How to make cold brew using your AeroPress

by Justin Runyon

The AeroPress is one of the most versatile tools for making coffee. But, can you make a solid cold brew with it? The answer is yes, and in this blog post, we'll show you how.

What you'll need

  • AeroPress or AeroPress Go coffee maker
    • Including a filter and a cup or mug to push the coffee into
  • Medium-fine ground coffee (we recommend Weekday Roast)
    • We'll use two scoops of the AeroPress-provided scoop, which is about 2.5 tbsp leveled. If you use a heaping scoop, it's about 3 tbsp.
  • Room temperature filtered water
  • Additional room temperature or ice cold water to add to the coffee mixture made by the AeroPress
  • Ice cubes

Making the cold brew with the AeroPress

  1. Grind your coffee to medium-fine. If you're doing two cups like we mentioned, you can measure out about 30 grams of coffee to grind. That will give you two scoops using the AeroPress scoop.
  2. Wet the filter and put it in the filter cap. Twist the filter cap onto the AeroPress chamber.
  3. Put the chamber on the cup or mug (make sure it's sturdy for when you push down) and put two scoops of ground coffee into the chamber.
  4. Shake the chamber just a bit to level the coffee.
  5. Add room temperature water up to the circled "2" on the AeroPress chamber.
  6. Stir the water-coffee mixture for one minute. This is different from when you make hot coffee with the AeroPress. You'll need the extra time to make sure the coffee extracts properly, and since the molecules of water are moving more in hot water than in cold water, you'll need to give those molecules more time to work.
  7. Insert the AeroPress plunger piece at an angle and press down gently to push the liquid through the filter and into the cup below.
  8. Add ice to the coffee in the mug/cup.
  9. Pour cold water to the coffee mixture to your liking (less water = stronger, more water = weaker).
  10. Enjoy!

Modify the brewing process using the "inverted AeroPress style"

Some people liked to use the inverted AeroPress style to make their cold brew so the water doesn't go through the filter during the minute of stirring you have to do. Here's a quick overview of how to do it that way using the 2-scoop recipe mentioned above:

  1. With the filter cap off the AeroPress chamber, stick the plunger in the AeroPress and push through until you get to the circled #4 on the chamber. This should form an airtight seal so no water leaks.
  2. Turn the AeroPress upside down and set the plunger side on the counter.
  3. Add the coffee into the chamber through where the filter cap will go, then shake the chamber so the coffee evens out.
  4. Add water up to the circled #2.
  5. Stir for one minute.
  6. Wet the filter and add it to the filter cap.
  7. Screw on the filter cap and flip the AeroPress right-side-up onto the cup you'll be brewing into.
  8. Push the plunger down gently just like normal, then follow the steps 8-10 above.

If you follow this recipe, you can have cold brew nearly anywhere and at a moments notice. This is especially great for traveling. Enjoy!

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