AeroPress

In 2005 an inventor of flying discs presented a plastic cylinder with a plunger, and the coffee world laughed briefly and then bought millions of them. The AeroPress is a mixture of french press and pour over: the coffee steeps in water, then you press it through a paper. The result is as clean as filter coffee and as full as a french press, in under two minutes.

How it works

A cylinder with a filter cap and a plunger with a rubber seal. Coffee and water go into the cylinder, and after a short steep you push the plunger down and the coffee is pressed through a small paper filter into the cup. The gentle pressure pulls out more body than a pour over, and the paper holds back oils and particles.

The standard recipe

1. Filter into the cap, rinse, screw the cap onto the cylinder, stand it on a sturdy cup.
2. 15 grams of coffee, ground fine to medium, into the cylinder.
3. Pour on 220 grams of water at 85 to 90 degrees. Hotter for light roasts, cooler for dark ones.
4. Stir for ten seconds, then place the plunger on top to stop the flow.
5. After 90 seconds press down slowly over 20 to 30 seconds, until it hisses.

Inverted

In the inverted method the AeroPress stands on its plunger, so that nothing runs through early. Coffee and water in, let it steep, screw on the filter cap, turn it over, press. It gives more control over the steeping time and suits long, cold recipes. Take care when turning it over with hot water inside.

Who it is for

For travellers, campers, offices with a kettle and everyone who wants a good cup in two minutes. For the experimentally minded, because almost everything can be varied. Not for households that need a full carafe in the morning.