If you love great coffee and are always on the lookout for new brewing methods, then you've probably heard of the AeroPress.
This unique coffee brewer has been gaining in popularity in recent years, and for a good reason - it produces a delicious cup of joe with minimal effort.
But like all brewing methods, the AeroPress has its pros and cons. Let's take a look at what they are.
The pros and cons of an AeroPress
I'll begin by going over the five pros that I believe make this coffee brewer so amazing. After that, I'll touch on the two cons that I have of the AeroPress.
Before getting into the article, you can have a quick look below for the main points I'll touch on further down:
- Easy and fast to clean
- Easy to use
- Versatile
- Affordable
- Portable
- Not all coffee roasts work well
- Maximum amount of coffee for two persons
Now that you know about the pros and cons of the AeroPress read along to get an in-depth explanation for each of the points mentioned.
The pros of AeroPress coffee
What makes this coffee brewer so great? Down below, you'll find the pros to start this article with.
After that, I'll give you the cons and finally my conclusion. Let's jump into it:
Pro 1. Easy and fast to clean
This is one of the most important pros on this list. This coffee brewer can be cleaned in less than 10 seconds when you're trying really hard. But when you're taking your time for it, you'll still be done cleaning it in less than 30 seconds.
Isn't that awesome? I've never had a coffee brewer that you can clean in such a small amount of time.
The AeroPress has two cylinders that need to be cleaned, a small filter cap, and a stirring wand. That's all the equipment that needs cleaning to make this coffee brewer brand-new looking.
Although more pieces of equipment are included in the box when purchasing this coffee brewer, you won't always use them. You can leave these pieces of equipment in the box itself for when you really need it, which is really nice.
Pro 2. Easy to use
The AeroPress is super easy to use and is a great first coffee brewer when you want to start brewing coffee at home.
There are many pieces of equipment included in the package of the AeroPress. You can use all of these items to brew coffee as easily as you'd like.
Take the coffee scoop, for example; you can use it to measure out the amount of ground coffee you need to brew a cup of coffee.
And the coffee funnel works great to counteract the spilling of your ground coffee before it reaches the inside of the cylinder of the AeroPress:
All of these handy things make this coffee brewer such a breeze to brew coffee with. It's actually perfect if you want to start your home-brewing coffee experience. I highly recommend starting with this coffee brewer because it's just so easy.
If you'd like to learn more about coffee brewing using an AeroPress, you can check it out here. I've written a beginner's guide to help you start brewing Your Dream Coffee from your kitchen.
Pro 3. Versatility
The versatility of this brewer is out of this world. You can brew more than one cup of coffee with it.
For example, you can brew espresso-like coffee with the AeroPress, a big cup of coffee, or even cold brew!
You can use the regular way of brewing coffee or the inverted coffee brewing way. The regular way is exactly how it was invented to be used, and then you've got the inverted way.
Using the inverted way of brewing coffee with this coffee brewer comes close to brewing pour over coffee. For this technique, you have to turn the whole brewer upside down and pour the water on top of the ground coffee beans. It looks like this:
The coffee flavor is far different from the regular brewing way as this technique takes account of blooming the coffee beans for a longer period, leaving you with a more balanced coffee in the end.
Pro 4. Affordability
This coffee brewer is one of the most affordable that you can buy. And for the number of different ways of brewing coffee with it, it's a great deal.
You can buy a Hario V60 for not too much money as well, but you can only make coffee one way. The AeroPress can produce far more coffees using different techniques.
I personally use this brewer to make some amazing espresso-like coffee as the basis for coffee recipes or when I feel like drinking an espresso. For example, you can use this coffee to make these coffee recipes:
The coffee that it produces comes close to the espresso machine's real espressos without paying a great amount of money.
Pro 5. Portability
You can easily travel with this brewer, and there is even a dedicated travel version available which includes a mug.
The AeroPress is quite small, and because it's made entirely of plastic parts, you won't risk breaking it along the way. You can easily stick it in the side pockets of your backpack, suitcase, or in a cabinet in your camper.
Because you can brew coffee in such a small amount of time, you can even make some coffee when you're out camping and have a campfire going.
Take a manual coffee grinder with you, boil some water, and you're all set to brew Your Dream Coffee along the way.
If you want to learn about the best way to store an AeroPress, you can find more information here.
The cons of AeroPress coffee
It's now time to go over the cons. Although there aren't many cons to it, I still have some which I'd like to go over.
There are only two cons for me, which makes this brewer so awesome.
Con 1. Not every coffee roast works well
Not every coffee roast can reach its full potential when using this coffee brewer; more specifically, light roasted coffee beans don't work well for this coffee brewer. Let me tell you why I think this is.
The roast level of coffee is essential. Because an AeroPress doesn't produce a lot of coffee at once, you want this coffee to be strong of a flavor, like an espresso.
Espresso tends to have a full-bodied and balanced flavor profile, which you can achieve when brewing coffee using a darker roasted coffee bean.
Moreover, when using lightly roasted coffee beans to brew that espresso-like coffee, you're going to be disappointed by the coffee that comes out.
Light roasted coffee beans are best used when brewing with a pour over coffee brewer like a Chemex. The water poured onto the coffee beans will slide through the ground coffee for a longer period of time, resulting in more flavor.
The AeroPress can brew a cup of coffee in no time and doesn't give the coffee beans a chance to come to their full potential because of it. Medium roasted coffee beans work great for this brewing technique.
Darker roasted coffee beans are known for it's darker tasting notes like burned caramel, rubber, dark chocolate, and nuts.
You will extract these coffee flavors no matter what, but lighter roasted coffee beans are so delicate that it's best used in a different coffee brewer.
I suggest testing out various coffee beans when you decide to get an AeroPress yourself. You might find that a light roast works perfectly for the flavor profile you're trying to achieve.
Con 2. Can't brew coffee for more than two persons at once
This coffee brewer doesn't have a lot of room to fit coffee in. It is best used to make espresso-like coffee or just a nice cup of regular coffee.
However, you can only brew coffee for up to two people at once because of its size, which means that you have to brew your coffee in multiple sessions when the whole family is coming over.
But if you feel like this isn't going to be a problem for you, this coffee brewer will be perfect for you! It is one - if not the most versatile and easy-to-use coffee brewer to date.
Conclusion
Because the AeroPress is so easy to use, I really like it combined with the ease of cleaning, portability, and price class.
When I just started brewing coffee at home, I never thought that this brewer would be something that would make great coffee. But after a while of using it, I think it's one of the best brewers out there. It's such a great invention.
If you decided to buy an AeroPress and are looking for some great recipes to make at home, you can have a look below.
Do you love the AeroPress as much as I do? Let me know by leaving a comment down below. If you have any other questions regarding coffee, you can also contact me directly by pressing the “Contact Me” button at the top!
