The AeroPress is a top-rated coffee maker created in 2005 by Alan Adler and has since become an international sensation among coffee lovers.
The best part about this type of coffee maker is its versatility. You can use it with any type of beans or preground drip coffee, hot or cold water, popular brewing methods, different amounts of pressure applied during brewing time, etc.
While experimenting with brewing methods using your favorite variety of coffee can be fun, if you ignore the strength setting on your grinder (which we’ll get into later) and don’t have the proper size of grind, your AeroPress could become clogged and result in multiple bad coffees.
To maintain a perfect flow and optimum taste regardless of brew method, you must grind your coffee beans thoroughly before brewing. For an AeroPress device, this means grinding them into medium-size coffee grounds (like table salt). Doing these grinds will speed up the extraction process.
Moreover, coarse-grind coffee will lead to over brewing and bitterness in your cup of joe, which is just an assault on your sense of taste. You’ve likely had some bad experiences with burnt or gritty coffee—don’t let those happen again.
Read on if you want to learn about the best way to make a tasty brew using one of these little devices.
Your tastebuds will thank you.
The AeroPress History
As I mentioned earlier, the AeroPress is a coffee brewing device created in 2005 by Alan Adler. The AeroPress is a non-pressurized coffee-making method, and you can use it with whole beans or ground coffee.
Today, many use AeroPress if they want to make just a single cup of coffee. Moreover, AeroPress is a popular brewing device because it’s easy to use and has few parts.
The AeroPress consists of three components:
- A plunger that fits snugly over the top and has an opening in its center
- The bottom chamber where you would add water and coffee grinds
- Two filters on the base, another on the top side—you can remove the lower filter to add extra space if need be
Why Is the Coffee Bean Grind Size Important?
Correct coffee grinding is important because a finer grind will let the water go through more quickly and extract more of the coffee flavor from your beans. Conversely, the coarser a grind is, the longer it takes for the water to reach all of those flavorful oils in your coffee beans.
AeroPress devices have varying filter sizes.
So, you need to know what type of AeroPress device you have before getting started with grinding your coffee beans, as they can range in size and shape depending on how strong or weak you want your brew.
What Grind Size Should I Use for an AeroPress?
For AeroPress, you should stick to an ideal grind size between medium and fine, according to the AeroPress Espresso maker.
AeroPress is a pressure-driven device, and anything coarser than a medium grind coffee will end up causing the coffee to float in water. Medium-ground coffee, whether espresso grind or drip, has more space between its particles. The extra space provides more surface area for flavor extraction.
Medium grinds generally result in a fuller-bodied cup with thicker crema on top.
Moreover, AeroPress users shouldn’t go 100% coarse because finer grounds will offer more decadent flavors that are not lost when their natural oils are pushed out into the AeroPress filter.
Blade vs. Burr Grinders for AeroPress
You should not grind your beans with a blade grinder because the resulting grind will come out too coarse and clog the AeroPress. Conversely, an electric burr grinder is your best choice for AeroPresses because they have a finer, uniform particle size perfect for an AeroPress coffee maker.
Popular Burr Grinder Settings You Can Use for Your AeroPress
Below, I listed popular burr grinder settings to make your life easier:
- Bodum Bistro: anywhere from espresso to drip
- Baratza Virtuoso: #5 – 20
- Baratza Encore: #5 – 20
- Mr. Coffee Burr Grinder: #1 – 13
- Cuisinart Supreme Grind: #3 – 15
- Capresso Infinity: Fine #1 – Medium #4
Keep in mind that you won’t find any two coffee grinders that are the same because of how grinders are calibrated. Therefore, use these settings as a benchmark.
Wrapping Up
When it comes to coffee, the optimal grind size is everything. Whether you’re grinding for a specific device or a particular brew, you should always ensure you have the right grind size to have the best tasting cup of coffee.
If you want your coffee brewing process to be as easy as possible, ensure you use the right grinder setting when using an AeroPress. Keeping grind size and consistency in mind is a must if you want the best results in taste and aroma.
Happy Caffeinating.
