How to Make the Best Cup of Coffee at Home

I am a huge fan of coffee and over the years I have tried a lot of different means of preparing it. I currently own a french press, a drip maker, and a stovetop espresso pot. All of these make good coffee, with each having its own set of pros and cons. Last year, however, I discovered the best method for brewing coffee: Aeropress. It makes delicious coffee, takes up almost no space in your kitchen, and cleanup is easy.

The Aeropress works kind of like an espresso maker, though at a much lower pressure. The coffee it produces is espresso strength. This means you can drink it like an espresso or use it to create espresso-based drinks like Cafe Au Lait or Capuccino. I add hot water to mine to make an Americano.

Since getting the Aeropress, it’s been the only method I’ve used to brew coffee. It’s replaced the drip machine in our kitchen. It takes up almost no space, travels well, and produces consistently great coffee. Perhaps the greatest feature is the one I haven’t mentioned yet: price. It will set you back a little more than $20, much lower than a decent home espresso machine or even a drip coffee maker. It’s great for traveling or camping. Any place you can make hot water, you can make coffee with the Aeropress.

One caveat: you will need a coffee grinder, or a place to buy beans that will grind them for you. Coffee ground for a drip coffee maker won’t work (which rules out pretty much all pre-ground coffee you would get at the store). You need grounds that are somewhere between espresso and drip. You’re really going to want a conical burr grinder, similar to this one: I suspect if you’ve read this far than you either have one or are willing to buy one.

In summary: If you enjoy great coffee, you need an Aeropress.

To get an even better idea of how it works, check out this short video: