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How to perfect that cup of AeroPress

In conversation with Abdulla Bu Shaheen AlMheiri – Coarse Coffee

If these times have taught us anything it’s to appreciate our baristas. Their smiling faces, on-point attitude regardless of the time of day, and that perfect cup of steaming coffee that they so expertly make. 

So, I’ve asked Abdulla Al Mheiri, Co-founder of Coarse Coffee, to tell us about the easiest way to make a good cup of coffee at home. 

Abdulla is actually an Aeropress champion and says it’s the easiest tool to carry around! Here is a step by step guide on how to use the Aeropress to make coffee using the “inverted method”. 

What you will need:

  • AeroPress Kit (which also includes the filter paper)
  • A gooseneck kettle (we recommend to get it with a built-in thermometer - but that's not necessary)
  • 18g of coffee beans 
  • Coffee grinder (small hand grinder or an automatic grinder)
  • Weighing Scale – (we recommended Hario for beginners or ACAIA ) 
  • 350ml Coffee server 
  • Bottled water

Abdulla’s Hacks: 

  • Kettle (You can use your normal home kettle as long as you have a cooking thermometer, be careful not to spill outside the kettle) 
  • Coffee grinder – (If you do not have a home grinder buy the coffee ground - not more than 250 grams)
  • Weighing scale (any cooking scale would do in addition to your smart phone’s timer) 
  • V60 jug (you can use any tough glass, steel, or ceramic mug that fits the top of the Aeropress) 
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That perfect cup of coffee is finding the sweet spot between only 3 elements: temperature of the water, your coffee grind size, and method used. 

 
  1. Weigh your coffee & grind it just before you start brewing.  
  2. Boil a kettle of fresh water with low mineral content, suitable for brewing coffee (Tip: Wait for ten to twenty seconds after the kettle has boiled to reach 90 Degrees Celsius.)
  3. Put a filter paper into the filter cap. 

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  4.  Place it on top of your server and run some hot water through to heat the server and rinse the filter paper, discard the water used for rinsing.
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  5. Assemble and place the Aeropress inverted on top of your digital scale, tare, and add the 18g of ground coffee. 
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  6. Tare the scale again and add the 40ml of water to the Aeropress, and stir three times.
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  7. Start a stopwatch and wait for your coffee to bloom roughly 30 seconds.
  8. Add the remaining 194ml of water lock the filter cap top and make sure it seals but don’t push down yet, wait until the stopwatch reads 2 minutes. 
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  9. After a 2 minutes period of brewing, place the inverted mug or server on top of the Aeropress and flip them so that the server is on the bottom of the Aeropress and on top of the counter. 
  10. Slowly remove the plunger and stir the coffee for one full circle. 
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  11. Slowly push down the plunger until all the liquid has been expelled, stop when you hear a hissing sound.
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  12. Pull the plunger back a few centimeters to stop the brewer from dripping when you discard the spent coffee. Remove the filter holder and holding the brewer over the waste bin, push the plunger out to get rid of the grounds. 
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    Tap out any loose bits, then immediately rinse and clean the bottom of the piston and brewer. 
  13. If the coffee was too strong “bypass” by adding more water to the cup. 
 

Some common questions: 

  • If I don’t have a grinder at home, what is a quick hack?
    • Buy pre-ground coffee, not more than 250grams at a time. 
  • What coffee beans do you recommend?
    • Ask your local coffee roaster for his recommended beans for filter coffee. #SupportYourLocalRoasters. 
    • I (Tanaz) enjoy Kintamani Indonesian beans.