You have been making coffee for a while now, and you suddenly notice a difference in taste when brewing coffee with your favorite companion, the AeroPress.
You have landed on the right article. I will be going over a few things in this article. I’m going to tell you if your AeroPress needs a deep cleaning.
If the AeroPress is dishwasher safe and much more. Grab your favorite cup of coffee and read all about how to clean an AeroPress!
Is AeroPress easy to clean?
The AeroPress is super easy to clean. As you might have noticed, an AeroPress has quite a few parts to it.
It’s important to clean every single part of the AeroPress to ensure that you get the best extraction possible, which results in the best coffee.
The two plungers of the AeroPress have to be clean at all times to ensure that proper extraction.
When the insides of the chambers contain a lot of oil and grit from the coffee beans, you might have to deal with a cup of joe that tastes a bit off.
But I’ve got some tips and tricks to make sure these parts are at their best at all times. Down below, you will find a cleaning guide to make sure your AeroPress is at its best:
How to clean an AeroPress
There are a few tricks you can use to get yourself a new-looking AeroPress by cleaning it properly. I have summed them up:
- Rinse your AeroPress thoroughly after each brew.
- Clean your AeroPress by using a mild soap.
- Soak the AeroPress parts in a vinegar solution.
These are the best ways that I know of to clean your AeroPress. Let me show you how to use these cleaning techniques to get that crisp-looking AeroPress at home.
After the three different ways of cleaning an AeroPress, I’ve made a small guide on cleaning the coffee brewer using your dishwasher, but more on this later.
Rinsing the AeroPress after each use
Let’s start this off with the first technique, the rinsing of the AeroPress. This technique requires nothing but some hot tap water.
It’s best to rinse your AeroPress after you are done brewing coffee with it. This will keep it looking fresh as long as possible. It’s quite simple if you do this after each brew:
- Screw off the filter cap and throw out the coffee pug.
- Divide the AeroPress plungers.
- Rinse the cylinder where the coffee brewing has taken place thoroughly.
- Now, grab the cylinder with the vacuum seal on the bottom.
- Rinse the vacuum seal properly and make sure no coffee oil is left behind.
- After that, rinse the filter cap and leave it to dry on a kitchen towel.
Only rinsing is not enough, and if you are using the AeroPress for a longer period of time, you will see some oil build-up. This is where the other three techniques come in handy:
Clean your AeroPress using mild washing soap
To clean your AeroPress using mild washing soap, you will need mild washing soap and some warm tap water.
To get started on this cleaning technique, you need to disassemble the AeroPress plungers and twist the cap off the plunger’s bottom.
Now, make a little bath using a small container or using the sink and some warm water run into it.
Add some mild soap to it and pop the AeroPress parts into the soapy water. Leave the parts to chill for a few minutes before moving on to the next step:
To make the AeroPress spotless, use your fingers to rub off any excess oils and coffee grit off the AeroPress.
Note: Don’t use a sponge or cleaning brush for this cleaning technique, as this will likely damage your AeroPress!
After you are done scrubbing the AeroPress parts with your hands, rinse thoroughly under running tap water. You can use both cold and hot water for the rinsing part.
Make sure you get all the soap out of the chambers, as this will otherwise leave a weird taste on your next cup of coffee.
Let’s move on to the next cleaning process: soaking the AeroPress parts in a vinegar bath:
Soaking the AeroPress in vinegar
This cleaning technique can be used when you have some coffee stains and coffee particles that just won’t let go of your AeroPress.
Gather all the parts you want to thoroughly clean and grab a container that fits all the parts, even when the parts are fully submerged.
Now, add a splash of vinegar and fill the remaining container space with warm water.
Leave to clean for at least 20 minutes when you need a quick clean, but this technique is best used when you’ve got a bit more time. Leave the AeroPress parts overnight to get the most out of the vinegar bath.
After soaking the AeroPress in the vinegar bath, rinse with warm water and make sure you have rinsed off everything. You don’t want your coffee to taste vinegary, am I right?
Moving on to the next cleaning option, using the dishwasher to clean your AeroPress:
Is the AeroPress dishwasher safe?
Yes, the AeroPress is dishwasher-safe! It’s actually a cleaning technique that I use every month. By adding the AeroPress parts to the upper rack of your dishwasher, the parts will get spotless and will look great afterward.
The water from the dishwasher can get pretty hot when the dishwasher is running its program. This is why most people tend to leave the dishwasher out of their cleaning options completely.
Although the dishwasher runs pretty hot, depending on your chosen program, the heat will not ruin your AeroPress.
I add the plungers, filter cap, pouring spout, and stirring wand to the dishwasher to get them all clean.
If you feel like most parts are clean and don’t feel like adding them to the dishwasher, don’t worry; leave them out and throw them in the next time you will be running a program for your dishwasher.
I use the dishwasher to clean my AeroPress once a month, and I do not recommend using the dishwasher to clean the AeroPress every day. Rinse it out after each use and clean it more thoroughly using mild soap or a vinegar bath.
How to store the AeroPress after cleaning
Although cleaning is important to get a great-tasting cup of coffee, the drying stage is even more important.
Whenever you have hand-washed your AeroPress, or the dishwasher has run its program, leave the AeroPress parts to dry the right way.
The best way to dry the AeroPress parts is by leaving them on a kitchen towel upside down and letting them air dry for a bit.
After most of the large water drops have had the chance to vaporize, you can dry the chambers by wiping a soft cloth through the insides.
Get yourself a nice soft cloth and run it over the remaining parts of your AeroPress. Drying off all of the AeroPress parts will also make it shine beautifully.
After the process, pop the AeroPress plungers into each other and press all the way through. The vacuum pod at the end of the chambers should stick through the other side.
Using this storage technique, the vacuum seal will not be kept under pressure and will live a long and happy life. I suggest keeping all the AeroPress parts close to each other not to risk losing one of them.
Conclusion
Knowing some great cleaning ways to get that shiny coffee brewer you once bought is always nice. Most coffee brewers have a limited lifespan, but cleaning them the right way might extend it by a few months or even years.
I suggest you start cleaning your AeroPress using a little soap before moving on to the next cleaning steps. Remember: a clean coffee brewer makes your coffee taste better!
If you feel like making coffee with the AeroPress, check out my guides on brewing coffee with an AeroPress.
I’ve listed a beginner’s guide, the regular way, and the inverted way to brewing coffee with your AeroPress.
