A Nordic take on the AeroPress — inverted, very fine grind, concentrated ratio, and a press after a long steep. A bright, intense cup for light roasts.
Tim Wendelboe, World Barista Champion 2004 and owner of the iconic Oslo roastery, presents an AeroPress approach that's the polar opposite of Hoffmann's: fine grind, strong ratio, inverted, and high temperature.
Wendelboe's philosophy for the AeroPress flows from the same view as his V60: light-roasted coffee requires high extraction to reveal delicate aromas and fruity acidity. That means finer grind and longer contact time.
What makes the Nordic approach unique:
1. Very fine grind:
Nearly espresso. The reason: the AeroPress is essentially an espresso plunger — low pressure, but with a paper filter. A fine grind takes advantage of this to extract highly in 2 minutes.
2. Inverted — full control:
With the device inverted, no water leaks through the filter during the steep. This allows full control over contact time. Wendelboe wants exactly 1:30 of steep — no room for error.
3. Concentrated ratio (1:13.75):
16g on 220g — stronger than Hoffmann (1:18.2). This suits very light roasts that need strength to highlight aromas.
4. 50g bloom:
Even in the AeroPress, Wendelboe insists on a bloom. He argues that even in immersion, separate initial CO2 saturation improves evenness of the subsequent extraction.
5. High temperature (92°C):
Unlike Hoffmann (80°C), Wendelboe goes up to 92°C. The reason: for light roasts, flavor compounds are deep in the bean and need temperature to extract.
The bottom line:
Hoffmann is an everyday cup, forgiving, fits any coffee. Wendelboe is an experience cup — strong, bright, fruity — but demands quality beans and precise grinding. Both are valid — for different coffees and different goals.