Since its official launch at the 2005 Seattle CoffeeFest, the AeroPress has gained a cult following. Favoured for its simplicity, which allows users to experiment with different variables, it has earned its spot as one of the industry‘s most beloved brewing methods.
Recipe development is expansive and rapid, fueled by the World AeroPress Championship (WAC), the enthusiasm of the specialty coffee community, and the ever-growing range of AeroPress brewers available on the market, including the Clear, XL, and, most recently, the Premium.
The industry’s desire to innovate and experiment with extraction, coupled with new brewers, means it’s time to revisit the AeroPress brew guide.
I spoke to the World AeroPress Championship’s creative director Grant Gamble and director Tim Williams, the 2022 World AeroPress Champion Jibbi Little, and the 2023 World AeroPress Champion Ekameth “Tay” Wipvasutti for their insight.
You may also like our article on how brewing with the AeroPress has evolved.
The AeroPress: A history
When Alan Adler’s original AeroPress (which was clear-coloured with a blue-ish hue) first launched, it quickly caught the attention of third wave coffee. Its popularity continued as the specialty coffee market emerged, gaining a loyal following – with US news outlet CNN recently describing the brewer as a “lifestyle”.
Its tried-and-tested, iconic design was – and still is – a huge part of its appeal. The cylindrical chamber and plunger with an airtight silicone seal make it versatile, intuitive, portable, and robust.
Between 2009 and 2018, the AeroPress has undergone small, subtle changes, such as:
- Switching its materials from polycarbonate to BPA-free copolyester – mainly in response to growing health concerns about BPA (or bisphenol A), a chemical used to make certain plastics and resins. It later used polypropylene
- Launching its first-ever smoky grey-coloured brewer in 2010
- Changing the colour of the lettering and numbers from blue to gold to beige to gold foil. The brand name “AeroPress” was also printed on the side of the brewer
- Changing the colour of the brewer from dark to light grey
In mid-2019, the brewer underwent its biggest design change so far: The launch of the AeroPress Go, a compact version of the original model. Developed specifically for travel, the smaller-sized brewer comes with its own carry case, which also doubles as a reusable mug. It includes red lettering, too – which AeroPress also changed on the original model.
Two years later, Tiny Capital, a Canadian holding company, acquired the company, spurring further innovation with the launch of new products like the AeroPress Clear, XL, Clear Colours, Go Plus and, most recently, the Premium.
How the World AeroPress Championship revolutionised brewing
Three years after the launch of the AeroPress, the inaugural World AeroPress Championship took place in Oslo, Norway. Industry veteran Tim Wendelboe judged three competitors to see who could prepare the best-tasting coffee with the brewer.
Today, the WAC spans over 60 countries, with over 6,000 people taking part in more than 175 regional and national events. The community-driven competition has had a monumental impact on AeroPress recipe development – particularly the inverted brewing method.
Inverted & bypass brewing
Although some speculate that the inverted technique originated from a 2007 forum post, others believe it was first used in one of the earlier editions of the WAC.
To brew with the inverted method, you place the plunger on the counter with the rubber seal facing upward. Next, position the chamber upside-down on the plunger and push it down so that the rubber seal enters by at least 20mm.
You then hold the chamber securely with one hand and add ground coffee and hot water as desired. Once total extraction time is reached, you screw the filter cap (with a filter in place) onto the chamber, securely grip the chamber and plunger with both hands and “invert” the AeroPress, placing it directly onto a mug or vessel, and press down.
Switching from the traditional to the inverted method effectively prolongs the extraction time and allows users to have more control over the entire brewing process. For this reason, it quickly became popular at the WAC and beyond – although it’s not officially endorsed by AeroPress, which states turning or “inverting” the brewer poses health and safety risks.
“Throughout the championship, we’ve also seen the popularisation of ‘bypass brewing’, now considered standard practice among brewers,” says Grant Gamble, the creative director of the World AeroPress Championship.
This is when brewers add water to the coffee after extraction. The reasons are twofold: first, the AeroPress’ chamber restricts the volume of coffee you can brew, so bypassing means you can prepare larger volumes of coffee, and second, you can avoid contact with ground coffee, which minimises the risk of overextraction.
New brewers have changed the user experience
The release of different AeroPress models over the last five years has opened up new possibilities for brewing and recipe development.
The Clear’s transparent material, for example, means users can easily observe how ground coffee interacts with the brewing water. In turn, they can quickly identify uneven extraction and make any necessary adjustments to exert more control over brewing variables.
Meanwhile, the XL – which is twice the size of the original AeroPress – effectively eliminates the need for bypass brewing, allowing users to prepare larger volumes of coffee at one time.
The recently launched Premium, with a double-walled glass brew chamber and aluminium plunger, builds on these new user experiences.
“New refinements to materials elevate the brewing experience while maintaining the signature simplicity of the AeroPress design,” says Rawirat Techasitthanet, better known as Jibbi Little. She is the 2022 World AeroPress Champion, a seasoned coffee competitor, and the founder of Jibbi Coffee Roasters.
Similar to the Clear, monitoring extraction is more straightforward with the Premium. For instance, users can see and test how different rates of agitation impact extraction by adjusting the height and speed when pouring water into the brew chamber.
Moreover, the Premium’s double-walled chamber retains brew temperature for longer periods of time, which helps to extract more volatile flavour and aroma compounds.
The WAC continues to influence brewing
Competitions have long been platforms for innovation in specialty coffee, and the WAC is one of the leading examples.
“Its format encourages participants to experiment and innovate, inspiring them to develop the best recipes suited for each coffee,” Jibbi says. “It fosters creativity and highlights the versatility of the AeroPress.”
The seemingly infinite number of combinations of different doses, yields, grind sizes, and temperatures continues to result in a wide range of recipes showcased at the WAC every year.
“I developed my winning 2022 recipe through countless trials, focusing on flavour balance and clarity to highlight the best aspects of the coffee,” Jibbi says. “My recipe was designed to suit the coffee I used in the competition, but I always tweak variables to get the best results.”
Like many competitors, Jibbi used the inverted and bypass brewing methods in her routine to achieve the desired flavour profile. The latter became particularly popular after competitors started to use higher doses in their recipes, but recent rule updates have introduced new limitations.
“Up until 2020, there had been a steady increase in doses from one scoop (about 12g of coffee) to upwards of 30 to 40g, creating a more concentrated cup followed by dilution to reach the desired strength,” Grant explains. “Winning recipes were becoming more homogenous, so we introduced a rule to cap the dose at 18g and reinvigorate the creativity that the competition is known for.”
“In the 2025 season, we’re also introducing a rule which permits the use of the AeroPress Flow Control Filter Cap,” says Tim Williams, the director of the WAC. “This will allow competitors to create recipes which mimic the famed inverted recipes without having to physically invert their brewers and risk the dreaded fumble.”
Champions offer their brewing tips
As new brewers and WAC routines influence how we use the AeroPress, we’re set to see further recipe development that could require taking different approaches to get the best results.
“Each AeroPress model has slight differences in design and capacity. For example, the Premium might handle heat better, so adjustments to brew temperature or time may be necessary,” Jibbi explains. ”Always test and refine your recipe based on the specific brewer.”
Regardless of which model you use, Jibbi says grind size, water temperature, and total brew time are the three key parameters to pay close attention to. Based on these factors, she adds that it’s crucial to find the optimal grind size for a specific coffee and to adjust one variable at a time when experimenting with different recipes.
“Every parameter changes cup quality,” says the 2023 World AeroPress Champion Ekameth “Tay” Wipvasutti, who is also the co-founder of Brave Roasters. “So, you have to know how subtle changes will impact cup quality.”
Tay also used the inverted method and bypass brewing in his winning routine, using room temperature water and brewing water set at 89°C (192°F).
“Rather than using a standard recipe, which is to add all the ground coffee to the AeroPress, then pour hot water, stir, wait, and press, I added coffee in different amounts for my winning routine: 16g first, then 2g to make 18g in total,” he adds. “Different timings and small adjustments can make a better cup.”
Tay explains that he focuses on three factors when brewing coffee with different AeroPress models to finetune his recipes:
- Using different grinders
- Brewing with multiple types of filter papers, including AeroPress’ original and Aesir, which can then be paired with different grinders
- Switching between traditional and inverted methods
Simple is often best
With the WAC’s influence, AeroPress recipes have become increasingly intricate. Many competitors often use more than one grinder to achieve a variety of grind sizes or brew with specific water formulas and paper filters.
Although this level of precision and control can help brewers achieve the exact results they’re looking for, it can be intimidating for less experienced baristas and coffee enthusiasts.
“We frequently tell competitors that the winning recipes are often the simplest,” Grant says. “It can be tempting to create a 20-step recipe using multiple grinders and an abundance of brewing tools, but it’s important to craft a recipe that is as easily repeatable as it is delicious.”
A string of new AeroPress products in recent years has changed how we use the brewer, revamping recipes and creating new ones. Competitions like the WAC continue to influence trends in the wider industry, pushing baristas to become more creative and inventive.
Recipe development has become increasingly sophisticated and intricate, unlocking nuances in coffee flavour. But at the same time, simple and straightforward techniques are still favoured.
Enjoyed this? Then read our article on what’s next for the World AeroPress Championship.
Photo credits: Jibbi Coffee Roasters, Shane Gallagher, World AeroPress Championship
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