AeroPress Original review
The best £34 you will spend on coffee. Full stop.
The best £34 you will spend on coffee. Full stop.
Best for: Solo drinkers, campers, travellers, specialty coffee beginners.
Check price on Amazon UKWhere this machine fits in
Alan Adler (also inventor of the Aerobie flying disc) developed the AeroPress at his California kitchen table in 2005, unhappy with the coffee his existing filter methods produced. The design uses immersion (like a French press) plus manual pressure (a plunger pushed through the chamber), giving a full extraction in about 60 seconds. It sold slowly at first — coffee purists dismissed it — until the specialty coffee wave of the 2010s embraced it. The World AeroPress Championship has run annually since 2008; over 60 countries now host national qualifiers.
How it actually works
The AeroPress's genius is its combination of immersion (long contact time = full extraction) and pressure (forces water through the coffee, no reliance on gravity alone). This means it forgives grind size and technique in ways V60 and Chemex don't — a beginner's AeroPress brew is drinkable; a beginner's V60 brew is usually terrible. The 'inverted method' (starting upside-down, flipping at the end) gives more contact time before extraction; the 'traditional method' brews faster. Both work; recipe communities disagree endlessly. The filters (paper) create a cleaner cup than any metal-mesh method; the paper also absorbs some of the coffee oils, giving a lighter body than French press. For under £40 including 350 filter papers (a lifetime supply for a solo drinker), you get a coffee setup that outperforms every capsule machine and most sub-£200 espresso machines in cup quality.
The full picture
Invented in 2005 by the man who invented the Aerobie flying disc, the AeroPress brews a clean, low-acid cup in one minute using immersion and manual pressure. It is unbreakable, packs into a rucksack, and has a global competition circuit dedicated to it. Buy the Original (not the Go — bigger chamber) and a bag of filter papers (£4 for 350), and you have a coffee setup that will last twenty years. Pair with any hand grinder and specialty beans.
What we like
- Almost unbreakable
- Brews in 90 seconds, cleans in 10
- Travels anywhere, camping, hotels, offices
- Recipe rabbit hole (World AeroPress Championships)
What we don't
- One or two cups at a time only
- Paper filters add up over years (still pennies)
- Not a milk-drink solution
Key specifications
| Material | BPA-free plastic |
| Capacity | 240 ml (up to 3 shots) |
| Filters | Paper (350 for £4) or reusable metal |
| Included | Chamber, plunger, stirrer, 350 filters, funnel |
Long-term ownership notes
Seven years of ownership at this desk. Zero failures. The plastic chamber shows some staining but no cracks or wear. Filter cap seal still tight. Every part is still made and available if anything did break. Owners with 10+ year AeroPresses on Reddit and Home-Barista all say the same thing: it just keeps working.
Maintenance schedule
The routine that keeps the AeroPress platform running for its expected lifespan.
- Daily: rinse the chamber, plunger and cap under warm water immediately after use
- Weekly: soak the chamber and cap in hot water + dish soap for 5 minutes to clear coffee oils
- Every 6-12 months: replace the black rubber plunger seal if it's stiff or leaking (£4)
- No descaling needed (no heating element)
Common issues and their fixes
Problems reported by owners and users, plus the practical solutions.
- Plunger becoming stiff over time — replace the rubber seal, cheap fix
- Filter tearing on plunge — use a slower, more controlled push
- Bitter coffee — grind coarser (too fine over-extracts in an AeroPress)
Who else recommends it
Independent editorial and community recommendations we track. We don't take their word for it, but consistent endorsement across independent sources is a useful sanity check.
- World AeroPress Championship — 60+ country annual competition, active community since 2008
- James Hoffmann — Multiple AeroPress recipe videos, dedicated AeroPress content
- Wirecutter — Best manual coffee maker recommendation (US) since 2015
- Which? magazine — Best coffee gadget under £50 for the last several years running
If you'd rather spend more or less
Upgrade
No real upgrade — the AeroPress Go (£45, smaller travel version) is a variant, not an upgrade. Beyond it lies electric or specialty brewers of different categories.
Downgrade
Bodum Chambord 8-cup French Press — £32
£2 cheaper, makes more cups at once (up to 8), classic French press body. Different cup style (heavier body).
Common questions
Is the AeroPress Original worth the price?
At £34, we rate it 4.9/5 because the best £34 you will spend on coffee. Full stop. Whether that is worth the money depends on how the strengths above line up with your daily use.
How does it compare to other manual brewers machines?
See our full french press & manual brewers comparison for direct alternatives at higher and lower price points.
Where should I buy it in the UK?
Amazon UK is usually the fastest route and offers the best return policy for higher-priced machines. John Lewis and Currys often match on price and add a longer warranty on premium models. Check both before committing.
Others in the same category
Bodum Chambord 8-cup French Press
The archetypal French press. Nothing you buy will replace it.
Read review