We Love the AeroPress for Pour-Over Coffee On-the-Go — Here’s Why

Each morning as I settle into my day, I — along with the rest of the world — am met with the urge to caffeinate. While my drip coffee maker gets its fair share of use, I often reach for my AeroPress, a portable coffee maker with a reverent following that even the snobbiest coffee drinkers can’t help but praise.  

The AeroPress is perhaps the only coffee device on the market that bridges the gap between the portable needs of outdoor enthusiasts looking for value and convenience, and coffee connoisseurs who expect top quality with every sip. It boasts almost 20,000 five-star Amazon reviews, and the pickiest of coffee aficionados rarely have a sour word to say about this savvy product. But is it worth the hype?

As a daily coffee consumer myself, I say the answer to this question is a resounding yes. As I write this review, a freshly brewed cup sits to my left hand, caffeinating my words. The AeroPress has taken residency in my kitchen cupboards for years, traveling with me from one apartment to another and never wavering or disappointing me with its consistent results.

AeroPress Original Coffee Maker

$32 at Amazon $32 at Target $32 at Williams-Sonoma

Capacity: 10 ounces | Dimensions: 4.6 x 3.6 x 3.6 inches | Weight: 8 ounces | Brew Type: Coffee, espresso, latte, and cold brew | Accessories: Tote bag, paper filters, stirrer, and coffee scooper

How to Use the AeroPress

Developed by the coffee-obsessed scientist Alan Adler, who sought to improve the single-cup brewing process, the AeroPress uses a French press–like system, with a few special modifications. The cylindrical plunger manually pushes water through coffee grounds and a paper filter, directly into your mug. The result? Virtually no bitterness. 

The key to the AeroPress's success is a quick brew. Equipped with the knowledge that cooler water tends to brew sweeter coffee, Adler was convinced that a shorter brew time would, too. After 40 prototypes, the AeroPress’s airtight chamber was the game-changer to prove his theory. 

To use an AeroPress, simply place a filter in the filter cap and twist the filter cap onto the chamber. Next, pour coffee grounds and hot water into the chamber and allow the coffee to steep for anywhere between 10 seconds and a few minutes. Next, insert the separate plunger, pressing down and pausing when you feel resistance, until you've filled your cup or run out of water. When finished, remove the filter cap, push the plunger to eject the grounds, and rinse to clean. (To save on paper waste, there's a reusable metal-mesh filter option, too.)

AeroPress recommends using a grind texture somewhere between drip and espresso, or medium-to-fine. A finer grind requires less steeping time and will taste closer to a shot of espresso, while a slightly coarser grind needs a few extra seconds swimming in the water and evokes the flavor of a French press or percolator coffee. I like to walk away for a few minutes regardless of grind — the result is a stronger, more robust cup.

Due to its complete plastic construction, the durable coffee maker can be used freely without fear of damage, and its materials are free of BPAs and phthalates. I’ve stowed my AeroPress away on road trips or thrown it in my bag for weekends away, and it still feels as sturdy as the day it arrived.

What I Love About the Aeropress

AeroPress’s ultimate selling point — without a doubt — is its low-acidity, unbelievably smooth, absolutely-never-bitter taste. The secret is the low brew time and vacuum seal — the less time the oils and flavor compounds in the beans are in contact with hot water, the less acidic and bitter flavor is able to develop. The plunger forces the water through the grounds quickly, extracting as much flavor as possible without enough time to develop those unpleasant flavors. And while perfecting your desired grounds-to-water ratio may take a few tries, it’s easy to master in no time. 

The AeroPress also offers a completely customizable cup of coffee. It can naturally produce an espresso-strength brew, but you can add water to reach the desired strength. When I’m looking to sip, instead of needing a quick hit of caffeine, I add a few ounces of water. Latte? Drop in the desired amount of your milk of choice. Recently, I’ve been using foamy oat milk made by my Nespresso machine for a barista-level latte at home. 

Most single-cup brewers can only produce hot coffee, but the AeroPress offers multiple ways to stay cool and caffeinated with cold brew and iced coffee. For cold brew, add a rounded scoop of grounds to the chamber and fill with water only to the 2 line. The secret is stirring the grounds and water vigorously for a full minute. Then, plunge like you regularly would and add extra water to your brew to achieve the desired flavor and strength. For a leisurely cup of iced coffee, prepare your AeroPress exactly like you would for a hot coffee, but substitute 40% of the water in the chamber for ice in the cup. Then, brew the hot coffee right over the ice.

On top of everything else, the AeroPress has always been appropriately priced. In an industry that often asks its patrons to shell out hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars to achieve coffee of this quality, the AeroPress almost feels like a secret too good to be true. Compared to its most popular contemporaries, the Chemex pour-over maker and the Moka pot, the AeroPress is a better deal.

With such a small footprint and nothing to plug in, the AeroPress was made for travel. Sure, it's handy for camping or backpacking, but that's not all the travel it can do. Why take the chance on questionable vacation-rental or hotel coffee when this handy contraption takes up about as much room in a suitcase as a thick pair of socks? And say goodbye to weak breakroom coffee; an AeroPress can easily fit in a desk drawer for a coffee break you'll actually want to take.

The Caveats

The AeroPress is a single-cup brewer. If your household needs multi-cup capacity or you're a two-cup-per-morning coffee drinker, the AeroPress is likely not the optimal solution.

If you're used to a drip coffee maker with a thermal carafe, just know that the AeroPress offers no heat retention capability — similar to a French press or single-cup pour-over. If you like to savor your coffee slowly without heat loss, we recommend using an insulated mug to keep it at that just-brewed temperature.

And if you're bringing your AeroPress on the go, keep in mind you must bring your grounds along with you or acquire them during travel, adding to your pack. 

How It Compares

For hikers, boaters, or anyone on the go looking for an even smaller stowaway, AeroPress also has a more compact, all-in-one version. The AeroPress Go Portable Coffee Maker features an integrated mug and lid, and is slightly shorter than the original. It still employs the same brewing method and capabilities, and our editors preferred it for camping over other percolators.

An alternative tool very similar in design to the AeroPress is the Delter Coffee Press. Users of this device tend to report stronger brews. The Delter also allows you to add extra water mid-brewing if you find yourself low, a feature the AeroPress lacks. Still, the resounding opinion seems to be that the Delter's coffee can't quite keep with the AeroPress in taste, and both devices are the same price.

Pour-over is another common single-cup brewing method, in which hot water drips slowly through coffee grounds and a filter as your pour. Compared to the AeroPress, this takes a bit more time and doesn't offer the same bitterness-eliminating mechanism. If we had to choose between the two, we'd pick the AeroPress.

Warranty Info

According to Amazon, AeroPress is “warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from date of purchase from an authorized retailer.” The retailer suggests keeping your receipt as proof of purchase. 

The Verdict

The AeroPress couldn’t offer a more quality brew for its affordable price tag, ease of use, and versatility. Should mine eventually falter — although unlikely anytime soon due to its proven durability — would I repurchase it? Yes, and I will continue recommending it to my friends, family, and anyone else who will listen to me sing its praises.

Our Expertise

Dana Fouchia is senior commerce editor at Food & Wine and has been writing about food for more than 7 years. Her work has appeared in the Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, and many others. She's seriously devoted to coffee and has reviewed espresso machines, pour-over makers, and lots of other caffeination gear.