If you are new to the coffee world, you may have heard of manual coffee makers a lot. There are many different ways to make coffee, but one of the most popular methods is using the AeroPress.
The AeroPress coffee maker is a brewing device that uses a plunger to force hot water through coffee grounds (similar to an espresso machine but with less pressure), resulting in a flavored coffee that anyone can make.
But, if you are still unsure if the AeroPress is a good investment for your coffee needs, here are all the pros and cons you should know before making your final decision.
AeroPress Pros And Cons
| AeroPress Pros | AeroPress Cons |
|---|---|
| Mellow Taste | Harder to Get An Espresso Crema |
| Portable | Doesn't Retain Heat For A Long Time |
| Very Affordable | You Need to Apply A Lot of Pressure |
| Durable | The Seal Needs Replacement Every few Months |
| Easy to Clean | Produces Only 1-2 Cups at a time |
| Zero Coffee Grounds in Your Cup | |
| Great for Camping | |
| Quick Brewing Time | |
| Multiple Brewing Methods |
AeroPress Pros
We are going to start with the pros of this amazing brewing device because there are quite a few of them! So, without further ado, here are the pros of AeroPress.
1. The Taste
When it comes to taste the AeroPress clearly has an edge over most other brewing methods, manual or otherwise. If you are looking for a mellow and balanced cup of coffee, this is the coffee maker for you.
The super-thin paper filters AeroPress uses are the perfect combination with the plunger to produce a cup of coffee that is clean and has no bitter aftertaste.
A question that can be asked here is, aren’t the coffee beans more important than the brewing method? Well, yes and no. Of course, the coffee beans are important, but the brewing method is just as important because it can either make or break the taste of your coffee.
When you add the paper filter (or metal) to the filter cap, it blocks out most of the oils and coffee grounds. This results in a great-tasting coffee that is less oily and with zero sediments.
Important: You can use 2 paper filters, one on the filter cap as usual and one after you added your coffee grounds to get a smoother taste out of them. This will result in a more concentrated brew that will look similar to espresso coffee.
2. Portable
The AeroPress is a coffee maker that you can take everywhere you go, from your friend’s house to work or even on vacation.
It is not only lightweight and compact but also comes with a travel bag that has everything you need to make coffee. The travel bag includes:
- The AeroPress (chamber and plunger)
- A coffee scoop
- A stirring paddle
- The Filter Cap
- 350 AeroPress paper filters
- A Funnel
And yes, all these fit inside the travel bag. So, as you can see it’s super easy to have a small gadget everywhere you go to brew coffee. The only thing you need besides the bag is ground coffee beans, your favorite coffee mug, and hot water, which are easy to find.
3. Very Affordable
This coffee brewer is the cheapest one you can buy besides the Hario V60 and a small French Press. It costs around $30, which is a very good price for what you are getting.
You need to keep in mind that you won’t use any electricity or other extras, besides buying the paper filters every now and then. You can avoid that by simply getting a metal filter like the Joepresso.
One thing to add is that even if you want to buy a part separately, it will cost you next to nothing. For example, a new plunger with the added seal will cost you around $15, while a new chamber only costs $10.
You can check all the AeroPress replacement parts on the official website.
4. Durable
You can’t break it, I tried it. Even if you throw it off the balcony (don’t try this at home), it will certainly work. The chamber and plunger are made out of polypropylene plastic which is recyclable, BPA-free, and super strong.
Also, once you get it (cause you will after reading this article) you will notice that sometimes depending on what you want to make you are going to use a lot more force.
Even then the AeroPress won’t break. At first, I was also skeptical about this, but after using it for a while now I can tell you that it is very durable.
Tip: This also applies to the AeroPress Go, which is the little brother of the original AeroPress. It’s made out of the same materials as the original so it won’t break.
5. Easy to Clean
Are you also bored when it’s time to clean a mess in your kitchen? Well, with AeroPress, you will not have this problem.
The chamber, plunger, and filter cap are very easy to clean, and the stirring paddle only needs to be rinsed with water. The only thing that you need to be careful about is the coffee grounds because they can get stuck in the filter cap.
But this is not something to be afraid of, since the pressure that the AeroPress creates will help with the cleaning process. Just make sure you disassemble it and rinse all the parts with water and soap after each use.
I recommend also using vinegar or lemon once in a while to remove the smell of coffee from the AeroPress (especially if you are using a metal filter).
6. Zero Coffee Grounds in Your Cup
The problem with manual brewers is that it’s super easy for everything to go wrong and end up with coffee grounds in your cup. This happens a lot with the French Press, and even though it’s not the end of the world, it’s still annoying.
The good news is that with AeroPress you won’t have to worry about this anymore because the coffee grounds are completely sealed inside the chamber. It is so straightforward that even a complete beginner can make a cup of coffee without any problems.
It’s like automatic drip coffee machines. Have you ever seen one brewing coffee and the final result is full of coffee grounds? I don’t think so. The same thing applies here to the AeroPress, the filter won’t let any coffee grounds get through.
Important: If you want to step up your game and eliminate the risk of getting coffee grounds in your cup completely, you can get a reusable metal filter. The Fellow Prismo is a great option, and it’s what I’m using right now.
7. Great for Camping
Do you like camping? Well, I have good news for you. The AeroPress is the perfect coffee maker to take with you on your next camping trip.
It’s actually designed for this because it’s so small and lightweight. It weighs only 175 grams (6.17 oz) so it won’t take up a lot of space in your backpack.
You can even use it without a filter. This method is called “coffee shocks” and it’s perfect for making coffee in the wild without any filters. Of course, you will need to bring some coffee grounds with you, but that’s not a problem.
You just need to put the ground coffee inside a shock, add the shock inside the chamber, add hot water, and press! It may sound disgusting, but it tastes pretty good (considering you are in the middle of nowhere).
Instant coffee also can be used with AeroPress, and it’s a great way to prepare a simple cup that will help you get through the day.
8. Quick Brewing Time
The AeroPress can outperform a lot of other coffee makers when it comes to brewing time. It only takes about 1 minute (max 2) to brew a cup of coffee, which is amazing if need a quick caffeine fix in the morning.
This is because the only hustle you need to do is to boil the water, add the grounds, and press the plunger. It’s that easy!
The extra parts like the scoop, the funnel, and the stirring paddle can help you go even faster since you won’t need to weigh your coffee beans, find a spoon to stir, or mess everything up when you add the water.
TIP: Many people don’t know this, but the official AeroPress instructions from the company say that your water temperature needs to be 175 F (80 C).
This is the optimal temperature for brewing coffee with AeroPress, and it will help you also save time, so it’s a win-win. Here is a photo with the instructions:
9. Multiple Brewing Methods
Last but not least, there are many different ways you can brew coffee with AeroPress. Some people like their coffee stronger, some weaker, some like cold brew coffee while others prefer regular coffee.
The great news is that AeroPress can do it all!
You can experiment with the grind size, water temperature, coffee roast, coffee bean origin, and many other variables to find the cup that suits your taste. Although, I would suggest staying away from lightly roasted coffee beans because they tend to produce more bitterness.
The most popular brewing methods are:
- The Traditional Way
- The Inverted AeroPress Method
- Cold Brew Coffee
- Espresso-like coffee with Crema
Yes, you can do all these and more with just one coffee maker. This is why AeroPress is so special and unique, and it’s also one of the reasons why it’s one of my favorites. You can tweak your coffee to your taste, and that’s something you can’t do with other coffee makers.
Get this free cheat sheet to step up your coffee game and learn about the different grind sizes!
AeroPress Cons
Not every coffee love story has a happy ending, and the same goes for AeroPress. It’s not perfect, and it has its fair share of cons. Let’s take a look at them in more detail.
1. Harder to Get An Espresso Crema (but Still Possible)
When you want to make espresso coffee you can’t say you succeeded without that golden brown layer of crema on top. This is what makes espresso, espresso.
With AeroPress, it’s very hard to achieve that. This happens because there isn’t enough pressure to produce the crema. AeroPress only produces around 0.25 – 0.75 pressure bars while espresso machines produce around 9-15 bars.
If you do the calculations, you will see that it’s impossible to achieve that pressure by hand. However, there are some methods you can use to get a pretty decent espresso crema with AeroPress, so it’s not unattainable.
You can read our guide for AeroPress crema with 5 proven methods to get more information about this.
2. Doesn’t Retain Heat For A Long Time
Since the AeroPress is made of plastic, it doesn’t retain heat for more than a couple of minutes. This means that you need to be fast with your brewing process and not waste any time because your coffee will be cold if you do.
There is a way to avoid that, which is to preheat your mug or cup before you start brewing. This way, you can be sure that your coffee will stay hot for a little longer.
Some people suggest increasing the temperature of the water you use, but this will only make your coffee more bitter because of the higher temperature.
3. Sometimes You Need to Apply A Lot of Pressure
Depending on the brewing method you are going to use, sometimes you will need to apply more pressure than usual.
For example, when you brew espresso-like coffee, you will need to apply more pressure because you need to extract all the coffee oils. Especially if you tamped your coffee grounds too much.
This can be tiring for some people, so it’s something to keep in mind. The good news is that your AeroPress can withstand a lot of pressure, so you don’t have to worry about breaking it.
4. The Seal Needs Replacement Every few Months
If you use extremely hot water to make coffee, the seal might need to be replaced every few months. Since the seal is made of rubber, it will start to degrade over time if it’s exposed to high temperatures.
One way to avoid this is to press fast instead of slow. By pressing fast, the water will spend less time in contact with the rubber, and this will help to prolong its lifespan.
5. Produces Only 1-2 Cups at a time
We left the most common problem for the AeroPress for last. The AeroPress can only brew 1-2 cups of coffee at a time, which is not ideal for large groups.
If you are okay with that then there is no problem, but if you need to brew more than 2 cups then you will need another coffee maker. A French Press is a good option because there are many different sizes that you can choose from, depending on your needs.
TIP: You can use less water inside the AeroPress and more coffee grounds to make a stronger coffee. Then once you have brewed it, you can add hot water to your mug to make it a larger cup.
Is AeroPress Really That Good?
AeroPress can produce great coffee, there is no doubt about it. However, it’s not the best coffee maker in the world, and it does have some cons that you need to be aware of.
If you don’t mind the extra work that sometimes comes with it and you are okay with brewing only 1-2 cups at a time, then AeroPress is definitely something that you should look into.
I hope this article has helped you make a final decision before you buy your AeroPress. If you want to learn more about AeroPress you can read our related articles below, or if you want to learn all the grind sizes for every brewer out there don’t forget to get our cheat sheet which you can find at the top, or bottom of this page!
Happy brewing!
Evelina
Evelina’s passion for coffee could never been hidden. Having worked as a barista, she learned the true value of the coffee bean and its secrets. As she continued to evolve as a barista, so did her knowledge, techniques on making different coffee blends and most importantly how to operate every kind of gear when it comes to coffee. Having a degree in biomedicine and being a barista, allows her to provide our community with in-depth knowledge surrounding the topics of coffee.
Get this free cheat sheet to step up your coffee game and learn about the different grind sizes!
