Mark MorphewThe AeroPress is an excellent portable coffee maker that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. This brewer is worshiped by Bean Ground and coffee geeks the world over due to the ability to tweak various ratios, different brew methods, and of course its portability.
If you’ve ever wondered if there is a difference between the inverted vs. the normal AeroPress brewing method you’re in luck because I’m about the lift the lid on the pros and cons of both of these popular AeroPress techniques. While the differences between the two brewing methods are pretty minor, there are definitely differences.
Let’s take a closer look at the key differences between the normal methods and the inverted method.
Inverted AeroPress
The inverted AeroPress method is a popular twist on the normal technique. You can check out the “Inverted AeroPress Brewing Method” article to see how it is done.
Pros
- One of the main benefits of using the inverted method is being able to brew and steep your coffee for as long as you want without the worry of the coffee dripping through the filter located at the bottom of the AeroPress.
- Your coffee grinds will have more contact with the water, and when you flip the AeroPress on top of your coffee mug, the grinds become fully saturated.
- You will have hardly any coffee grinds stuck on the black rubber part of the plunger, making for easier cleanup.
- Coffee oils which are found in the coffee will rise to the top of the chamber when you flip the AeroPress these oils essentially mix, and you’ll have more chance of these flavorful oils passing through and landing in your cup.
- The AeroPress inverted method ensures that you are fully submerging the coffee in the water (full immersion brewing).
- More accurate and consistent water ratio.
Cons
- Accidents can often happen when you flip the AeroPress over onto your coffee mug.
- After you have flipped the AeroPress onto your coffee mug, you often will find that coffee grinds have become stuck the inside wall of the chamber.
Normal AeroPress
The normal method is the one that is printed inside of the instructions that ship with the AeroPress. You can read my espresso twist on that method here – How To Make AeroPress Espresso Coffee.
Pros
- This is an easy method for those of you new to the AeroPress.
- The coffee grounds stay on the bottom which creates a self-filtering layer and can help with better pressure.
Cons
- You will find that the water will start to drip through the coffee and filter almost immediately.
- Due to loss of water prematurely you will often be faced with under extraction (this can also mess with your coffee and water ratios).
I’ll Leave You With This
Even though my palate cannot distinguish any major taste differences between the AeroPress inverted method versus the normal method, I do find that the actual brewing process does go smoother when using the upside-down inverted technique, this even more evident when using a coffee scale to measure your water volume.
Which method you choose isn’t going to affect the taste of your AeroPress coffee directly. However, if you were to drastically change things such as steep time, ratios (coffee/water), and pressure these will have a direct effect on how your coffee tastes.
Now with that said the inverted AeroPress method allows for you to essentially play around more with things like time and ratios which will give you the ability to change how your coffee tastes. Personally, I prefer the AeroPress inverted method over the regular brewing technique. What’s your favorite brewing method?
When he's not fiddling around with a new coffee gadget, you'll find him busy doing DIY projects around the home and taking his German Shepherd for a walk, who funnily enough is called Kona!
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