James Hoffmann, the veritable king of the coffee-hobbyist world, has recently released a trilogy of YouTube videos about a simple but popular brewing tool: the AeroPress. Hoffmann’s “Classics of Coffee” series delves into traditional coffee makers—their history, use, popularity, and method. This series takes a deep dive into the AeroPress’s history and brewing technique.
The AeroPress
The first video, simply named “The AeroPress”, provides an introduction to this tool. Hoffmann talks about its invention in 2005–fairly new for the “Classics of Coffee” series and its rise to popularity in 2008. He says that there are now world championship AeroPress competitions which thousands of people come to watch and compete in.
Understanding the AeroPress
In part two of the series, Hoffmann takes a full half hour to delve into every aspect of an AeroPress brew. In no less than 11 chapters, he covers brew time, blooming, factors of extraction, and much more. You’ll leave this video feeling either like a total expert.
The Ultimate AeroPress Technique
In the final series installment, Hoffmann tells us his recommended brew method. Now that he has explained to us all the factors to consider in brewing this way, we should be able to tweak his recipe to our own liking. However, if you don’t have nearly an hour to devote to learning about the brew, skip to this video and follow his method. You will certainly get a delicious cup if you follow Hoffmann’s lead.
