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Last Updated on December 15, 2023
The AeroPress coffee maker, invented in 2005 by Alan Adler, is convenient, easy to use and easy to take on the road. The device has often been marketed as a low-cost alternative for making home espresso or as a manual espresso maker. However, most experts agree that the beverage it makes is a strong filtered brew, but not as flavorful or nuanced as a proper espresso.
This hasn’t stopped people from trying to make espresso with AeroPress. Baristas have experimented with longer steeping times, finer coffee grounds, and hotter water to more closely approximate espresso. There are also AeroPress accessories such as the Fellow Prismo available that can get you a drink that comes closer to espresso.
If you have an AeroPress and you want to try to make espresso with it, our aim with this post is to get you as close as possible.
How the AeroPress works
The AeroPress produces richly flavored coffee drinks through a combination of steeping and pressurized filtering. The device consists of two cylinders, with one acting as a plunger within the other. You place a paper microfilter over the end of the larger tube, which you then fill with finely ground coffee and hot water (175-185 F). Stir the mixture and allow it to steep for a few minutes. Then you use the plunger to force the liquid through the filter into a receiving vessel.
Can AeroPress make espresso?
AeroPress cannot make true espresso, which requires hot water to be forced through coffee grounds at about nine bars of pressure. This equals 130 pounds per square inch (psi) of pressure. The most a person could possibly drive through an AeroPress plunger is 25-50 psi. Even if you could produce more pressure, the device couldn’t stand up to it.
Espresso isn’t the only coffee drink brewed under pressure. Moka pot and AeroPress coffee also use it. Authentic espresso just happens to require a lot of it, to quickly break down the coffee grinds and extract the rich taste of espresso. High pressure is also essential for creating the identifying layer of crema on the top of a true espresso shot.
How pressure makes espresso
Pressure is the force needed to quickly break down the walls of coffee grounds, extracting microscopic compounds, acids and oils within the coffee that interact with the water. Sustained pressure over the correct amount of time extracts the full flavor and then allows the liquid to flow through the grinds quickly before absorbing any bitterness. When it’s done right, which is easiest with a pressure profiling espresso machine, the result is a concentrated but balanced coffee with intense flavor and full body.
How to make an AeroPress espresso
You may not have access to a fancy espresso machine or the expertise to use one. An AeroPress is inexpensive and easy to use. With some tricks, you can achieve an espresso-like brew.
You’ll need to make some adjustments to increase the pressure and decrease the amount of time water spends in contact with the grounds. The simplest method involves very finely ground coffee, only a small amount of water and a very rapid plunge. The result will not be as intense as true espresso, but much richer than brewed or French press coffee.
An AeroPress espresso is rich and somewhat strong with a heavy texture. The taste is crisp. The drink may be topped with a layer of big bubbles that quickly absorbs back into the shot. You can use this AeroPress espresso to create classic drinks like cappuccinos and flat whites, or it can substitute for an espresso shot in cold brew-based drinks and desserts.
What you need to make an AeroPress espresso
To make an AeroPress espresso, you will need:
- AeroPress coffee maker
- coffee grinder
- kitchen scale
- timer
- water
Experts suggest using a metal filter on your AeroPress for this recipe. It will allow more of the oils and fine grounds into the drink. If you do not have a metal filter, be sure to run some warm water through your paper filter to remove the papery taste before adding coffee.
AeroPress espresso recipe
Grind 17 grams of coffee very finely or to the consistency of sugar.
Insert the plunger slightly into the Aeropress and invert the whole contraption so it’s resting on the plunger. Place the coffee in the AeroPress. Put the filled AeroPress on your scale and adjust the scale to zero.
Heat the water to 195 F and add to the AeroPress very slowly. It should take 10 seconds to add 55 grams of water to the device. Then stir or swirl the grounds and coffee in the AeroPress for 15 seconds.
Place a paper filter in the filter cap and moisten it with hot water. Place the cap on your AeroPress, flip it over your sturdiest coffee mug, and plunge as hard and as fast as you can. Note that there is little to no steeping time when making an AeroPress espresso. You will rely on pressure to extract flavor.
Enjoy your AeroPress espresso!
The Fellow Prismo
One tool that can get you even closer to real espresso with AeroPress is the Fellow Prismo. The Fellow Prismo is a specialized filter attachment that forces the liquid through a smaller silicone valve. This increases the pressure and produces a more espresso-like drink. You may even get some crema. AeroPress users also like the Fellow Prismo because it has a built-in stainless steel filter which allows for more coffee oil in your cup.
Fellow Prismo, Pressure-Actuated Attachment for AeroPress Coffee Maker with Reusable Filter
To use a Fellow Prismo, attach it to the bottom of your AeroPress coffee maker and place it over a sturdy mug. Add 28 grams of finely ground coffee and 84 grams of water heated to 206 F. Stir and let steep for one minute. Drive the plunger through with medium pressure.
A Fellow Prismo attachment can also be used with cold water to produce a slow drip method cold brew.
The next best thing
The AeroPress coffee maker is an inexpensive and foolproof way to make a great cup of coffee. The device allows you to try many different grinds of coffee, water temperatures, and brew times. Even if you cannot make a perfect espresso with the AeroPress, try the recipe above, or explore using the Fellow Prismo. You can make a very drinkable espresso substitute at home or on the road.
If you do try it, leave us a comment on our Facebook post and let us know how it turned out!
JOEPRESSO attachment makes a much better espresso because it changes the brewing process from half immersion brewing as you get with all other methods to true pressurized percussion.
Maybe disclose you are with joepresso, eh?