Q1. How do I use the AeroPress Coffee Maker?
Q2. How do I use the AeroPress GO Travel Coffee Press?
Q3. Does the AeroPress contain BPA or phthalates?
Q4. What Material is the AeroPress made out of?
Q6. Does the AeroPress use more ground coffee than other brewers?
Q7. How much coffee does the AeroPress scoop hold?
Q8. My AeroPress brewed coffee is not hot enough. What can I do?
Q10. Am I doing something wrong if it's hard to press?
Q11. The coffee is seeping through too quickly in my AeroPress, is this normal?
Q12. My AeroPress has become rigid and is becoming tough to plunge, what can I do to fix this?
Q13. Can I compost AeroPress filters?
Q14. Can I reuse AeroPress filters?
Q15. Is there dioxin in AeroPress paper filters?
Q16. How many bars of pressure can you achieve in the AeroPress?
Q18. Can I Clean the AeroPress in the dishwasher?
Q19. How do I store the AeroPress?
Q1. How do I use the AeroPress Coffee Maker?
Q2. How do I use the AeroPress GO Travel Coffee Press?
Q3. Does the AeroPress contain BPA or phthalates?
No. The AeroPress has always been free of phthalates and has been free of BPA since August of 2009.
Q4. What Material is the AeroPress made out of?
In the summer of 2014 we switched to making the chamber and plunger out of polypropylene. This means that all of the AeroPress parts except the rubber like seal are now made of polypropylene. We made the change because tests indicated the polypropylene is more durable. We regret the polypropylene is less transparent but feel the additional durability is more important. All materials used in the AeroPress are made in the USA and are FDA and EU approved for use in contact with food.
Use fine drip or espresso grind. Espresso grind takes longer to press and requires skill and patience for multiple scoops but makes a richer brew more quickly due to more particle surface area.
Q6. Does the AeroPress use more ground coffee than other brewers?
The AeroPress will make the same amount and strength of coffee from a given amount of coffee as other coffee makers. We have, however, found that when people use an AeroPress coffee maker, the coffee is less acidic and lacks bitterness so they often enjoy their coffee stronger – using more coffee to brew. We have also heard many people who report that when they moved from using a drip coffee maker to an AeroPress, they used less coffee because they only brewed what they planned to drink. They no longer pour out half pots of drip coffee.
Q7. How much coffee does the AeroPress scoop hold?
A level scoop holds 11.5 grams of coffee or about 2.5 tablespoons. A heaping (rounded) scoop of coffee holds 14 grams or 3 tablespoons.
Q8. My AeroPress brewed coffee is not hot enough. What can I do?
People who want their coffee really hot enjoy it at about 145°F (63°C). If your coffee is not hot enough, preheat your mug with hot water for a few minutes prior to pressing.
Q9. When I press down on the plunger, the rubber seal "skips" as it moves down through the chamber. How do I make it plunge smoothly?
Try applying a small amount of vegetable oil or mineral oil to the edge of the rubber seal. That should help you press more smoothly. Over time as you use the AeroPress, coffee oils will replace the vegetable or mineral oil, providing continuing lubrication. If you don’t use your AeroPress for a few weeks, lubricate with some vegetable or mineral oil to reestablish lubrication.
Q10. Am I doing something wrong if it's hard to press?
- You may need to use a better grinder. A good, sharp grinder grinds coffee into particles that are all the same size. A cheap or dull grinder produces a wide variety of particle sizes and the very small dust-like particles at the fine end of the particle size distribution block the flow through the other particles, effectively blocking your pressing.
- Press gently, there is no rush. Pressing hard actually compacts the coffee particles into a barrier, making it harder to press. You can try pressing down half an inch, then hold the plunger there and let the air pressure in the chamber do the pressing for you. Then after 10 or so seconds of waiting, press another half inch down and repeat.
- If the above two points don’t work, use a coarser grind until you get to where a minor amount drips through prior to pressing and then slow, gentle pressing takes 20 to 40 seconds.
Q11. The coffee is seeping through too quickly in my AeroPress, is this normal?
The amount of water that seeps through depends on the grind of your coffee, a coarse grind will allow water to pass through easier than a fine grind. 1 solution is to stir quickly (8-12 sec) before inserting the plunger into the chamber, once inserted air pressure will stop the dripping and you are able to hold the brew for the desired time. Another solution would be to use the inverted brewing method.
Q12. My AeroPress has become rigid and is becoming tough to plunge, what can I do to fix this?
Some people have solved this issue by simply putting the bung through a dishwasher cycle, AeroPress themselves recommend taking the following steps: 1. Remove the seal from the end of the plunger. 2. Boil some soapy water in a sauce pan. (Just use hand dish soap) 3. Remove the pan from the stove. 4. Soak the seal in the hot soapy water for about 5 minutes. 5. Remove the seal from the hot water (use tongs or at least a fork so you don't burn your fingers) 6. Immediately aggressively wipe the hot, wet seal all over with a paper towel. Repeat these 6 steps if needed. You can get the seal back to looking and feeling like new. When done, place the seal back on the end of the plunger.
Q13. Can I compost AeroPress filters?
Yes. Once you are finished with making coffee simply eject the puck of grounds and filter into your compost bin.
Q14. Can I reuse AeroPress filters?
Yes. Some people reuse AeroPress filters dozens of times. When finished with a pressing, peel off the filter from the puck of coffee, rinse it, and place it in the filter cap to dry in position for use with the next pressing.
Q15. Is there dioxin in AeroPress paper filters?
No. The bleaching process used by filter paper manufacturers until the late 1980s used chlorine gas and the chlorine gas bleaching process created dioxin as a byproduct. In the late 1980s the filter paper mills switched to using what is called the non-elemental chlorine bleaching process (they use a chlorine compound, not chlorine gas) to eliminate producing dioxin as a byproduct. We cut AeroPress filters from rolls of the same paper that is used to make the cone filters used in standard drip coffee makers.
Q16. How many bars of pressure can you achieve in the AeroPress?
The AeroPress filter is 2.5 inches in diameter so the area of the filter is 4.9 square inches. If you press down firmly on a scale, it is relatively easy to get the scale up to 25 pounds and then if you press hard on the scale, you can certainly get it up to 50 pounds. Therefore if you press similarly hard on your AeroPress while brewing coffee, the firm pressing will be at 5.1 psi (25 lbs/4.9 sq in) and the harder pressing will be at 10.2 psi (50 lbs/4.9 sq in). Since a bar of pressure is 14.7 psi, the former is .35 bar and the latter is .70 bar. We have done taste comparisons between minimal and maximum pressure on an AeroPress and our taste buds can’t tell the difference.
Q17. What is the difference between the AeroPress and the AeroPress GO?
See the differences here
Q18. Can I clean the AeroPress in the dishwasher?
You can in the top shelf, but a simple rinse is sufficient because the plunger wipes the chamber. If your chamber ever gets sticky, wash it with vinegar. We recommend occasionally removing the seal from the end of the plunger for a good washing inside and out with warm water and dish soap.
Q19. How do I store the AeroPress?
Always eject the used coffee right after brewing and store your AeroPress with the silicone seal pushed all the way through the chamber. This keeps the seal free of compression for longer seal life.
If you have a question that isn't discussed above please contact us.