The Inverted AeroPress Method

If I can point to one achievement by our erstwhile blog, SpoCOOL, it was a 2011 post on the AeroPress. After publication, the coffee press sold out in many Spokane stores (granted, only three carried it), weird as the product may have looked.

Of the dozens of AeroPressing methods, my favorite is the commonly-used inverted press. While not a million miles away from the default process, the upside-down preparation results in what basically is a cup of Americano. In other words, an espresso-style drink that isn’t espresso. It’s a good way to make a quick cup of coffee, and easy, too:

Required Hardware

• A food scale. We’re partial to OXO’s pull-out model.

• Preferably a water boiler. Again, we enjoy OXO’s offering.

• A coffee grinder—Virtuoso+ is our pick—though you can obviously grind the beans at the store.1

• The AeroPress itself.

Illustrative Figure

Steps

1. Fine-ground 17 grams of beans. That’s setting 12 on the Virtuoso grinder.
2. Heat water to 200° F. (94° C)
3. Insert the plunger into the AeroPress and flip it upside down. (Figure 1.) Add the ground.
4. Barely cover the grounds with hot water and give it a good stir. Wait 30 seconds.
5. Fill the cylinder with water and give it a quick stir. Wait 1 minute.
6. Attach the filter, place the upside-down cup on top of the AeroPress, and flip over. (Figures 2 and 3.)
7. Slowly press the plunger down for about twenty seconds. Stop when you hear the hissing sound. (Don’t squeeze the ground—the coffee will taste sour.)

And that’s it! It also doesn’t hurt to run the paper filter under hot water before you start. Supposedly, it gives the coffee a cleaner flavor, but I’m not sure anyone really notices the difference.

For some true nerdery, check out AeroPress’s official inversion guide.

And, for the method’s origins, CoffeeGeek has a very in-depth story.

Related Articles From The Awesomeness Digest

• The Norwegian Waffle
• Kaffekos—The Foundation of Norwegian Society
• The French Press