Coffee made with an AeroPress is not higher in caffeine than coffee made by other devices. This is because it is not the device that determines the level of caffeine in your drink, rather it is how you brew your coffee, and the type of bean and serving size you choose.
This article takes a look at coffee made with an AeroPress: how the device brews coffee, how it delivers caffeine, and how the AeroPress process contributes to a coffee experience that has caught the attention of coffee lovers everywhere.
What is an AeroPress?
The AeroPress is a coffee making device that was launched in 2005 by American inventor, Alan Adler, who was interested in improving the quality of his daily “cup”.
The device consists of a tough plastic cylinder, a plunger, a filter and a filter cap. The coffee is made by pressing the plunger down and forcing hot water through the coffee beans and filter and into the cup below.
How does the Aeropress work?
The AeroPress process is as simple as the device. The coffee drinker grinds the beans and then adds the grinds with hot water to the cylinder.
The mixture is stirred and allowed to sit for about 30 seconds. Then the plunger, which creates an air tight seal, is pressed to force the water slowly and evenly through the beans.
There is no need to soak the beans beforehand, and the device is simply rinsed and dried afterwards.
How much caffeine is in a cup of coffee made with an AeroPress?
Your AeroPress device comes with a coffee scoop which holds 3 (heaped) tablespoons (or about 14 grams) of coffee. This will make you an 8oz cup of coffee with between 96 and 130mg of caffeine, depending on the size of your drink.
Of course, if you add more coffee grinds to the device before plunging, your brew will be higher in caffeine. The type of beans you choose may also release more caffeine than others, and the size of your final drink also impacts on the amount of caffeine you consume.
Why do coffee drinkers believe that AeroPress coffee is higher in caffeine than other coffee?
A coffee experience is not just about the caffeine. A good coffee produces an experience of a combination of things, and the AeroPress coffee just happens to deliver extremely well on all of them. The crucial elements are:
• Taste – the flavours in the coffee: the more defined and clear they are, the better the taste
• Texture – the “smoothness” or the “thinness” of the drink, often referred to as the “mouthfeel”
• Fragrance – the smell of the beans before brewing
• Aroma – the smell of the beans after brewing
How does the AeroPress produce the superior coffee experience?
Very simply, the magic keys behind the success of Adler’s coffee making device seem to be water pressure and water temperature.
Coffee made with an AeroPress is brewed at a lower temperature than other coffee brewing methods. This means that less of the bitter coffee chemicals will be released into your brew.
The AeroPress submerges the grinds completely in water that stays at the same temperature, and this produces a coffee with a “smooth” finish or mouthfeel. The pressure applied with the plunger also extracts more flavours from your coffee beans.
The fully submerged coffee grinds will release caffeine very efficiently, and as an AeroPress can use the finest grinds, it can also produce the strongest and cleanest flavour profiles.
Is an AeroPress coffee the same as an espresso?
An AeroPress cannot make an actual espresso because they can’t apply the pressure needed to make a traditional espresso.
However, you can make a very concentrated cup of coffee with your AeroPress by adding more very finely ground beans to the cylinder.
You can also choose an espresso coffee bean for grinding. Coffee lovers will often do this to make lattes, cappuccinos, americanos and even iced lattes.
What else is popular about the AeroPress coffee makers?
Speed, efficiency, and mobility are the three most cited reasons for people recommending the Aeropress. This is followed by economy: an AeroPress retails for around $30, obviously much cheaper than a good quality home espresso machine.
The AeroPress is remarkably tough, light and easy to assemble. They produce an outstanding cup of coffee within minutes and are easy to disassemble, clean and store.
The company also released the AeroPress Go in 2019, which is an “on the go” model and comes with a microwavable plastic cup as well as the usual coffee making accessories.
This model has proved very popular with campers, hikers, picnickers, and caravaners, who no longer need to worry about the availability of coffee wherever they are going.
How did Alan Adler come up with the design for the AeroPress?
Adler was already an establish and successful inventor before he even thought about improving his daily coffee.
However, it was typical of Adler to look at an old problem and come up with something complete new to solve it. What he wanted was coffee that was less bitter (or acidic) and a device that made good coffee easily and consistently.
It wasn’t a smooth process; Adler tinkered and fiddled for a long time, and neither was the AeroPress enthusiastically received when it was first launched in 2005. However, by 2008, the AeroPress coffee maker was gathering attention and growing in sales.
It has since been described as making possibly “the best cup of coffee in the world”.
If you like strong coffee, is the Aeropress the best way to make one?
An AeroPress will definitely make you a good strong cup of coffee. Just remember to follow a number of steps in order to make the best cup of strong coffee:
- Choose good quality espresso beans
- Use a good quality grinder to grind them finely (finer grinds make a stronger taste)
- Add some extra scoops to your cylinder
- Use a little less water
- Make sure the grounds are all fully submerged
- Enjoy!
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.