Press With The Best: Recipes from the 2017 World Aeropress Championship in Seoul

Emcees Marcus Boni and Michelle Johnson regale the uproarious crowd at Cafe Alvar in Gangnam. Photo by Abi Varney, courtesy of WAC.

When we last checked in with Alan Adler, the endearing inventor of the Aeropress manual brewing device, he expressed genuine gratitude for the many people throughout the world who have promoted the device through competition.

Said Adler, “It’s an amazing thing, when you think about it, to create an international competition out of pressing coffee.”

Finals judges Junsun Bae from Namusairo Coffee, BK Kim from Fritz Coffee Company, and Tim Wendelboe from Tim Wendelboe. Photo by Abi Varney, courtesy of WAC.

In its remarkable 10th year since Tim Wendelboe and Tim Varney first dreamed it up in Oslo, the 2017 World Aeropress Championship concluded in Seoul earlier this month, featuring 58 national champion competitors, 1,650 free beers from Seoul’s Magpie Brewing Company, some 700 guests, and coffee-celebrity emcees Michelle Johnson and Marcus Boni at Cafe Alver in the Gangnam district of Seoul. 

Emcee Marcus Boni delights the crowd with flying rings. Photo by Glen Charles Lopez, courtesy of WAC.

In the end, one competitor pressed on beyond all others: Paulina Miczka of the two-location multiroaster coffee bar Kaffeine in London, England. Miczka was part of a new “wildcard” element in this year’s program, in which a handful of competitors who had been eliminated were drawn at random to re-enter the competition. Yusuke Narisawa of Japan and Jeongsu Park of South Korea took the silver and bronze trophies, respectively. 

Emcee Michelle Johnson raises the deft Aeropressing hand of champion Paulina Miczka. Photo by Abi Varney, courtesy of WAC.

Here, courtesy of the World Aeropress Championship team, are the recipes from each of the winners. (It should be noted that only Park went with the traditional upright method, as opposed to inverted method, favored by the Aeropress inventor himself):

PAULINA MICZKA, ENGLAND

2017 World Aeropress Champion Paulina Miczka of England. Photo by Abi Varney, courtesy of WAC.

Winner: 2017 World AeroPress Championship

Coffee: 35g
Water: 370g @ 84°C
Brewer: Inverted
Filter: Paper

1. Put 35g of coffee into your AeroPress
2. From 0:00 to 0:15, add 150g of water
3. From 0:15 to 0:35, stir and keep stirring
4. At 0:35, put filter cap (with pre-wet filter) in place
5. At 1:05, flip the AeroPress and start pressing
6. At 1:35, stop pressing. You should have now 90ml of the concentrated brew (4.5%TDS)
7. Add 160g – 200g of hot water and enjoy!

Total brew time – 1:35

YUSUKE NARISAWA, JAPAN

Yusuke Narisawa of Japan focuses intently during an intense press. Photo by Glen Charles Lopez, courtesy of WAC.

2nd Place: 2017 World AeroPress Championship

Coffee: Coarsely ground coffee: 28g, very finely ground coffee powder: 1.5g
Water: 245g @ 85°C
Brewer: Inverted
Filter: Double Paper

1. Add coffee to the AeroPress
2. Pour water and start timer
3. Add 70g water and stir 20 times
4. Add 100g water
5. Put filter cap (with wet double paper filter) in place and flip the AeroPress
6. Press slowly until 1:50
7. Add 75g hot water

Total brew time – 1:50

JEONGSU PARK, SOUTH KOREA

Jeongsu Park pictured left. Photo by Abi Varney, courtesy of WAC.

3rd Place: 2017 World AeroPress Championship

Coffee: 30g
Water: 230g @ 86°C
Brewer: Upright
Filter: Both Metal & Paper Filter

1. Put the metal filter, then the paper filter, into the filter cap
2. Place filter cap onto the brewer and add the coffee
3. Add 75g water at 86C, and then stir six times
4. Wait for 45 seconds
5. Add 75g water at 86C, and then stir five times
6. Put the plunger into place and wait for one minute
7. Press down on the plunger for 10 seconds
8. Add 150g water at 86C to the brewed coffee