So far we have been talking a lot about the upsides of this remarkable brewer. Now, let me focus on some of the cons. As mentioned in the introduction a lot of home baristas (as well as pros) actually have a hard time getting delicious coffee out of the device.

I have often had friends confess to me that they rarely use the brewer and that pour over coffee consistently tastes btter.

With that in mind, here are some typical mistakes the burgeoning Aero-barista might commit and how to fix them.

#1: PLUNGE GENTLY

As mentioned above, the Aeropress and the espresso have always had some kind of mythical connection in peoples mind. Maybe because of the names, or maybe because they both utilize pressure in some way.

Somehow a lot of home baristas think that pressure is the key to a proper brew. For that reason they will lean on the plunger with all their weight and pump like madmen.

However, the truth is that the air pressure isn’t an important part of the brew; it’s just a handy way to separate liquid and the puck.

By exerting full full force when brewing, you actually ruin your coffee. Coffee brewed this way often has a weird, almost one-dimensional flavor.

What you should do instead, is to put gentle pressure on the plunger.

For the cleanest flavor, it should take close to a minute to press the plunger all the way to the bottom. This sentiment is also shared by many other connoisseurs. Even Alan Adler brews this way.

#2: MIX, AERATE & COOL DOWN

This tip might sound simple, but it’s a crucial step in making a delicious cup every single time.

If you’re pressing the Aero directly into a preheated mug, a lot of things can and will go wrong.

Black coffee should be brewed around 200 °F (93 °C), but it should be served and consumed around 140 °F (55 °C).

(55 °C). Furthermore, it should be mixed and aerated slightly to let all the aroma compounds blend nicely.

slightly to let all the aroma compounds blend nicely. All the above things will happen automatically if you brew into a carafe or range server and swirl it around a couple of times.

On the other hand, if you brew into a pre-heated mug, like a lot of wanna-be baristas tend to do, then your brew will be subpar.

It will be way too hot to drink right away. And most of the aroma compounds will float around in the bottom of the cup.

It’s a little bit controversial, but some of the most knowledgeable people in the coffee business also claim that coffee should be aerated to live up to its full potential. Almost like wine.

In my opinion, aeration is a crucial step of manual brewing.

#3: USE THE RIGHT WATER

A lot can be said about water and coffee. There are even books and scientific papers dedicated to this topic.

Water is what often separates a good cup of home-brewed coffee from a world-class cup one in a third wave coffee shop.

This is one of the most challenging parts to get right, though. On the surface, all water pretty much looks the same. So you need knowledge or perhaps even special equipment to get it right.

But for now let me give you some brief advice: Avoid tap water. Most people on this planet, don’t have tap water suitable for coffee brewing. (This is true even if the water tastes good).

Instead, use a relatively soft water like Volvic or use reverse osmosis water in conjunction with added minerals from the company Third Wave Water.

Ideally, you want to use water that has a TDS between 70 and 140 with equal amounts of calcium and magnesium.

If you want to invest time and effort, try my recipe for perfect brew water.

#4: USE TWO FILTERS

Brewing with a single filter isn’t really an error per se – after all, it’s what all the world champions do.

Still, I have to say that I often get better results using two filters instead of a single one.

Recently, I have even heard Matt Perger state the same in a keynote speak (“Yehh, mate, always bettaaa with two filters,” were his exact words as far I recall.)

If you’re into pour over like Hario V60 and Kalita Wave, then you should definitely try this little hack. It tends to make the cup clearer and more balanced, while also promoting acidity.

Just put both filters into the cap, rinse, and brew like you’d normally do. If you want, you can wash the filters off after use and recycle up to 3 times. Just treat them as one entity, when washing and let them dry inside the filter cap to retain shape.

#5: CLEANING

This is another common error that is caused by old school Aero-propaganda.

“This device doesn’t need cleaning – just press the plunger, and shoot the puck into a bin,” the instruction claims.

Yeah, right – The Coffee Chronicler doesn’t quite agree.

Let me tell you this frankly. If this is the only kind of cleaning you do, your coffee is going to taste awful within a month or two.

Once in a while, give your device a nice bath in hot water and baking soda. Make sure to take off the rubber gasket too.

It is removable, but many people have no clue. A lot of nasty oils will gather in the crevices if left to itself and that will impact the flavor.

Don’t trust the sneaky coffee salesman on this one. It’s a cool brewer, but like all other items in your kitchen, it needs cleaning once in a while.

Let me repeat: Remember to take the gasket off every two weeks for a thorough cleaning!

OVER TO YOU

If you have read all the way to the end, you already know a lot about this fantastic brewing device. I encourage you to experiment and test every little piece of advice. Keep what you like and discard the rest.

In the end, you can brew Aeropress in any way you like – the most important thing is that you enjoy it.

The inventor of this brewer made toys before he got into coffee, with that in mind I think we should always focus on the playful aspect of the brewer.