The Aeropress is the swiss army knife of coffee brewers. Its probably the most versatile coffee maker on the market today. Due to its versatility and portability there are always new ways to learn (or invent) to brew coffee with it. Not only can the Aeropress make a great cup of hot coffee but it also can make a great cold brew whether you are at home or on the road.
With all that said lets gets to why you came to read this article and lets go over how to make cold brew with a Aeropress!
How to Make Cold Brew Coffee with an Aeropress
To make cold brew with an Aeropress you will need medium coarse ground coffee, room temperature filtered water and time. Add the coffee water into your Aeropress and wait for 12 to 24 hours. Afterwards press into your cup and cut with water, milk or milk alternative.
Lets put this into practice and make some cold brew.
Essentials
- Aeropress or Aeropress Go
- 210g Room Temperature Water
- 30g Fresh Roasted Coffee
- Scale
- Grinder
Step 1. Weigh Out the Beans
Grab your scale and weigh out 30 grams of coffee
Step 2. Grind Medium Coarse
For making cold brew with a more traditional method such that toddy system, I would usually recommend a coarse grind, however with an Aeropress , set it to medium coarse, (between drip coffee and French Press grind size) then using a manual or electric burr grinder grind the coffee
Step 3. Rinse and Cap
If your using a paper filter then rinse it well in order to get rid of any potential paper taste and place it in the cap. Then gently put the cap on the Aeropress and turn slightly to lock it in.
Step 4. Use the inverted Aeropress method (see Photo above)
Inverted simply means putting the plunger on the bottom and brewing vessel on top. Once you have it set up looking like the photo above, pour the ground coffee into your Aeropress
Step 5. Pour in room temperature Water
Put the inverted Aeropress on the scale and pour in 210 grams of room temperature filtered water. You do not want to use hot water as this will accelerate the brewing process and give you unwanted flavors. Stir the coffee gently to make sure all the grounds have been saturated with the water
Step 6. Let it sit over night for at least 12 hours
This is the easiest part. Let the Aeropress sit and brew for anywhere between 12 – 24 hours. (I usually let mine brew for 16 hours).
Step 7. Press the coffee into your favorite mug
In the morning or when the time is up, place the filter and cap onto the Aeropress and turn slightly until it locks in. Then take your coffee mug and place it on top of the cap and turn the Aeropress and cup over quickly so that the coffee mug is now sitting on the table with the Aeropress on top. Then press the plunger down until you hear the hissing sound letting you know you have pressed all the water out in the coffee mug
Step 8. Cut with water, milk or milk substitute
What you will end up with is a coffee concentrate that should be cut with either water and ice, cold milk or cold milk substitute using a 1 to 1 ratio. You can use a 2 to 1 ratio if you feel the coffee is too strong
What Coffee is Good For Cold Brew?
Since cold brew coffee is a concentrate, using fresh roasted coffee that fits your particular taste, is one of the most important decisions you will make for brewing cold brew coffee. I tend to prefer the coffee’s from Africa such as a Ethiopian or Kenyan coffee. They tend to be lighter tasting with citrus and floral notes which gives your coffee a lighter texture and mouth feel. Since I live in a place that is hot year round this is nice refreshing way to start or continue the day.
If are looking for something with a heavier taste you could always try a coffee from say Sumatra. You will just have to test a few single origin coffee’s to see what you like best.
Final Thoughts
There are alot of variations that you can use when making cold brew with the Aeropress such as changing the coffee to water ratio or the amount of time you let the coffee brew. And this is not to mention the type of coffee you use, whether that be a single origin coffee or a blend.
After that you can decide how you want cut it. Do you want to use whole milk, almond milk or even oat milk. Maybe your more a purist and just want to use water. The possibilities are seemingly endless
So have fun, experiment and see what combination works best for you! If you don’t already have one you can get a Aeropress, filters and travel bag on Amazon or more frequently now at your local specialty coffee shop.
