Inverted AeroPress

The inverted AeroPress method is brewing with the AeroPress upside down. The plunger goes in first, the AeroPress stands on it, and the coffee steeps in the open chamber where it can’t drip through. Then you fit the filter cap and flip it onto a mug to press. It’s popular, but AeroPress itself strongly discourages it, because an upside-down AeroPress full of hot water can tip. Here’s why people do it, how it works and the two upright ways AeroPress suggests instead.

The short version

• Brewing the AeroPress upside down, standing on its plunger, so nothing drips through while it steeps.
• Why people do it: to stop drip-through, control a longer steep and use coarser grinds.
• AeroPress strongly discourages it: it’s less stable and can tip, risking burns.
• Safer options: seat the plunger about half an inch into the chamber while it steeps, or fit a Flow Control cap.
• AeroPress repeats the warning for the glass Premium.

Why do people brew the AeroPress upside down?

With the AeroPress the right way up, some coffee starts dripping through the filter as soon as you add the water. AeroPress says people turn it upside down to:

• Stop that early drip-through, so all the water stays with the coffee
• Control a longer steep
• Use coarser grinds, which need more time

Is the inverted method safe?

AeroPress strongly discourages it. Upside down, the AeroPress stands on the narrow end of its plunger with a chamber of hot water on top, so it’s less stable and prone to tipping. Mishaps, especially during the flip, can expose you to burns from hot liquid. AeroPress repeats the warning for the glass Premium.

General safety guidance only, not professional advice. Always follow the instructions that come with your AeroPress.

How do you stop drip-through without inverting?

AeroPress suggests two upright alternatives that do the same job:

1. Seat the plunger. Brew the normal way up. After adding the water, put the seal on the end of the plunger about half an inch into the top of the chamber. That stops the drips while the coffee steeps. Press when you’re ready.
2. Fit a Flow Control cap. The AeroPress Flow Control filter cap has a valve that stays closed until you press, so nothing drips through, however long you steep. It fits the standard-size AeroPress models; the XL has its own Variable Flow Control Cap XL.

	Inverted	Plunger seated	Flow Control cap
Stops drip-through	Yes	Yes	Yes
Brews upright	No	Yes	Yes
Flip needed	Yes	No	No
Extra kit	None	None	Flow Control cap
AeroPress’s view	Strongly discourages	Recommended alternative	Recommended alternative

What grind size should I use?

Around medium-fine, like any AeroPress, or coarser for a longer steep. Grind finer if it’s sour and thin, coarser if it’s bitter or hard to press.

How do you brew the inverted AeroPress, step by step?

If you choose to brew inverted, take it slowly and keep it on a flat, stable surface, well away from the edge:

1. Set it up upside down. Push the plunger a little way into the chamber and stand the AeroPress on the plunger, open end up.
2. Add the coffee, measured with your AeroPress scoop.
3. Pour in hot water, leaving room at the top, and stir.
4. Let it steep. Nothing drips through.
5. Fit the filter cap with a paper filter and screw it on firmly.
6. Flip it carefully. Put a sturdy mug upside down on the cap, hold both together and turn them over in one movement.
7. Press slowly and steadily into the mug.

For recipes, see the main AeroPress guide.

Where did the inverted method come from?

The inverted method came from AeroPress users, not the company, and nobody knows for sure who first turned one upside down. CoffeeGeek says it grew out of the long-running AeroPress discussion thread on its forums, which began in December 2005, partly from users trying to match the cup made by the Clover, a far more expensive commercial brewer. CoffeeGeek also says the AeroPress’s inventor, Alan Adler, who posted in that thread, was never a fan of the method.

Should I brew inverted?

• Brew upright with the plunger seated if you want longer steeps with no extra kit.
• Get a Flow Control cap if you’d like longer steeps and coarser grinds without thinking about drips.
• If you brew inverted, know that AeroPress strongly discourages it, including with the glass Premium.

More on choosing in the AeroPress kit guide.

Inverted vs other AeroPress methods

• AeroPress Original: the upright method AeroPress recommends.
• AeroPress Flow Control: stops drip-through the right way up.
• Iced AeroPress: an AeroPress brewed over ice.

Explore every hybrid brewer in the hybrid chapter.