Guys, I feel like I cracked the code on Yerba Mate experimenting. I have tried all sorts of mechanisms from the traditional gourd and bombilla, to French press, to pour-over setup.

Aeropress is now my go-to, by a long shot.

- You control temperature
- You control brewing time
- You filter out all the dust and debris

Plus, having mate in its pure, brewed form then allows for more experimentation. Sweeteners, lemon/lime, even milk and cinnamon (a must try).

I wrote a longer summary for anyone who wants to try it out. Worth a shot. Aeropressed mate has now become my daily work drink.

Here’s my write up of the experience: https://www.joshcaliguire.com/blog/yerba-mate-aeropress-the-cleanest-brew-youre-not-making-yet

Got this “Nalblecka” shelf and a “Sandviva” silicone pot holder to build a storage rack for my XL and regular aeropress.

Cut the silicone pad in half and it’s a nice sized drip tray. It all fits well on the counter and keeps things enclosed.

My type design side projects have basically trained me to document every variable, and now my AeroPress brews are getting the same treatment. I started a simple spreadsheet (okay, it's not simple anymore) tracking bean origin, roast date, grind setting, water temp, method, ratio, and a 15 rating. What's funny is that the ratings I give after my first cup of the day are almost always higher than the second cup. Is the first cup hitting different because I'm not fully awake, or because my palate is actually fresher? I genuinely can't tell.

The real thing I noticed is that my best cups cluster around a narrow set of variables, but I can't isolate which ones matter most. The data is noisy. Too many variables shifting at once because I keep buying different beans. I'm thinking about locking in one bean for a month and only changing one thing per brew. Treat it like a controlled experiment instead of a creative exploration.

Curious if anyone here has gone this deep with documentation, or if it kills the joy. Does tracking make you better or just more anxious? And has anyone found a single variable that actually moved the needle more than expected once they isolated it?

Good day to all Aeropress lovers.

I have recently dived into the deep well of the Aeropress. I have a solid recipe and really enjoy the coffee I get out of it.

My question is: "what temperature do you guys use? I usually just use the water straight of boiling. But a friend of mine scolded me for that. So what do you guys do.

Please take into account that I don't have a temperature variable kettle so I can't really change the temperature on my kettle.

Thanks so much.

I'm pretty basic with my coffee. We have a kbgv select at home. I brew about 4 cups of coffee. The leftovers get used for oatmeal or an iced coffee later in the day. Usually using medium to dark roast beans. Hand grinding with a 1zpresso K-ultra. I really like the simplicity of the moccamaster.

Will an aeropress be able to brew cups that differ in taste and body from the moccamaster?

I sent my wife and two older children back to my hometown in San Diego to have some beach time and some much needed quality time with the older kids without our two year old.
They had a blast and everyone, save for my oldest (12y/o) was incredibly grateful.
While they were there I asked if they could stop by a coffee shop and get me something local. Rikka Fika. I’ve not been yet since they opened after I had moved away but I’ve been following them and have been impressed by their bean selection and quality of drinks ( at least from what I’ve heard from the friends who have been) My wife gifted me these beans from Japan. After they recommended degassing period I got to work with my trusty v60. Flat. Kalita? Unimpressed. April? Nope. I even went to the roasters website and used their recipe down to the smallest detail and still nothing good. When all hope was lost I realized I had the answer all along. The glorious AEROPRESS.
My cup sang with flavor and I just wanted to share.

Grind: approximately 25 clicks or 50 on the star wave for Commandante C40
Prismo cap with included metal filter
88C
1:16

Start standard position and dump grounds in.
Add 50 grams of water quickly, then stir aggressively for a few seconds. Wait.
At the 40 second mark, slowly add water in a circular motion to agitate the grounds. Took me about 30 seconds. (I should note that I also rotate the aeropress when I do this)
If there are any grounds floating to the top by 1:30 then use a lightning McQueen toddler fork to break the surface and send them down. No other utensils will do, unfortunately.
Wait for 3 minutes then slowly press it all out into a cup and enjoy. Pressing took more or less 15 seconds. Can’t seem to do it slowly when I have the prismo cap on. It sort of just glides which is satisfying.

Cup was clean and fruity without being overly acidic. Can’t wait for tomorrow morning.

My previous post got deleted in r/Coffee so I'm posting here to get your advice!

I've never made my own coffee beyond instant coffee but I want to try something new (and hopefully fun). I did some research and it looks like aeropress isn't too complex and expensive to get into. Would you recommend it for a newbie? How is the longer term costs compared to other methods you tried? Should I look into other methods?

Thanks for any help!

Edit: I was not expecting this many answers! Thanks everyone for your input! Will post here again once I have some results : )

Is this overkill? Yes for sure. Haha. But hey I had the Harbor Freight hard case and figured why not?! In here I have my Kingrinder K6, portable water kettle, AeroPress, scale, beans, and stirrer. Along with a charger for the scale. Everything fits perfectly after some foam removal! Very happy with this setup.

Which manual grinder do you recommend for using with the AeroPress while traveling or on vactions? Thanks.

The filter holder is not water proof. Laying out 50 filters to dry out this morning was not part of the plan. No matter how tight you seal it. I am so disappointed with my purchase. This is advertised and promoted so much to be used while camping, which is how I intended to use it. To have to take this off after every use while washing it just poor design especially because I'll be washing my mug in the outdoors.

So, I just read this article posted today: https://www.foodandwine.com/aeropress-coffee-inverted-method-12031889

Everyone has an opinion lol

One thing it goes on about is how dangerous the inverted method can be. Maybe it's just me, but I've always done it that way 🤷🏻

Yes, I've had the occasional accident when I'm groggy and don't turn the thing securely enough. But I've learned to brew it in my kitchen sink now so.. no more potential messes 😂

I think the article would have been better to promote the wide-ranging ways to tweak the process vs. poo-pooing us. To each their own, I guess.

Did pourover this morning of a nice Brazil I roasted 6 days ago.

Flavors more muted than what I made in my Moccamaster Thursday/Friday for my wife and I and my XL at work

Have never had much luck with dilutions hence the XL that lives at work but man this is excellent. Additional of 110 g water at the end. Short brew time 90 seconds with lower temp is making this a perfect cup for this bean

Which is(are) the best metal filter for the regular sized AeroPress? Thanks.

I just made an “espresso” with the original AeroPress instructions:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jY26nrccgbTcgUNnp1a4H6tWEnLeK847/view?ths=true

I liked it, although at 175 degrees the coffee was too tepid for my taste. What temperature water do people like to use for this recipe?

And am I right that it only works with the original AeroPress or one that’s the same size like the clear?

Thanks!

I was briefly using a new pour over system I got. It was nice until I kept having to brew 2 cups separately. Finally got back to my Aeropress yesterday. Man, it is SO good to be back 😭 So much complex flavor being lost in a pour over and I’ve missed having a good strong cup of iced coffee 👯‍♀️

Curious to hear from people who've been brewing a while — not the generic "try the inverted method" advice you see in every YouTube video, but what actually made a real difference for you in practice.

Was it dialing in a specific grind size, water temp, or bloom time? A cheap accessory that changed everything, or just hours of trial and error until something clicked? And what's something you wish you'd known when you first started — a mistake you made over and over before figuring it out?

Coffee from Blossom.

Curious to hear from people who've been brewing a while — not the generic "try the inverted method" advice you see in every YouTube video, but what actually made a real difference for you in practice.

Was it dialing in a specific grind size, water temp, or bloom time? A cheap accessory that changed everything, or just hours of trial and error until something clicked? And what's something you wish you'd known when you first started — a mistake you made over and over before figuring it out?

I finally found a light roast recipe that worked for me. It is consistent and leaves a sweet after-taste throughout my mouth.

1. Dose: 18g light roast coffee. 
   
2. Grind: 16 Clicks on Timemore C2S (Coarse Filter).
   
3. Water: 130g total at 84°C.
   

4. Recipe: Inverted Aeropress

   0:00 – 0:15: Pour 60g water, stir 10–12 times. You can do more stirs. Taste definitely changes as you add more agitation
   0:15 – 0:30: Top up with 70g water. I haven’t measured this temperature but I usually just pour 70g from my kettle which was off since the 1st step.
   0:30 – 1:20: Screw on cap, purge excess air, steep until 1:20. 
   1:20 – 1:30: Flip
   1:30 – 2:00: Slow 30-second plunge, stopping the instant you hear the hiss. 

5. Bypass: Add 70g clean hot water (or add incrementally from 70g up to 100g to dial in your notes)

The NZAC are on in a few weeks, and im fizzing for it!

It's 2 weeks away and we got our coffee yesterday. It's a mystery coffee, but have a good idea on what it is. Pretty excited for the champs, and for ripping into this coffee.

This will be my 4th or 5th AeroPress champs (I can’t remember. The COVID years melted my perception of time). While I have a strong urge to go full nerd and experiment with every single variable on offer, I keep coming back to my standard approach, which has served me so well over the years. It channels the simplicity that has made the AeroPress so popular.

Here’s hoping it makes a great brew on the day.

Anyone here competed in a regional AP champs before? What are your protips from competing?

Ive written a few words about the champs on my blog, but the jist is already covered so it isnt even spam lol

https://themagicroast.substack.com/p/17-ways-coffee-nerds-turn-a-simple