<h1>AeroPress in the Field</h1>
The AeroPress is the most versatile brewer you can own — fast enough for a weekday morning, good enough for a slow Sunday. It's built for the field: light, durable, and forgiving. You can make a genuinely excellent cup in under two minutes.
<h2>What You'll Need</h2>
<li>AeroPress (standard or inverted — standard is easier)</li> <li>Paper filter (rinse with hot water before use)</li> <li>Scale (or measure by eye)</li> <li>Timer (or count)</li> <li>Grinder (burr preferred, blade works)</li> <li>17g medium-fine ground coffee</li> <li>255g filtered water at 94°C</li>
<h2>The Recipe</h2>
**Step 1: Prep** Set the AeroPress on your mug with the plunger inserted about 1 inch. Rinse the paper filter with hot water — this removes paper taste and preheats the chamber. Discard the rinse water.
**Step 2: Dose** Grind 17g of coffee medium-fine — finer than pour-over, think of fine sand. Add to the AeroPress chamber. Don't pack it — just level it off.
**Step 3: Bloom** Start your timer. Pour 255g of water at 94°C (201°F) over the grounds. Pour steadily, saturating all the coffee. You'll notice the grounds swell — that's the bloom.
**Step 4: Stir** Use the paddle or a spoon to stir back and forth 3-4 times. This ensures all grounds are saturated. Don't over-stir — you just want full contact.
**Step 5: Steep** Insert the plunger just enough to create a seal at the top of the chamber. No pressing yet — just seal it in. Let it steep for 60 seconds. For darker roasts, go 90 seconds.
**Step 6: Press** At 1:00 (or 1:30 for dark roasts), press down steadily. Target 20-30 seconds of press time. You'll feel the resistance — don't force it. Stop when you hear the hiss of air coming through.
**Step 7: Serve** Pour over ice or into your mug. If it's too strong, bypass with 30-50g of hot water. That's it — done.
<h2>Why It Works</h2>
The AeroPress uses pressure to accelerate extraction. What would take 3 minutes in a V60 takes 60 seconds here because you're forcing water through a dense bed under pressure. The result is a clean, concentrated cup with low acidity.
<h2>Troubleshooting</h2>
**Bitter?** Over-extracted. Three fixes: grind coarser, drop water temp to 90°C, or press faster.
**Sour?** Under-extracted. Grind finer, raise temp to 96°C, or steep longer (up to 90 seconds).
**Clogging?** Grind coarser. A clogged AeroPress means the grind is too fine for the pressure you're building.
**Too Strong?** Bypass — add 30-50g of hot water after pressing. The AeroPress is forgiving this way.
<h2>Beans That Work Best</h2>
Reveille (Colombia, medium-dark) and Sentinel (Guatemala, medium) are the best matches for AeroPress. The boldness of the roast stands up to the pressure extraction, and the chocolate/nut notes come through clearly.
[Shop Sentinel →](/roasts/sentinel) [Shop Reveille →](/roasts/reveille) [See all roasts →](/roasts)