 1min Flip and press for 20-30s. Do not dilute. Pour between two milkjugs ~10 times to cool down for instant gratification. I've actually come to prefer metal filters, comes across cleaner for me than paper filters with little to no sediment.

[@mrjuice140]

I use a very similar recipe but with 18g coffee - 90 deg water, a slight fine - medium grind. I absolutely love the fact that you have more control over the variables with the inverted method. You even get slight "crema" for an espresso-like drink. A good recipe for my taste. :)

[@gregstevenson7401]

Chopsticks are for making omelettes. The last thing I need is the opportunity to multitask before my brain wakes up. Great vid though.

[@wendelienvanbunnik]

I'm so happy you managed to rekindle your love for the Aeropress 🙃

[@AndyGait]

I know this video is almost 2 years old, but on the higher 30g dose used by the winners, they changed the rules in 2021, and a max of only 18g was allowed in the 2021 championship. Still a great video though. Lots of decent info. Cheers.

[@sebastianvilla8152]

I don’t know about the need to use larger grinds so you don’t get fines. A good grinder should not produce that many fines; specially if it’s made for this type of grind

[@dadainthip]

If you're using the standard method, you really need to use the paddle that comes with it to stir or be really careful. More than once, I used a spoon and managed to drag the filter out of place, resulting in A LOT of the grounds making it into my cup. The paddle is designed to not reach the the filter. That was the first and main reason I switched to the inverted method. Of course, as you mentioned, there's a lot more control with the inverted method as well

[@oskwaa]

I just received my aeropress today. Thanks a lot for these tips, I enjoyed the pace of the video and the different shots you did. Will subscribe!

[@camptaji901]

I need more than 4 oz of coffee in the morning!

[@johanneslaudi6184]

For standard brewing menthod.. what you can do to prevent the coffee dripping to the cup is inserting the plunger on top of the aeropress just a little bit to create a vacuum 👌

[@Ricky-ez2nh]

I just got the aeropress and I have yet to try this. One video recommends inserting at an angle and then pulling up on the plunger slightly.

[@richardc8738]

Great video. I love my Aeropress. I use a somewhat finer grind - just a tad finer than drip, but I recently switched to using two filters and slowing down the plunge. Almost 30 seconds just using the weight of two hands on top of one another. I’m really satisfied with the result, but am now going to test out the inverted method and a courser grind. So much fun.

[@anaotazu5975]

Follow the instruction manual , the aeropress is supposed to be used as a espresso making gadget and then you add water or milk , that way you get the perfect americano or maybe a latte or cappuccino, , no bitterness or sediment at all , some people over complicate things and the result is something revolting

[@wheelchairboy88]

I couldn't agree more. I've tried all kinds of recipes, inverted vs. standard and in the end I went back to a slight variation on the original recipe that uses a tiny bit more ground coffee and two filters.

[@tonylawlor8833]

Really good synopsis, I to have fallen out of love with my Aeropress due to the exact reasons you give, must dig it out and give it a whirl. Oddly a lot of good coffee companies still use the old brew recipes in their online brew sections. Methinks they were never really using the Aeropress.

[@TC_Prof]

JUST THE BEST SPRO!! Love your videos brother!!! 🙏😇❤️😎

[@soholingo]

I do all of these except the invert. Makes a "good enough everyday cup o joe"

[@JeEhaO]

I use my Aeropress daily because it is a fun and clean way to make a good cup of coffee. I enjoy making a super strong cup of coffee to sip for a very long time. The paper filters are superior to me because you just pop everything off in the recycle bin and rinse the plunger and you're done. All those metal filters and weird things will need you to fiddle with and clean them after each use and that is not a very sexy thing to do.. Creating a cup of coffee with the Aeropress is very easy once you know how to use it and learn how to create the cup of coffee that you enjoy. A tip would be to keep everything you need to brew at the same place to get your coffee faster, the Aeropress will be your best friend when you can brew coffee almost immediately.

[@bobbyomari5500]

Agreed! Once you find a recipe you like and repeat it (often), then it becomes second nature and it’s easy/quick to brew and clean.

[@Jeremymanalo11]

everyone let’s all like this video and his other vids! He’s been working so hard for so long and has been releasing quality content for us! Let’s show our appreciation

[@Sprometheus]

Thanks Jeremy! Much appreciated!

[@nevisherl5339]

It is indeed!

[@BN99239]

One thing not mentioned is the type of water you are using. What you drink is like 98% water, so the water you use of course plays a huge role in how the coffee tastes. Hard mineral water is usually recommended but this can vary a lot, so the only thing I can really suggest over a youtube comment is to try different types of waters. You may encounter some that makes a horrible cup of coffee but in the process you will also find something that tastes amazing to your own palate. It's really amazing how many people don't consider to change up the type of water they use to brew their coffee.

[@isaiahstruve2224]

I love my AP! There are so many cool things that you can do. It’s great for tea too

[@Sprometheus]

I haven’t delved into the tea side yet, but at some point I’m sure I will. It’s definitely a cool tool for all kinds of beverages.

[@pebbles1101]

How cool! How do you use it for tea?

[@johncoleman1930]

I've considered it for tea how do you use it to make tea? I'm guessing not inverted?

[@paulmillerick4092]

Great video! I dislike inversion method so i use a Fellow Prismo. I use the Prismo like a normal Aeropress cap plus adding a paper filter as well. To be clear, I am ignoring the Prismo instructions & their concept of "espresso like" coffee; but the Prismo gives you the control you were missing. This means none of that initial dripping - which i always hated.

[@dcolum23]

Did anyone else think this was a video by HHH from the pic? Also, I personally dislike all of the "winning" recipes ... there is nothing that makes a better cup than Mr. Adler's recipe. Seriously ... it can't be beat.

[@TheBradleyd1146]

Just brewed a sour cup of coffee with my aeropress. Ventured for help and glad I found this video lol

[@me_asme]

Dude, easily the most helpful video I've found so far on the AeroPress, almost a necessity for anyone new to it... Appreciate it Cheers

[@Sprometheus]

Thank you my friend, I appreciate that and I’m happy to know people are finding it helpful!

[@james.randorff]

I feel like this demonstrates just how versatile and forgiving of a brewer the Aeropress truly is. The info presented in this video is very much opposite of James Hoffmann recipe (11g to 200ml is not dosing higher; JH’s recipe recommends grinding finer and has no dilution), and yet both result in delicious coffee.

[@saphire82]

Come on! I just found a cheap $15 Aero press on clearance at Walmart and I just wanted to find out how to use it, now there’s championships? Enough Internet for today.

[@RandomS4nity]

I've been brewing inverted for years but these new 30-35g coarse ground recipes are really wasteful, especially if you're using fresh roasted, single origin coffee.

[@MG-im8ku]

35 grams of coffee? Thats insane when it comes to price per cup lol I'd go through insane amounts of coffee that way.

[@gamercatsz5441]

35g, price per cup still is much lower than making coffee with a plastic cup like a lot of "non-coffee geeks" do. And if you would calculate in the plastic waste, the damage to the planet, the price of those plastic coffeepods would be even more. Me personally, I'm glad I switched from dolce gusto cups to an aeropress.

[@MG-im8ku]

@@gamercatsz5441 True. I never used a pod system because of all the waste it causes. I once saw an article about the Keurig inventor, and how he sort of regrets ever doing it because of all the waste it has caused lol I started on a dripper, went to chemex, then meliita pour over and now my aeropress. Only using about 18-20gr in my aeropress. Making a nice cup consistently.

[@marieseaward9891]

I love my aeropress... Even brew loose tea in one too... Best coffee maker ever❤

[@teddvidler6830]

The Aeropress was the first method for making coffee when I decided that the convenience of the Krueger (sorry, bad spelling), didn't cut it for me. I first ordered an Aeropress plus hand grinder from Amazon and it was much better. Mine has sat for some time as the seal became harder to press and I moved on to Hario, Chemex and an entry level espresso machine. I haven't found a way to soften the plunger seal so maybe a solution will come to me. Enjoyed your video, thanks. Coffeehound

[@markjones127]

Very interesting, I'm actually getting my first AeroPress in the post tomorrow so I've been researching using it for a couple of days, and the tip about using the recipes from the world champs is a game changer, just been looking through them and now I'm excited to start using them, I was slightly worried about the amount of coffee an AeroPress produces so seeing them all diluting it to produce a good sized cup of coffee is brilliant.

[@adamlippold8308]

Interesting video and I'm glad that you see the "light" now. The last three years have had similar recipes, though. I wonder what you think about going farther back? Really liked the second place 2014. I also find that these coarse, high dose recipes work better with light coffees. Have you had Aesir paper filters? Those are the best filters, of any material, that I've tried.

[@Sprometheus]

Adam Lippold thanks for watching and commenting. I definitely plan on working my way back through the recipes over time. I had an idea for another video while producing this one, but it’s more of a longer term idea. But will definitely give it a shot. I haven’t tried the Aesir paper filters, but have heard good things. I may have to snag a pack and see what’s up.

[@angelabuenafeYT]

Wow! I have always thought diluting was wrong but it just taste good. This made it officially ok. Thanks!!! Nice video too!

[@Sprometheus]

Angela Buenafe I never thought it was wrong really, just thought it would create a more watery cup. Figured it should be all good in one go. But it definitely kicks the game up a notch! Thanks for watching!

[@jjan7239]

It is also recommended by the founder.

[@SiopaoSauc3]

@@jjan7239 more like the founder insists it's the only way to get good coffee out of the AP.

[@slalomie]

I don’t think you need to go through the trouble of using it inverted. Right after stirring, you can lightly press the plunger and gently pull it up to create a seal. There will only be minimal coffee that passes through. Anyone who’s used it inverted has gone through the regret of accidentally tipping it over and spilling hot coffee water all over your kitchen 😂 I also found pressing past the hissing sound extracts bitterness, so the hissing sound is my cue to stop pressing.

[@Rekmeyata]

I have one lesson for the AeroPress, it's not close to an espresso, so don't bother buying one, it makes weaker coffee than a French Press does. In FACT, the AeroPress is nothing but a French Press with the addition of a filter, and it's that filter that removes the oil from the coffee and by doing so weakens the flavor. Both of these makers are immersion makers. The AeroPress has the push plunger but the pressure is very low, trying to make more pressure just lets the coffee squirt out of the holes in the cap. I was obviously not impressed with the AeroPress, I actually get a stronger cup of coffee with a Hario V60 Switch, also an immersion maker but it's combined with a pour-over, so the coffee, after the immersion process time is up, then pours through the coffee again. Just like the French Press and the AeroPress you have to stir the coffee for about a minute before allowing it to stand for 4 to 6 minutes before opening the lever to let it pour through the grounds again. The AeroPress contest and champion thing is just marketing by the AeroPress company, nothing more.

[@caduceus33]

This looks like an inferior way of making a cup of coffee. I will stick with a Moka pot for less trouble, greater speed, and a hotter result. (PS: Too bad you covered this video with annoying and unnecessary music, so I was compelled to turn it off without watching the whole thing.)

[@AaronToponce]

I stumbled on your video looking for an unrelated coffee accessory for pour over. I've owned my AeroPress since 2017 (7 years as of this comment), and brew with it almost exclusively. I still enjoy pour over, French press, moka pot, cold brew, and other brewing methods, but the AeroPress is what I always just keep falling back on. So, with that said, I agree with 3 out of 6 of your findings: 1. Stir, don't bloom: Yup. Immersion is essentially one large bloom. Blooming is necessary in pour over/drip to increase extraction while the water passes through the coffee bed. Trapped CO2 can reduce extraction, leading to a very weak cup. It doesn't help that most pour over/drip brewers experience bypass, further weakening the brew. This isn't a thing with immersion. All of the water is in contact with all of the coffee all of the time. 2. Invert for control: Yup. Unless you have the Fellow Prismo or AeroPress Flow Control Filter Cap (they recently released), inverted keeps your brewing variables constant, leading to more consistent cups. As a tip, before you flip, press the air out of the chamber first to get the plunger more deeply into the brewing chamber. This will help stabilize your flip. 3. Paper is still best: For the most part, I agree. But there are some fantastic metal filters with extremely small holes that reduce fines immensely, sometimes to the point of not even existing. While I prefer paper, I've experimented with metal, cloth, and PEEK filters and each provide different tasting experiences that I think are worth investigating. Regarding increasing your dose and grinding coarser, it's important to understand that the AeroPress Championship competitors are targeting very specific notes in the coffee to "wow" the judge. These recipes are not sustainable IMO. The coarse grind is to minimize the risk of over-extraction and the large dose is to minimize astringency. It's a "safe bet", but also an expensive one. Instead, I would focus on water-to-coffee ratio first, then adjust your grind size until you find the taste you're looking for, all the rest of the variables constant. While the general rule of thumb for pour over/drip is 60 grams per liter (16.7:1), I find that you do need to tighter ratios for immersion. Something closer to 70 grams per liter (14.2:1). Regarding dilution, if you get your ratio right, then the next major factor is steep time. Most of the extraction happens very quickly when the water hits the grinds with diminishing returns as the steep time increases. However, if you don't steep long enough, you will end up with that tea-like body. I see plenty of posts on Reddit where people are asking why their coffee is so weak, and almost always, they're steeping 1:00, or 1:30. Instead, if they went past 2:00, or even 2:30, they'll likely find a better tasting cup. Again though, if it's too strong, pull back on the steep time.

[@tenore8]

Good video, annoying background music. Way too much.

[@RaduRadonys]

30 grams of coffee??? For my first Aeropress cup I tried using 11.5 grams (one cup according to their website) and I had heart palpitations all day... I can only drink if I use half a spoon, so 6 grams.... I cannot imagine one person drinking 30 grams of coffee....

[@snorchy1]

Keep the grind about a #12 and brew it for only 45-60 seconds. Also, bone up on what the paper filters out. Antioxodants and diterpenes. Aside from health benefits paper also impacts the taste.

[@truthbknown4957]

I agree paper is best, 2 minute invert is my favorite way. but need to try new ways. just lazy. need that caffeine asap in the morning.

[@truthbknown4957]

increased the amount of coffee used and my morning coffee is now much better. Thank you more favor.

[@jamesshepherd7727]

Funny watching this now. Been a fan of t AP for yrs. Never go on s trip or overnight without it. Once you drink great coffee you cant drink any other. I make mine with 25 grams of coffee to 400 ml of water heated to 170. I use a number 8 grind. Not sure how my grind size is compared to other grinders but it is a bit coarser than drip. I also do not use any paper filters. I use a screen with a different bottom. The bottom I use has a little rubber valve in the bottom that doesn’t let any coffee through till you press. So you get the time to soak like inversion without having to invert. In fact my press sits on the counter the entire time until I press. No leaks. Plus as an added advantage the new bottom is much taller in height and is much easier to unscrew from the body when done. The original press bottom is short and hard to grasp. Anyway get back to it I add enough water to bloom and wait about 20 seconds for the air to release then i fill the press up close to the top. I give it a little stir with the handle from the scooper. Wait 1 minute. Then stir again. Most of the coffee will be at the top in a clump. I then press it out. Just the weight of my 2 arms is all the pressure I use. I poor this in my mug and add the remaining water. So yes its a bypass method. It works for me and everyone loves it. I roast my own beans too. So I can play around with roast too. My favorite 2 coffees so far are Jamaica blue mountain and Hawaii kona. These two are by far my favorites. Just that super rich taste. Im definitely going to buy the AP xl now and play with it. I will contact the company that makes my bottom and see when they will have one for the xl.

[@garrubbo]

WAC and regionals now mostly restrict dosage to 18g. How do you think more recent winning recipes compare to the older high-dose championship recipes? Have competitors been able to tweak their methods to produce a just-as-tasty-as-before cup of coffee with now about half the dose they were used to prior to the limit being implemented?

[@RobertWilke]

Haven’t been able to do this in awhile and just got back. I forgot how good coffee can be in this machine. I specifically have a temperature control electric kettle so that I don’t burn the coffee grounds. What a great cup it makes. That and all the methods here DO make a huge difference. Thanks.

[@vipermad358]

James Hoffman does NOT like the Aeropress inversion method. I would like to see you two in a no-holds-barred wrestling match to determine who is correct. I'll just be over here fucking up another Aeropress latté, like the Phillistine I am.

[@motionandlight70]

Thanks for this. I've been in the same place for years with making sub-optimal coffees - the tips above give me hope of improvement!

[@sebastiankeiner1955]

I'm new into aeropress and already lost. After years of use I thought portafilter was complicated, but boy. James Hoffman 11gr, doesn't do inverted, no stiring,no dilution, and here?

[@CaveyMoth]

It's the opposite situation for me. I can't make a good tasting cut of coffee with anything but the Aeropress. My pour-overs always taste kind of sour and don't have much body to them. I'm just not good at doing a pour-over, I guess.

[@abbeyjane1306]

I have been using 26g coffee @ #12 grind on my virtuoso w/400 ml water. I'll try a couple of the championship recipes in the morning.

[@louiser1985]

The water runs through before stirring or plunging is even possible? Even with 2 filters and medium fine coffee. My press is on a shelve and my filters are taking up valuable shelf space. Please help. It worked great for the first month if that long.

[@SarntAKluss]

One of the view recommendations I don't like from spro. It is definitely possible to create great cups with 1:14 ratios. Meanwhil, this even became the new standard for the championship - which i totally like it makes the recipes more realistic for daily use methods.

[@Kopernicus67]

I don't do paper, simple to have less waste. My stainless filter kept me from using hundreds of paper ones. Like wine, I think coffee needs a tiny amount of sediment, and I like the oils.

[@bigbuttbigheartbiggerdream4953]

What cup or decanter are you using? I use a hario v60 decanter, but it barely fits and is one slightly off-balance nugent away from making a huge mess and or breaking another decanter.

[@TheDennzio]

wow never had a bad cup from an aeropress

[@DylanFahey]

I've had one, I used some really fine espresso grind coffee and could barely get the water through it. My mistake. Not since. Love it for camping or a change of pace.

[@DriveupLife22]

The inventor of the Aeopress has a video on how to make a cup, most of these recommendations are just from that video. I swear people over complicate everything.

[@mschiga]

This video saved my AP from being listed on Ebay...lol. Thank you for the summary!! I never made a satisfying cup of coffee with it ...admittedly even after giving it one more try it still was not perfect but good enough for me to try it again tomorrow morning or get the same kind of coffee in those winning recipes...I’m still buzzing from my cup this morning too strong even with adjustments :-)

[@larrypicard8802]

I agree with using the inverted method. I was using the standard for a bit after having used the inverted. I’ve gone back to the inverted and my coffee is much tastier.

[@robojimtv]

I stopped using the inverted because I found it was just a bit annoying. Anyway I'm going to buy the flow control cap too.

[@rozzellmedina]

What's the best lightweight hand grinder under $50 for traveling please? No metal burrs.

[@jackleonard9895]

Try your fellow prismo with the metal filter and the standard paper filter. Saves you having to invert but still gives you the paper filler taste! 👍

[@PneumaticTube]

That’s a great idea.

[@christiaannooteboom7059]

From what I hear here I do not know what makes Aeropress better than immersion brewing. Immersion brewing is my go to when I do not have my espresso machine available. Few issues with grind sizes (usually using slightly coarser espresso grinds) and always having good results when using good coffee. Most importantly: far more forgiving in regards of grinds, times and amounts.

[@HeatherFisher-p3s]

I was going to compliment your fancy name but I don't want to be culturally insensitive- its really awesome

[@slytown]

Keep in mind championship recipes are fine tuned for certain flavors from certain seeds with a specific drinking temp in mind. These are not everyday use methods. Methods like Tim Wendelboe uses still produce a great cup. If you are looking to experiment with a specific seed, then u can try a championship method once and awhile.

[@icowrich]

Right, but what Sprometheus did was look at things many different recipes had in common.

[@710Chri]

I thought this was banging with Baskin

[@Sprometheus]

It’s Brewing with Sprobish

[@lawrence0810]

Great, lots of channel talk about Aeropress but almost none of them mentioned these tricks

[@Sprometheus]

Thanks! Happy to bring some of these tricks out into the open all in once place.

[@wellthissucks112]

I’m new to the aeropress and omg I just want straightforward videos just get to it!

[@AMTunLimited]

First point: use a huge dose. This year WAC decided to max at an 18g dose, so that's gonna be interesting.

[@balalalala13]

This is a terrific, informative, and well presented video.

[@jamesb.ofdesertdistrict567]

Great video! I’m a huge AeroPress fan and it’s great to see you’ve gotten back into it. If you can get your hands on Aesir paper filters you’d be shocked how good it can really be. It’s the same as a regular filter just thicker and better filtration. Smoother, cleaner, and notes come through better IMO.

[@Sprometheus]

Dat Dood thank you! And I’m definitely glad to be back in the Aeropress game!

[@Jevongen]

I grind quite fine with my earopress and have never had any fines. Are you maybe pushing too hard when you go to press?

[@stevensmith4099]

I brewed a cup with the Hoffman method and it tasted bad, then I brewed one with a higher dose... It still tasted bad but now I'm getting through the bad coffee faster.

[@project86xero]

So what you're telling me is, with the exception of the inverted method, follow the aeropress directions... Got it.

[@ClarkABennett]

Hmm, I just followed the direction that came with the device and it made perfect coffee the first time using store bought preground coffee.

[@selthyapabei]

you've mentioned tea a few times and I think you might want to invest in some quality Asian tea to stop using the reference in negative connotation.

[@nefuros551]

The invert is a lie, most of the top tier competitors and winners do the normal method. In more recent years the invert has won a little more so maybe half and half but it isn't that much better.

[@rcombschannel]

I get superrr clean and sweet cups with my aeropress w/ this inverted double filter recipe: - same grind as espresso (!!) - 10-20g coffee, doesn’t matter - pour 3:1 water and swirl until 15 sec - pour the rest of your water until you hit 12:1 and steep until 30-40 sec - cap on and plunge by 1:00-1:10 freakin delicious

[@Sprometheus]

Thanks for sharing, I’ll give that one a shot!

[@jeetgan4671]

Coffee ratios are somehow not that much spoken about when comparing brew methods. I love a good aeropress, however the reality is that with 15g of coffee I can make a decent 250g cup using v60 or Chemex; in contrast if I have to use 30g with an aeropress then I am effectively using up (an often expensive) bag of beans in half the time. You make a good point here that most winning aeropress recipes lately use relatively large doses of coffee. I will be trying the Tim Wendelboe method again to see if it works for me.

[@dannymars]

FWIW The aeropress comes with a stirrer, that’s designed to not hit the bottom and therefore not rip the paper filter. I’ve been using aeropress since 2009. I have an espresso machine, but I use it to make coffee at work everyday and absolutely love it.

[@dannymars]

Also great for camping! I have one permanently in my camper van setup.

[@javl40]

Great video! Thanks!. Can you explain a little more about diluting? You mean you brew your coffee using less water upfront but then add more once the coffee is brewed? For example: if you are using 30 gr of coffee and usually on the recipes is like 200 gr of water, would you reduce the water to like 150 or something and then add water after breweing to find your spot? I hope i am making sense here!

[@javl40]

Also, it would be good if you share your final optimized recipe after your testing with the winning recipes.

[@Stevesbe]

Who can afford 35grams for a cup of coffee? So that's only 12.97 cups per lb

[@slam854]

Let's dive into the Oxo Compact Cold Brew. Like to know what you think.

[@OutOfNamesToChoose]

When I first started to make good aeropress coffee (befor I got into espresso), I did every point mentioned in the video. I just wish that I'd had this video when I first got it. I still have have an aeropress coffee made this way every now and then when I want a quick coffee.

[@Sprometheus]

OutOfNamesToChoose that’s great you we’re doing these things. I had many cups of bad coffee from my Aeropress until I started incorporating these lessons. Really a total 180 in the quality of the cup I get now. Thanks for watching and the kind words!