Prismo Aeropress Filter Attachment

Prismo replaces your Aeropress Filter and Filter Holder, with a nifty no-drip design and permanent metal filter

You probably don’t need to own the Prismo attachment, but if you enjoy and use your AeropressA portable coffee brewer that makes a unique dense brew, somewhat similar to an Americano.: The Aeropress looks like a giant syringe: coffee grounds are in the bottom,... a lot, you might find this a great addition. Since we first tested it I use it almost exclusively.

The metal filter works great. I often brew with an Aeropress paper filter on top of the Prismo permanent metal one, to get extra filtration and a little more back-pressure when plunging.

For me, the best thing is the special dripless orifice on the Prismo. I am not a fan of upside down aeropress methods. Maybe it’s just because I’m clumsy, but flipping the aeropress when it is full of hot coffee isn’t wise for a guy like me. But I like how the inverted Aeropress method means full immersion of coffee grounds and hot water, without premature leaking into the cup.

(Inverted Aeropress method means placing the plunger in the top, upside down, adding coffee, pouring in hot water, then attaching the filter. Then you have top pick this all up and flip it onto your brewing vessel).

So Prismo solves this for me! I can brew “right side up”, and nothing drips through until I start to plunge my Aeropress. I am also totally enamored with the Prismo to create a concentrate for iced coffee. For me Prismo results in the best Iced Coffee I have ever made … better than any cold brew method or other technique.

For me Prismo results in the best Iced Coffee I have ever made … better than any cold brew method or other technique.

I’ll spell out my own brew rations below and favorite coffees, but first …

Check out our 5 minute video to learn more about the how Prismo works:

Words of (Minor) Caution on Using the Prismo!

There are 2 things I want to alert you to on the Prismo though. These have resulted in some big spills and messes for me, and hot coffee is never fun to spray around your kitchen, or your self!

Firstly, be very sure Prismo is attached well to the Aeropress plunger.

Especially if you add a paper filter on top of the Prismo permanent metal filter as I sometimes do.

Along these lines, I found that the “Aeropress Go” version might not work with the Prismo. I don’t know why, but it seems the “Go” has a more snug fit when you turn the filter holder onto the plunger, and it doesn’t latch properly on my Aeropress Go (the travel version of the Aeropress).

Prismo doesn’t seem to lock all the way into the Aeropress as the stock filter holder. So just firmly twist it on and visually check that it’s well attached. If not, it could come off as you plunge resulting in a big mess. Don’t ask me how I know … but there was coffee everywhere!

Secondly, I do not recommend using Prismo with any inverted / upside down Aeropress technique.

As you try to flip the Aeropress with Prismo onto your brew vessel, there’s a good chance you will squirt some hot coffee out of the special orifice. It has happened to me several times. Again: (Inverted Aeropress method means placing the plunger in the top, upside down, adding coffee, pouring in hot water, then attaching the filter. Then you have top pick this all up and flip it onto your brewing vessel).

That said, you can fill your Aeropress/Prismo with old water and go start a water war with your nephew outside. Prismo is a decent improvised water cannon! Just not with hot coffee though…

Brew Ideas with Prismo

Side Note: Anti-Bypass Brewing

I have to preface my brew method with this: I am a fan of full immersion brewing (generally that includes French PressA simple coffee brewer also called a Press Pot: grounds and hot water are added to a carafe, allowed to sit for several minutes, and then a filter... but I think Aeropress too), and part of that means all the water goes through the coffee.

“Hmmm…,” you might say, “what other way is there?”

Well, the main way is that people brew a concentrate or brew the coffee on the strong side, and then add water to suit their taste. This is generally called “bypass brewing”.

For me it has a different taste, which doesn’t mean more “watered down” at all. It can actually be sweeter in a way. You brew a high dose concentrate that washes out all the easily soluble stuff in the ground coffee, and (some would say) leave behind some bitterness or other flavors that emerge from a brew later in the process.

What I like is a blend of all aspects of the brew from start to finishSimilar to aftertaste, but it refers to the impression as the coffee leaves the palate. Aftertaste is the sensations gathered after the coffee has left the mouth. We..., from the first to the last. I think it creates a greater complexity in the bittersweetBittersweet is from the language of chocolate, and describes the co-presence of positive bittering compounds balanced by sweetness. It is directly related to caramelization, but has inputs from... aspects of coffee. I don’t want coffee just bitterBitterness is one of 5 basic tastes: Sour, Sweet, Salty, Bitter and Umami (savory flavors). There are many types of bitterness, hence not one avenue to tracking down..., nor just sweet. I want the complexity of interplay between those aspects.

Single Serving Hot Coffee:

Just like the Aeropress w/o Prismo, I like:

• Coffee: 20 grams fine fresh ground coffee
• Filter: Prismo with an Aeropress paper filter on top of it, prewashed a bit.
• Water: Non-inverted, pour in 270 grams of water at 203 to 208 fahrenheit (just off boil or low boil temperature). 270 grams water = 1.15 cups = Fill the Aeropress to the brim, including the crust of ground coffee. This will ebb slightly to allow room for the plunger
• Time: I wait 1:30 to plunge. I usually don’t stir.
• Plunge and enjoy 250 ML of coffee = 1.06 Cups of coffee (lol)

The above recipe is slightly strong. It doesn’t taste that way to me though. I usually us a 1:15 ratio of coffee to water. But this works best on Aeropress/Prismo for me.

Iced Coffee with Prismo and Aeropress

Of all methods, this is my favorite way to make a hot concentrate to add ice to… delicious, fast, aromatic, fresh. May be the Bruer cold brewer is 2nd place for me:

• Coffee: 20 grams fine fresh ground coffee
• Filter: Prismo, no paper filter added just the metal one
• Water: Non-inverted, pour in 140 grams of water at 203 to 208 fahrenheit (just off boil or low boil temperature). 140 grams water = .63 cups = Fill the Aeropress to “3” marked on the side scale, including the crust of the coffee.
• Time: I wait 1:30 to plunge. I usually don’t stir.
• Plunge into large glass or thermal cup. I usually let it sit a minute but you don’t have to. I add a large volume of ice (I use tiny square cubes) quickly and stir. I usually add a couple cubes after initial melt though. You should yield 1 cup of liquid sans ice.

(PS: Ice goes really stale quickly it seems, even if made with decent water. I wasn’t so aware of this. I guess cocktail people are really keyed into the quality of ice. Anyway, ice does matter. But I know little about it but to keep it fresh.)