How to make AeroPress coffee

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I used to travel a lot, and that means I'd often wake up to a hotel room equipped with a budget coffee maker and a selection of stale coffee in plastic cups. I care a lot about coffee and the planet, so I tend to eschew even the best instant coffee in favor of my trusty AeroPress.

In the decade I've had my AeroPress, I must have made close to a thousand cups of coffee. I've used one everywhere from Alaska to Atlanta and regardless of whether I wake up in a hotel suite or a sleeping bag, it's my go-to on-the-go coffee maker. The brewing process might be new to you, so here's a guide to how to make the perfect AeroPress coffee.  Plus you can check out our full AeroPress coffee maker review for why it's Insider's pick for the best single-serve coffee maker.

The AeroPress makes a coffee concentrate that isn't really espresso, but more like a concentrated filter brew. If you know how to handle it, the strange-looking giant syringe can turn out a delicious cup. And when you're done, you simply push the puck of grounds into the trash and rinse out the AeroPress, so you don't have to mess up your hotel sink with coffee grounds.