Is Aeropress The Same As Espresso?

The Aeropress is a nifty device and perhaps the most versatile manual coffee maker in the market. The Aeropress plunger is revolutionary in brewing techniques as there are more possibilities with an Aeropress than with a pour-over or French press. In addition, this device enables coffee lovers to try numerous recipes.

Aeropress is not the same as espresso. You can make a thick, short brew with the Aeropress, but it is not a genuine espresso. The difference lies with the amount of pressure required to make an actual espresso; this is where the Aeropress falls short.

While the Aeropress is exceptionally versatile, it cannot make authentic espresso. Instead, it uses pressure like an espresso machine, but the pressure difference is extreme. So let’s explore what it takes to make espresso and the possibilities of the Aeropress.

Aeropress Vs Espresso

The Aeropress is a remarkable feat of design; it’s small, compact, versatile, and uses pressure to brew, quite like an espresso machine.R

It’s also travel-friendly, and you are guaranteed an excellent brew every time you use it, no matter where you are.

While the Aeropress uses pressure, the difference in the amount compared with an espresso machine is striking. Consider the following numbers.

Espresso requires 9 bars from an espresso machine. This equals 640 pounds of pressure. On the other hand, the Aeropress generates .35 to .75 bars, equalling only 25 to 50 pounds of pressure.

This is an enormous difference, and a person can’t generate 640 pounds of pressure with the Aeropress. This manual brewer was not designed to withstand that kind of pressure.

While you can achieve a small layer of foam when using fine grounds and applying as much pressure as possible to the Aeropress, it doesn’t compare to the velvety crema of espresso.

The Aeropress is not a manual espresso maker, and it cannot ever make true espresso.

What Kind Of Coffee Does Aeropress Make?

The Aeropress coffee brewer makes a strong cup of coffee that shares espresso and drips coffee characteristics, and it works well with any roast level.

You can make virtually any style of coffee in the Aeropress as long as you use high-quality beans.

The Aeropress captures the light roast’s complex, acidic, floral, and fruity notes. In contrast, it enhances the bolder flavors and fuller body of the dark roast.

In addition, you will always get a clean brew due to the Aeropress paper filter that prevents the coffee’s oils and sediment from entering the cup.

According to the inventor of the Aeropress, brewing dark roasted beans can create a perfect basis for cappuccino or latte.

How Much Caffeine Is In An Aeropress?

The Aeropress produces about 6 ounces of coffee per cup. In those 6 ounces, there is approximately 110 mg of caffeine in every cup.

The Aeropress is ideal for those who are always on the go. It uses air pressure to push the brewed coffee through a fine sieve, and the resulting brew is a rich, smooth coffee.

The caffeine content is not as strong as French press coffee: however, if you steep the grounds longer than the recommended 30 seconds, you should achieve a more concentrated cup of coffee.

Bear in mind that the number of beans and grind size can affect the caffeine content.

If you use fewer grinds, you will get a weaker brew, while more grinds produce stronger ones. So naturally, the more coffee you add, the more caffeine in your brew.

The Aeropress comes with a scoop that holds about 3 tbsp of coffee; adding three to the Aeropress will offer full caffeine content.

You can use a finer grind to brew Aeropress coffee; this means more surface area contact between the coffee grinds and the water, producing a more robust coffee.

Why Does My Aeropress Taste Bad?

If your Aeropress coffee tastes terrible, or more specifically, bitter, it’s perhaps because you’re over-extracting.

If possible, grind your coffee coarser, or try plunging your Aeropress earlier, leaving the grounds immersed for a shorter period.

If your coffee tastes acidic, sour, or salty, this is because your coffee is under-extracted. Try grinding your coffee a little finer than usual to speed up the extraction.

If you cannot adjust the size, leave the coffee immersed for a little longer and see how that affects the flavor.

Is Aeropress Easy To Clean?

The Aeropress is straightforward to clean as it only has a few parts. Nevertheless, it’s essential to clean every part to ensure you achieve the best extraction possible to get the best coffee.

You must clean both Aeropress plungers to ensure suitable extraction. When there is a lot of oil and coffee grit inside the chambers, you will have to deal with a brew that tastes slightly off.

How Do I Clean My Aeropress?

To clean your Aeropress, you must first rinse it thoroughly after every brew, use mild soap for cleaning, and soak the parts in a vinegar solution. But, first, let’s discuss in greater detail how to clean your Aeropress:

Rinsing The Aeropress After Use

This technique requires the rinsing of the Aeropress with hot tap water, and it is best to do this after you are done brewing coffee with it:

• Screw off the filter cap and dispose of the coffee pug

• Separate the plungers

• Wash the cylinder where the brewing occurred

• Rinse the vacuum seal well and ensure no coffee oil is left behind.

• Rinse the filter cap and let it dry on a kitchen towel.

You will find that rinsing that Aeropress is never enough as you will see oil build up. So you must consider the other techniques.

Clean Your Aeropress With Mild Soap

This method requires warm tap water and mild washing soap. First, you must disassemble the Aeropress plungers and remove the cap from the bottom of the plunger.

Next, use a small container or the sink to create a small bath of soap and warm water and place the Aeropress parts in the water.

After scrubbing the parts with your hands:

• Leave the parts in the water for a few minutes, then use your fingers to rub off any residual oils and grit.

• Rinse thoroughly under running water.

• Make sure to remove all the soap from the chambers to prevent any residue from entering your next cup of coffee.

Soak Your Aeropress In Vinegar

This is a suitable method to use if you still have some stubborn coffee stains and particles on your Aeropress.

First, gather all the device’s components you want to thoroughly clean and submerge them in a container with warm water and a reasonable amount of vinegar.

Leave them to soak in the solution for twenty minutes or more if needed. Leaving the parts overnight in the vinegar bath will get those parts clean.

Afterward, rinse off everything well as you don’t want your coffee to taste vinegary.

Wash Your Aeropress In The Dishwasher

Thankfully, the Aeropress is dishwasher safe, and it’s a method you can use every month or so when you want your manual coffee maker to be sparkling clean. You can add the parts to the upper rack of your dishwasher.

Many people tend to leave the dishwasher out of their cleaning process with the Aeropress as it can get extremely hot.

Although the dishwasher can get hot when it’s running its program, the heat shouldn’t ruin your Aeropress, depending on the program you choose.

Feel free to add the filter cap, plungers, stirring wand, and pouring spout to the dishwasher to get them all clean.

It is not recommended to clean your Aeropress parts every day in the dishwasher, and it is perfectly fine once a month.

Storing The Aeropress After Cleaning

While cleaning your Aeropress is essential to achieve a great-tasting brew, the drying stage is perhaps more critical.

After washing your Aeropress, you must leave it to dry the right way. You should dry the Aeropress by leaving the parts on a kitchen towel upside down to air dry for a while.

Once the large water drops have evaporated, you can dry the chambers by wiping the insides with a soft cloth.

After that process, press the plungers into each other all the way through. The vacuum pod should stick through the other side.

This storing technique will ensure the vacuum seal lives a long life. Make sure to keep all the Aeropress parts together not to risk losing them.

How Often Should I Clean My Aeropress?

The Aeropress has six parts, the plunger, the funnel, the seal, the filter, and the filter cap. It’s essential to clean all of these parts to ensure you get the best-tasting coffee.

You must clean the Aeropress every time you brew a new batch of coffee as the oils and sediments can remain on the filter or inside the plunger.

Final Thoughts

Aeropress is not to be mistaken with espresso, and it can never make an authentic espresso shot. However, it’s still a fantastic manual brewer that can be used for numerous recipes.