Skip to content
CoffeeLabZ

Inverted AeroPress (upside down, safely)

Brew upside down so nothing drips early, then flip carefully onto the mug and press.

⏱️ 6 minA little practice

Starting recipe

15 g coffee + 225 g water at 90 °C (194 °F), steep until 1:30, flip and press by about 2:00 (inside 1:30–3:00).

Grind: Medium-fine, between table salt and sand

You need

  • 15 g fresh coffee, ground medium-fine (between table salt and sand)
  • An AeroPress with a paper filter
  • A kettle
  • A kitchen scale and a timer
  • A wide, sturdy mug
  • A stirrer or spoon

Step by step

  1. Set it up upside down

    Push the plunger into the chamber about 1–2 cm so the seal is firmly inside. Stand it upside down on the plunger end on a flat, dry counter. Make sure it feels stable.

  2. Heat water, grind, rinse a filter

    Boil water and let it rest about a minute (near 90 °C). Grind 15 g medium-fine. Put a paper filter in the cap and rinse it with hot water. Set the cap aside.

  3. Add coffee and water

    Put the AeroPress on the scale, add the grounds, tare and start the timer. Pour 225 g of water. Leave at least 1 cm of space at the top so you can fit the cap without spilling.

  4. Stir and steep

    Stir gently for about 5 seconds, then wait until the timer shows about 1:15.

    60 s

  5. Put the cap on

    Twist the filter cap on firmly. Gently push the plunger up a tiny bit to squeeze out air until you see the coffee reach the filter. Stop as soon as it's wet.

  6. Flip safely

    Place your mug upside down on top of the cap. Hold the mug and the AeroPress together with one hand on the mug and one gripping the chamber and plunger together, then turn the whole thing over in one smooth motion. Do this over the counter, never toward you.

    Always grip the chamber and plunger together while flipping. If you only hold the chamber, the plunger can slide out and spill hot coffee.

  7. Press

    With the AeroPress now on the mug, press slowly and steadily for about 20–30 seconds. Stop at the hiss.

    30 s

  8. Taste and adjust

    Sour? Grind finer or steep longer. Bitter? Grind coarser or press sooner. Then pop the puck into the bin and rinse.

Common mistakes

  • Pushing the plunger in only a few millimeters, so it wobbles or slips out.
  • Filling to the very top and spilling hot water when the cap goes on.
  • Flipping while holding only the chamber, so the plunger drops out.
  • Flipping fast in the air instead of onto the mug.
  • Using a narrow or tippy mug.

Tastes off? Fix it

If it…Try this
Sour or thinGrind a little finer, or steep 30 seconds longer before flipping.
Bitter or dryGrind a little coarser, or flip and press a bit sooner.
WeakUse more coffee for the same water, for example 16–17 g instead of 15 g.
Too strongUse a bit less coffee for the same water, or add hot water to the mug.
Leaks around the plunger while upside downPush the plunger further into the chamber before you start, and check the rubber seal isn't worn or squashed.

Words you'll hear

Chamber
The main tube where the coffee and water steep. It has numbered marks on the side.
Plunger
The part with the rubber seal that you push down to press the coffee through the filter.
Filter cap
The perforated cap that holds the paper filter and screws or twists onto the bottom of the chamber.
Steep
Letting the coffee sit in the water so it can extract flavor.
Inverted
Brewing with the AeroPress upside down, plunger at the bottom, so nothing drips out early. You flip it over to press.
Hiss
The sound when air starts pushing through the coffee at the end of the press. A good moment to stop.
Ratio
Water weight divided by coffee weight. 1:15 means 15 g of coffee to 225 g of water.
Extraction
How much flavor the water pulls from the grounds. Under-extracted tastes sour and thin; over-extracted tastes bitter and dry.