Choose a recipe that fits your device
These are editorial starting recipes for upright brewing. The standard recipe assumes an Original-size chamber with adequate headroom; check your model's fill guidance. For the smaller Go, use the reduced brewing-water option and add the remaining water to the cup. XL uses larger filters and hardware; do not mix those parts with standard models.
AeroPress concentrate can be useful under milk, but the device does not reproduce an espresso machine's brewing conditions. Expect a concentrated brewed coffee, not a guaranteed crema or an espresso-equivalent taste.
| Drink | Coffee | In the chamber | After pressing | Estimated finished drink |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ordinary cup | 15 g, medium-fine | 225 g water at 92°C / 198°F | Nothing required | About 195 ml |
| Small chamber version | 15 g, medium-fine | 160 g water at 92°C / 198°F | 65 g hot water | About 195 ml |
| Concentrate for dilution | 18 g, fine but not powder | 90 g water at 94°C / 201°F | 150 g hot water or separately prepared milk | About 204 ml before foam |
| Iced cup | 15 g, medium-fine | 160 g water at 94°C / 201°F | Brew onto 80 g ice | About 210 ml once counted ice melts |
Evidence: AeroPress: model-specific instructions
Brew upright and press gently
Use a sturdy, stable mug or server that safely supports the chamber; the manufacturer warns against fragile thin-walled glass. Have a scale, timer, stirrer and enough room beneath the brewer for the expected drink.
- Fit the correct filter into the matching cap and secure it fully. Place the chamber upright on the sturdy vessel and check that it sits securely.
- Add the selected coffee. For the iced recipe, weigh the 80 g ice into the vessel first; tare the assembled setup before adding brewing water.
- Start the timer and pour the recipe's hot water without exceeding the device's safe fill line. Stir gently through the slurry to wet all grounds.
- For the ordinary cup, wait until about 1:30; for concentrate or iced, begin with a 1:00 steep. A little early drip through a standard cap is normal.
- Insert the plunger and press steadily over roughly 30 seconds using gentle pressure. If the vessel shifts or pressing becomes difficult, stop rather than push harder.
- Add the selected bypass water or milk to the cup, or swirl the iced drink to melt the planned ice. Taste after appropriate cooling and record the actual yield if volume matters.
- Once safe to handle, remove the cap over a waste container, eject the puck and filter, rinse the seal and chamber, and wash as your model directs.
Evidence: AeroPress: model-specific instructions · AeroPress Original: vessel and pressing safety
Brew water, bypass and ice are separate
Bypass is water added after coffee leaves the grounds. It changes strength without continuing extraction. An estimated 2 g retained per gram of coffee explains why 225 g brewing water with 15 g coffee might give about 195 g in the cup. Pressing harder is not a sensible way to chase an exact yield.
The iced plan has 160 g hot water plus 80 g ice, or 240 g total recipe water. About 30 g may remain with the grounds. It only reaches the planned dilution as the ice melts; serve with additional ice if needed, understanding that this later ice will dilute it further.
For two people, make two batches or use a model explicitly sized for a larger brew. A double-dose concentrate with bypass is another experiment only if the grounds, water and plunger can fit securely; do not scale a full chamber beyond its limit.
For the underlying distinction between concentration and extraction, see strength and extraction.
A separate light-roast experiment
If a light roast stays sharp after an even standard brew, try an upright Original-size recipe of 15 g coffee with 240 g water at 96°C / 205°F. Stir to wet, steep until 2:00 and press gently over about 30 seconds. Expected drink is approximately 210 ml under the same 2 g/g retention assumption. Check chamber headroom first; use a smaller brew plus measured bypass for a smaller device.
This changes both temperature and contact time relative to the standard recipe, so treat it as a new baseline. Once chosen, adjust one variable at a time. It preserves the lighter-roast beverage option without using inversion.
Change the extraction, then the strength
Hold the water plan fixed while testing grind or steep time. Once the coffee tastes balanced, adjust bypass to suit the cup.
| Problem | Next controlled test |
|---|---|
| Sharp and thin | Extend steeping by 30 seconds; if unchanged, try a small finer adjustment. |
| Bitter or drying | Try 90°C / 194°F or a shorter steep, one change at a time. |
| Balanced but too concentrated | Add measured water in the cup and save the amount. |
| Milk hides the coffee | Reduce the milk portion or use the concentrate recipe; do not overfill the chamber. |
| Press is difficult | Stop and check grind, filter and seal only when safely handled; next time use coarser grounds. |
| Fast dripping before pressing | Check cap/filter assembly. Some dripping is normal with the standard cap; do not compensate by an unstable setup. |
| Iced drink tastes watery | Count both brew ice and serving ice; reduce unplanned dilution before increasing dose. |
Why these recipes stay upright
AeroPress explicitly discourages the inverted method because the brewer can become unstable and expose the user to hot-liquid burns. It is unnecessary for the ordinary, concentrated and iced drinks here. A compatible flow-control accessory changes operation; use its own instructions and compatibility list rather than assuming it behaves like a standard cap.
Inspect the seal, cap and filter before use. Do not continue with damaged parts, force a blocked press, or balance the brewer on an unsuitable glass.
Prevent old coffee from living behind the seal
Dispose of the cool puck, wash the chamber and seal, and allow parts to dry. Remove or clean parts only as the model's instructions allow. If a stale flavor survives a rinse, inspect the seal edge and cap for trapped residue.
For travel, let the brewer dry before packing it and bring a stable vessel as carefully as you bring coffee. A no-grinder setup works with suitably ground coffee; label the dose portions so convenience does not turn into guesswork.
Sources & limitations
This guide combines source-based explanations and practical starting points. Coffee Jacob has not performed hands-on product testing or controlled tasting trials for this guide. Source check: 13 October 2026.