How to make an espresso with an Aeropress in 60 seconds

Espresso equipment for your home is an investment and is not always the most accessible option for everyone. The Aeropress is a compact, space efficient and easy to use alternative that can achieve similar results.

The Aeropress is incredibly versatile and is one of the few ways to achieve an espresso-like coffee at home, without an espresso machine. The reason it’s compared to espresso is that it has a similar intensity and body. The key elements that make an espresso that differ from most manual brewing methods are consistent high pressure and quick brewing time. Most manual brewing relies on gravity to move the water through the coffee (drip coffee), or to immerse the coffee in water (immersion brewing).

Aeropress

replace the paper with a metal Aeropress filter disk

The oil that is forced from the ground coffee in an espresso, passes through the metal filter and into the espresso. Some of the body in espresso is made up of the coffee oil that is able to pass through the metal filter and into your beverage. Traditionally an Aeropress has a much cleaner taste as the oil is filtered out by the paper filter. Metal filters for an Aeropress are available, and we do sell them on our website. Using a metal filter allows the oil to pass through, creating a richer and sweeter flavour. If you are looking for an espresso flavour, try metal filters as they will bring you closer to an espresso-like result.

Use a finer grind and a shorter brew time

Grind size is also important to consider. Most manually brewed coffees have a much coarser grind size than espresso, as they use either gravity to move the water through the coffee or immerse the coffee in water. With the pressure you can apply to the brewing with the Aeropress you can use a much finer grind and shorter brew time, achieving a coffee closer to an espresso.

Need more details? Our Aeropress brewing guide gives you all the basics.

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