AEROPRESS BREW RECIPES

1. The Aeropresso

3. The Colombian Orange Tree

2. The Dark Arch-icano

4. Freshly Pressed Filter

Aeropress Brew Recipes

The aim of these recipes is to showcase how the Aeropress can be used in

different ways to produce varying cups of coffee (even with the same coffee

beans!)

We hope this inspires you to create your own brew experiments and recipes at

home, and discover the joys that the Aeropress can bring.

North Star Coffee Roasters

proudly presents...

Things To Think About When Using Aeropress

Flavour evolves when coffee cools. Our perception

leads us to taste more body and 'strength' at hotter

temperatures, but more sweetness and zestiness

at cooler temperatures.

Focus on how to bring out the specific flavours of

the coffee you are using. A recipe is usually

designed for a specific coffee - using different

coffees may not produce similar flavours.

Changing: coffees, the way that you

grind; your coffee dose; the exact

amount of water you use, and the

brewing times used, all impact the

flavour of your coffee.

The grind you use (and the

grinder) will always be a defining

factor in the amount of flavour

you take from your coffee in a

given range of time. The finer you

grind, the more flavour you

extract per second of brewing.

The recipes presented here are all inverted so that

whether you want to try metal or paper filtration, no

coffee will leak through into the cup until you're

ready to press it through!

Aeropress Grinder (we used a shim inserted into our Baratza Sette 270W burrs - it comes with this for espresso lovers really). Scales Timer Kettle Paper Filters Stirrer Cups/vessels Cloths

Getting Started...

Equipment You'll Need

Recipe #1 - The AeropressoSmooth, rich and the perfect alternative to an espresso shot.

Coffee Used - Dark Arches Amount of Coffee - 15.8g Grind Size - #9 (coarse espresso grind) Amount of Water - 80g Brew Time - 2 minutes Type of Filter - 1 Filter Paper Brew Method - Inverted

Notes

Recipe

Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Hazelnut, Nuts, Orange

The aim of this recipe was to create a tasty espresso style drink using the Aeropress.

It created a very smooth taste and really allowed the chocolate flavours from the Dark Arches to shine through. 

The general consensus was that if you have an Aeropress and enjoy Dark Arches, this is definitely a great recipe to try. 

Recipe #1 - The Aeropresso

Here we used the amount of water that an espresso machine might shower over the top of coffee used in its baskets. We have ground more coarsely though, so we left the coffee to brew a little longer to achieve the same overall extraction of flavour in the cup as an espresso might have.

Recipe #2 -The Dark Arch-icanoThe Americano for the Yorkshireman

Coffee Used - Dark Arches Amount of Coffee - 16g Grind Size - #12  Amount of Water - 200g Brew Time - 2:30 minutes Type of Filter - 2 Filter Papers Brew Method - Inverted

Grains, Cereals - Emerging chocolate notes as it cools

Recipe

Notes

More cereal and grain flavours coming through from the Dark Arches. As the brew cooled, more of the chocolate and orange notes.

Nice cup of coffee, but we felt the Aeropresso recipe (recipe #1) trumped this one in terms of coaxing out the body and smoothness that the Dark Arches has.  We felt the true character of Dark Aches didn't come through as well as in recipe #1. 

Recipe #2 - The Dark Arch-icano

Dark Arches is great as an Americano, but not when you use a paper filter in your AeroPress. It simply absorbs too much of the coffee's oils, and lightens its body and texture a little too much. If you want a strong, heavier drink with a paper filter, try recipe #1 and dilute it only a little. Otherwise for an Americano or heavy beverage - get a metal filter disc from us in the New Year!

Recipe #3 - The Colombian Orange TreeGuess where the title came from?...it isn't just the citrus flavours...

Coffee Used - Colombia Los Naranjos Amount of Coffee - 15.8g Grind Size - #8  Amount of Water - 80g Brew Time - 2 minutes Type of Filter - Paper x1 Brew Method - Inverted

Notes

Recipe

Syrups, Citrus, Fruity

This brew recipe really appeared to be the perfect match for the Colombian Los Naranjos. All the flavours we know this coffee can produce could be tasted - Lemon curd, butter, honey, as well as some amazing citrus notes coming through. 

For those who enjoy espresso style drinks - this is a fantastic recipe to try. It delivers the smooth andrichness synonymous with small coffee drinks, but offered some amazing citrus and fruity flavours to balance it. We all rated this coffee very highly - again, demonstrating the ability of the Aeropress to deliver really smooth and well rounded coffees. 

This is a recipe with slightly more clarity than your average espresso would have due to the paper filter being used, but not to any detriment with a complex, zesty coffee like this. Even at high strength, theclean, citrus character comes right through and is easily perceived. This is where replicating an espresso doesn't need to mean needing a metal filter at all, because the character of the coffee is complex enough without the signature heaviness and texture of espresso.

Recipe #3 - The Colombian Orange Tree

Recipe #4 - Freshly Pressed FilterA refreshingly freshly pressed filter coffee

Coffee Used - Colombia Los Naranjos Amount of Coffee - 16g Grind Size - #12 Amount of Water - 200g Brew Time - 2.30 minutes Type of Filter - Paper x2 Brew Method - Inverted

Citrus, Fruity, butter

Notes

Recipe

We felt the difference between the Colombian recipes weren't as noticeable as with the Dark Arches. The vibrant citrus notes were even more prominent in this filter coffee than in recipe 3 due to the bit of dilution. It allows our palate to perceive flavours without overwhelming strength hindering our ability to translate everything we're tasting!

We all rated this highly too. The preferred Columbian recipes (3 & 4) probably comes down to whether you prefer intense, strong coffees, or mellower, more diluted coffees (espresso or filter). 

The differences we're trying to show with recipe #4 is that with dilution, you get complexity but have a longer lasting flavour too, over a wider temperature range too. Strong, espresso strength drinks like recipe #3 are great, but they stale quickly due to being small and less diluted (less protected by hot water, if you look at it that way). With recipe #4 you get a complex drink to enjoy for longer, too.

Recipe #4 - Freshly Pressed Filter

Conclusion...The short (smaller volume) drinks with a higher coffee-water ratio in recipes 1 and 3 created amazingly complex, strong drinks, with great texture too. #3 was our favourite for showing off characterful flavours of a fruitier type. However, #1 would be our choice of what to make at any time, in any place, and for anyone - we know that most love a smooth, chocolatey flavour, and a creamier body to their drinks.

The more diluted drinks #2 & #4 suit a different purpose - easier-drinking, mellower flavours overall. If you're not looking for an intense hit, these will be a better option. Then it's just a choice ofcoffee - do you want chocolatey, smooth character, or a fruity and zesty drink?

This was just a little fun for us at North Star Coffee Roasters, but we're in the process of developing on this and helping create recipes and guides to help everyone get the most out of specialty coffee.