<p><em>&quot;about 2-3%&quot;</em> sounds to me like an underestimate, and anyway it applies to a different recipe than James Hoffmann's.</p>
<p>The AeroPress company has changed their recommended first recipe many times over the years. That FAQ answer might apply to the recipe that used 1/2 bypass brewing: Pour in water up to ② on the chamber (1/2 fluid cup, 118 ml), stir, press, then add the other 1/2 cup of water directly to the mug (Americano style). (This is a tasty recipe, and it's easier than Hoffmann's. Also try 1/4 bypass brewing. Their recipe also called for 175°F or 185°F water, depending on the beans. Experiment with it.)</p>
<p>With that recipe, the time between starting to pour in water and starting to stir is the time it takes to pour in up to ② and pick up the stirring stick. That time and the grind size determine the amount of drip-through before stirring. And there will be additional drip through while stirring.</p>
<p>(The filter type could be another factor. I assume you're using a paper filter.)</p>
<p>Still, this looks more like 10% than 3% to me, just eyeballing it.</p>
<p>In comparison, Hoffmann pours in his entire 200g water, then inserts the plunger and waits 2 minutes before shaking. (He could say &quot;shaken, not stirred&quot;, to quote James Bond.) This recipe uses a longer brewing time and hotter water to get a higher extraction ratio to compensate for light roast beans and a lower coffee : water ratio. That longer pouring-in time causes more drip-through, and there's additional drip-through while the internal pressure declines to the ambient pressure.</p>
<p>So I don't think there's anything wrong with your AeroPresses or your technique.</p>
<p>You can reduce the amount of drip-through by tweaking the technique for inserting the plunger: Start inserting it at an angle, then straighten it to fully plug the chamber, then pull it back a bit to reduce the internal pressure to stop the drip-through.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2024-11-30T21:02:53.747Z
2024-11-30T21:02:53.747Z
Jerry101
<p>The <a href="https://aeropress.com/pages/faq" rel="nofollow noreferrer">official AeroPress FAQ</a> states that &quot;about 2-3%&quot; of water can drip through prior to stirring and pressing. When using James Hoffmann's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6VlT_jUVPc" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Ultimate AeroPress Technique</a>, however, it seems that around 25-30g (out of 200g) water drips down prior to pressing, or around 10-15%. (Most of this happens during the initial pour, i.e. before a seal can be made on top.) This replicates with a near-espresso grind, using various pouring techniques, and across my regular AeroPress and AeroPress Premium.</p>
<p>Is the FAQ wrong or is there an actual way to only get 2-3% of the water to drip through? (Or are both of my AeroPresses more leaky than they should be?)</p>

<aeropress><water>
Can I actually get only 2-3% of AeroPress water to drip through?
Archagon
# Can I actually get only 2-3% of AeroPress water to drip through?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2024-11-29)

The [official AeroPress FAQ](https://aeropress.com/pages/faq) states that "about 2-3%" of water can drip through prior to stirring and pressing. When using James Hoffmann's [Ultimate AeroPress Technique](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j6VlT_jUVPc), however, it seems that around 25-30g (out of 200g) water drips down prior to pressing, or around 10-15%. (Most of this happens during the initial pour, i.e. before a seal can be made on top.) This replicates with a near-espresso grind, using various pouring techniques, and across my regular AeroPress and AeroPress Premium.

Is the FAQ wrong or is there an actual way to only get 2-3% of the water to drip through? (Or are both of my AeroPresses more leaky than they should be?)

**Tags:** aeropress, water


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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2024-11-30. Score: 1

*"about 2-3%"* sounds to me like an underestimate, and anyway it applies to a different recipe than James Hoffmann's.

The AeroPress company has changed their recommended first recipe many times over the years. That FAQ answer might apply to the recipe that used 1/2 bypass brewing: Pour in water up to ② on the chamber (1/2 fluid cup, 118 ml), stir, press, then add the other 1/2 cup of water directly to the mug (Americano style). (This is a tasty recipe, and it's easier than Hoffmann's. Also try 1/4 bypass brewing. Their recipe also called for 175°F or 185°F water, depending on the beans. Experiment with it.)

With that recipe, the time between starting to pour in water and starting to stir is the time it takes to pour in up to ② and pick up the stirring stick. That time and the grind size determine the amount of drip-through before stirring. And there will be additional drip through while stirring.

(The filter type could be another factor. I assume you're using a paper filter.)

Still, this looks more like 10% than 3% to me, just eyeballing it.

In comparison, Hoffmann pours in his entire 200g water, then inserts the plunger and waits 2 minutes before shaking. (He could say "shaken, not stirred", to quote James Bond.) This recipe uses a longer brewing time and hotter water to get a higher extraction ratio to compensate for light roast beans and a lower coffee : water ratio. That longer pouring-in time causes more drip-through, and there's additional drip-through while the internal pressure declines to the ambient pressure.

So I don't think there's anything wrong with your AeroPresses or your technique.

You can reduce the amount of drip-through by tweaking the technique for inserting the plunger: Start inserting it at an angle, then straighten it to fully plug the chamber, then pull it back a bit to reduce the internal pressure to stop the drip-through.


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