The AeroPress is a very forgiving brewing tool, which makes it ideal for beginners. It’s cheap, easy to use, and can be adjusted to different tastes and preferences across the board.
In fact, it’s arguably the most versatile coffee maker there is, especially if you factor in its portability and the fact that it supports a variety of brewing methods, like the inverted method.
In the article, we are going to talk about The Ideal Water Temperature For AeroPress Coffee.
A Brewing Method That Provides Complete Control
The wonder is that the humble AeroPress coffee maker allows you to control nearly every factor involved in the brewing process.
Using the AeroPress has become such an art form that there’s even the World AeroPress Championship—an annual competition for the best AeroPress brew.
Suffice to say that winning recipes never follow the instruction manual.
Coffee brewed in an AeroPress can be customized for better-tasting coffee depending on the user’s preferences, giving them control over everything from type and quantity of filters, to ground coffee size and brew time.
What We’ll Cover – The Ideal Water Temperature For AeroPress Coffee
In this article, we’re going to discuss one of the most potent factors in determining the taste and quality of a cup of coffee brewed in an AeroPress—brewing temperature.
Stick with us to find out just how much influence using water of different temperatures can have over your brewing process, as well as exactly what it is that brewing at different temperatures does to your coffee.
What Factors Affect the Quality of Brewed Coffee?
What’s amazing about AeroPress is not only does it represent what many coffee lovers would argue is the best brewing method out there, it also allows for near-complete control over your coffee.
For true coffee enthusiasts who want to get the most out of their high-quality coffee beans, this is a game-changer.
And going down the rabbit hole in pursuit of the perfect cup of coffee inevitably reveals the spectrum of different variables that contribute to the taste and strength of your brew.
Factors to Control For
Water temperature
Water levels
Coffee grounds quantity
Grind size
Brew time
AeroPress filters
Why is Water Temperature for AeroPress Coffee Important?
Whether you’re using a French press or an AeroPress, the water temperature can make a huge difference in the flavor, aroma, and strength of your cup.
The best water temperature for AeroPress coffee depends on several factors, including the grind and roast of your beans.
In general, lower water temperatures give a more delicate flavor, while higher temperatures produce stronger coffee.
The ratio of water to coffee and the extraction time are also factors that will affect the flavor.
A Note About Extraction
Extraction is what happens when ground coffee particles are immersed in water.
It’s the literal part of the brewing process—when the active compounds of all the coffee in a coffee maker are accessed and pulled out (extracted) from the coffee grounds.
The hotter the water is, the easier the coffee will break down the cells of the coffee and access the flavor compounds.
However, there is more than one right temperature for brewing coffee with the AeroPress, and it depends on your individual preferences.
Under-extracted coffee tends to be acidic and weak, while over-extracted coffee can taste bitter or burnt.
Water temperature is only one factor that affects extraction. With the same temperature of water, using a finer grind for your coffee beans will increase extraction.
Same goes for a longer brew time.
What Water Temperature We Recommend for AeroPress
Because of its impact on extraction, when brewing AeroPress coffee, the temperature of the water used is crucial.
All else equal, a lower temperature will result in coffee that is brighter and more acidic, while a higher temperature will produce more balanced, slightly bitter coffee.
Most regular coffee drinkers agree that brewing coffee at a temperature between 175 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal range.
Below that temperature, you’ll likely end up with a weak, acidic-tasting coffee—unless you brew for an extended period of time using a smaller grind size.
So to keep things simple, keep in mind that the lower the temperature, the more acidic the resulting coffee will be.
The ideal water temperature for your AeroPress depends on your brewing method and preferences, but for us, it’s usually between 175-190 degrees Fahrenheit.
Although there is no absolute rule, this range will give you the best-balanced brew.
Notable Exceptions
Worth noting is that some coffee professionals exclusively use lower water temperatures.
A World AeroPress Championship winner used water at 176 degrees while another important figure in the coffee industry uses a temperature of 190 degrees—significantly below boiling.
While near-boiling water may be appropriate for some recipes, a lower temperature is more consistent for a richer, creamier, and more flavorful cup of coffee.
Exact Levels May Not Matter To You
We also want to point out that there are plenty of very satisfied coffee lovers who brew AeroPress coffee simply by bringing a pot of water to boil, leaving it to cool for a minute or two, and then pouring it straight into their AeroPress.
How to Control Your Brewing Temperatures
While many home-brewers don’t bother to fuss with different or even precise water temperatures, there is a lot to be gained from experimenting with different recipes.
In that case, noting specific water temperature levels is important.
Thankfully, it’s also pretty easy.
By using a temperature-controlled kettle, you can easily experiment with different water temps to experience their effect on your coffee.
Don’t have one? No problem. Grab a kitchen thermometer and heat your water in the microwave.
Should I Use Boiling Water With My AeroPress?
The official instructions for brewing with the AeroPress recommend using 175 degrees Fahrenheit water, but restricting yourself to only this temperature is not necessary.
In fact, the AeroPress is an excellent device for making cold brew coffee as well, so you can definitely use it with a wide range of temperatures.
While boiling your water in a kettle or saucepan on your stovetop is definitely an OK way to heat it for brewing, we don’t recommend using boiling water directly in your AeroPress brewing process.
Excessive Heat Can Spoil Your Brew
For one, you’ll be pushing the boundaries of the highest-recommended temperatures, and therefore risking over-extracted coffee, which will taste bitter.
For another, passing fully boiling water through any type of plastic device is never ideal, regardless of material specifications.
True Pros Stick With Cooler Water
Perhaps most importantly though, is that the best AeroPress coffee is consistently made using cooler-temperature water.
While achieving similar levels of extraction with the same grind size and cooler water inherently implies longer brew time, it seems that with most labors of love, a little extra time can be exceptionally rewarding.
What Water Temperature We Recommend for AeroPress
While most coffee-brewing methods are suited to a higher temperature, the AeroPress can be used with a lower water temperature.
This allows for variations in a wide spectrum of other brew factors to offset brewing temperatures, allowing for unprecedented control and customization over your coffee.
Because different AeroPress recipes have gained so much attention over the years and multiple AeroPress world champions have emerged who swear by using less hot water (often but not necessarily in conjunction with the inverted AeroPress method), the benefits have become clear.
For us, when using medium roasts and a medium grind for our coffee, we find that hot water at temperatures between 180-190 degrees Fahrenheit produces a nicely-balanced, well-extracted, delicious cup of coffee.