coffee recipe calculator

optimised for aeropress & kingrinder k6 Β· 1 cup

grind (kingrinder k6)
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coffee dose
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water temperature
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immersion (steep)
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plunge
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total brew time
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notes Β· kingrinder k6: adjusted for empirical community ranges (aeropress sweet spot is typically 70–110 clicks). always stop plunging at the hiss. serve immediately for florals.

Table 1: Aeropress Parameters by Processing Method

(Optimised for clarity, florals, and avoiding bitter over-extraction)

Processing Method Grind Size (Β΅m) Water Temperature (Β°C) Total Brew Time (steep + plunge) Agitation Regimen Key Flavour Goal & Ester Preservation
Washed Medium-fine (450–550) 90–94 1:45–2:15 (1 min steep, 30 s plunge) Gentle stir 2–3Γ— after adding water; no stirring before plunge Clean acids, floral top notes (linalool, geraniol); temperature ≀92Β°C to avoid scalding volatiles
Honey / Pulped Natural Medium (500–650) 88–92 2:00–2:30 (1:15 steep, 30 s plunge) Stir at 0:30 and just before plunge to resuspend fines Fruity esters (ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate); lower temp and a slightly coarser grind emphasise ester sweetness
Natural / Dry Medium-coarse (650–800) 85–90 2:00–2:45 (1:30 steep, gentle 30–40 s plunge) Minimal agitation: one slow stir after pouring, no final stir Fermented fruit esters, heavy body; coarse grind + low temp prevents harsh phenolics while trapping florals
Anaerobic / Carbonic Maceration Coarse (750–950) 82–88 2:15–3:00 (1:45 steep, very gentle 30–40 s plunge) Inverted method recommended: steep without stirring, flip, press slowly Intense exotic esters (ethyl butyrate); lowest temperature extracts the ester peak with almost zero bitterness

Why grind size decreases as processing gets β€œcleaner”: Naturals and anaerobics have high porosity; they extract very fast in full immersion. You must coarsen the grind to keep extraction yield (EY) in the 18–22% sweet spot. Washed beans, being denser and less porous, need a finer grind for sufficient mass transfer.

Table 2: Extraction Sequence in a Typical 2-Minute Aeropress Brew

(Extraction order is the same as pour-over, but the time windows are compressed and more overlapping due to full immersion.)

Phase Time Window (from water contact) Compound Classes Character Aeropress-Specific Behaviour
Early (immersion onset) 0–20 s Short organic acids, highly volatile esters & terpenes (ethyl acetate, linalyl acetate, limonene) Brightness, floral, fruity Instantaneous wetting; esters dissolve immediately. Keep temperature ≀90Β°C to avoid flashing off the most volatile aromatics. Stirring here accelerates ester extractionβ€”stir gently if you want more top notes.
Early–Mid 20–60 s Continued acid/ester dissolution; beginning of sugar extraction Sweetness emerges, florals stabilise Monosaccharides (glucose, fructose) extract steadily. The bulk of the floral ester load is already in solution by ~40 s. Short steeps (60–90 s) are sufficient for a floral-forward cup.
Mid 60–90 s Maillard products (furaneol, maltol), mid-chain esters & lactones (Ξ³-nonalactone) Caramel, tropical, creamy These add body and complexity without bitterness. If you steep past 2 minutes, you risk pulling more chlorogenic acid lactones.
Late (pre-plunge & plunge) 90 s – end of press Chlorogenic acids, caffeine, low-level polyphenols Potentially astringent/bitter The pressing phase adds a small percolation component. Press slowly (30–40 s) and stop at the hiss to avoid squeezing bitter fines. Inverted method gives you control to halt extraction exactly when you want.
Post-brew holding >2 min in cup at >70Β°C Hydrolysed esters β†’ acetic acid, oxidation products Vinegar, cardboard Same as pour-over: serve or flash-cool immediately. Aeropress brews often have lower thermal mass, so they cool fasterβ€”this actually helps preserve florals if drunk promptly.

Summary rule for floral esters in Aeropress:

The Aeropress is exceptionally good at isolating floral volatiles because you can separate dissolution (steep) from filtration (press) and keep the entire brew cool enough to never boil off those delicate aromas.