How to Brew Inverted AeroPress with the Upside-Down Method

Are you also a fan of the practical and portable AeroPress to make strong, rich-tasting coffee wherever you are? We’re not trying to turn your world upside down (or... are we?), but have you ever brewed coffee using the inverted AeroPress method?

Why you should give the inverted AeroPress method a go

The inverted AeroPress method is a real buzzword among baristas and coffee aficionados all over the world, so we thought we’d give you a ticket to this exclusive club.

While some coffee lovers prefer brewing with the Aeropress in the traditional way, some others would never go back after trying the inverted AeroPress. Why?

Well, with the traditional method you can easily push some under-extracted coffee into your cup at the start of the brewing process. Plus, you’re bound to lose the bloom, the coveted and aesthetically pleasing top layer of foam that results in a barista-worthy coffee.

Overall, we think it’s just fun to give the inverted AeroPress a go so that you can decide for yourself which method works best for you. 

And let’s be honest: it’s a chance to showcase your barista skills and impress your friends!

How to brew inverted AeroPress coffee using the Upside-Down Aeropress method

For this unconventional recipe, you’ll need:

• An AeroPress scoop of Fire Dept. Coffee (14-16 g)
• Around 220 g of water
• AeroPress and paper filter
• Mug
• Teaspoon

1. Prepare your equipment

Heat the water but make sure you use it when it’s between 195 and 205°F to avoid over-extraction. If you haven’t got a temperature control kettle nor a thermometer, you can just wait around 30 seconds after boiling it. 

Don’t worry: you can keep busy with the next step.

Prewet the filter to avoid a potential papery taste and pour some hot water into the mug to keep your java warm.

As for your coffee, our grounds are the perfect size for this brewing method but, if you’re opting for beans and grinding them yourself, aim for the medium-fine grind that you’d use for your automatic dripper.

2. Assemble your AeroPress upside-down and add the grounds

To do so, position the chamber (with the open end facing up) on top of the plunger. Easy.

You can then chuck your coffee grounds into the top part.

3. Kick-start the inverted AeroPress brewing process

Pour some hot water onto the coffee grounds, just enough to cover them so that you can let them bloom (or degas by losing their trapped CO2) for around 30 seconds.

Then you can pour the rest of the water and stir it to make sure that all the grounds are fully immersed. Done? Nice. Now just wait 2 minutes.

4. Flip the AeroPress upside down and keep plunging

The time has come. Attach the cap with the paper filter to the brewing chamber and discard the water in your mug. 

Place it upside down on top of the closed chamber and, holding both the mug and the AeroPress at the same time to avoid spillages, flip them. 

Now just plunge away like you would with the traditional method.

5. Dilute it if needed and enjoy it

Keep in mind that this coffee will be very concentrated. We love it just like that, but, if it’s too strong for your taste, add hot water in small increments. Very carefully, though. Honestly, nothing worse than a weak cup of coffee!

If you haven’t already, grab yourself a bag of freshly roasted Fire Dept. Coffee so that you can get the best results when you experiment with this quirky recipe. 

Do you prefer the traditional or inverted AeroPress method? Let us know in the comments!