AeroPress Clear review: a quick, portable coffee maker that black coffee fans will love

I’ve reviewed many coffee machines in my role as T3’s Home Editor, including bean to cup, pod and drip makers. But a name I hear time and time again is AeroPress, a manual coffee maker that uses a combination of French press, filter and espresso brewing methods into one portable device.

Compared to the original AeroPress which launched back in 2005, the AeroPress Clear came out in 2023. It still has the same features and functionality as its predecessor but it comes in a range of clear shades which is a marked difference from the classic black colour that the original comes in.

I’ve been wanting to get my hands on this type of coffee maker for a while, and I’ve spent the last few weeks using the AeroPress Clear to make my coffees – here’s how I got on.

AeroPress Clear review: price and availability

Launched in 2023, the AeroPress Clear is available for £54.99 / $49.95 and is available to buy at AeroPress and select retailers, like Amazon. It comes in multiple colours, including clear, black, blue, red, green, pink and purple.

AeroPress Clear review: unboxing

Included in the AeroPress Clear packaging is the plunger, chamber, stirrer, filter cap, paper filters and a scoop. The AeroPress Clear measures‎ 5.25-inches in height and 4.2-inches in width, and an overall weight of 340g. It has a 300ml capacity which it claims can make up to two cups of coffee at a time.

AeroPress Clear review: design and setup

How the AeroPress Clear differs from other coffee brewing options is it combines three methods in one. Like a French press, the AeroPress Clear uses fast immersion, micro-filtration and air pressure to brew and dispense your coffee. The entire extraction process is quick and smooth, and takes just two minutes to make a full-flavoured non-bitter cup of coffee.

Made from Tritan materials, the main plunger and chamber of the AeroPress Clear is durable and shatterproof. The material does look good and has a nice feel, but the filter cap, scoop and stirrer does feel a bit plastic, but overall, the design of the AeroPress Clear gets top points from me.

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The entire coffee maker is small and lightweight, so it can easily come with you on-the-go – as long as you have ground coffee and a kettle nearby. To use the AeroPress Clear, an instructions manual details how to use it if you do or don’t own a coffee grinder, of which I’m in the latter group.

To start, I boiled my kettle to 85°C which is the recommended temperature for using the AeroPress Clear. I put a paper filter in the filter cap before twisting it onto the chamber part which has helpful 1-4 numbers on the side. After positioning it atop my mug, I added coffee grounds to the chamber using the scoop before pouring boiling water over it.

After a quick stir using the stirrer, I inserted the plunger into the chamber – just enough to create a vacuum. After a minute, I pressed down on the plunger which caused the coffee to pass through the filter and filter cap. The AeroPress Clear made a hissing sound during this and stopped when all the coffee had been decanted.

AeroPress Clear review: performance

As detailed above, the entire process of using the AeroPress Clear was easy and took around three-five minutes. While this might not be as quick as pressing a button on a pod coffee machine, it’s still very speedy and feels like a lot less faff and moving parts.

Having said that, you do require a lot of additional accessories in order to use the AeroPress Clear. A kettle and coffee beans are needed to actually start the brewing process, and if you want to grind your own beans, you’ll need a coffee grinder. If you don’t love black coffee, you might also want to consider a milk frother, as the AeroPress Clear only makes black coffee.

All of that aside, the AeroPress Clear is great at what it does, which if you like drip or black coffee, you’ll love it! I’m more of a latte girl but I really enjoyed using the AeroPress Clear, mainly because the process is so satisfying and fun to be part of. The design may be simple but as the old saying goes – “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and that’s exactly how I feel about the AeroPress Clear.

Having tried the clear version, I’m definitely happy I had it in that shade rather than the original’s black colour. This is mainly because I could see the press and drip much easier which I like as I wanted to check if I had inserted the plunger too much or interrupted the brewing.

I found that the AeroPress Clear fit comfortably over most of my coffee mugs and it didn’t move or wobble while in action. It’s a coffee maker I’d take with me to the office, and at just £54.99, you can’t ask for much more.

AeroPress Clear review: verdict

I can confidently say that the AeroPress Clear definitely lives up to its reputation. Will milky coffee drinks love it as much as black coffee drinkers? Probably not, but it’s catered to the right market which is drip, filter and French Press coffee lovers so if you’re one of those, you’ll love the AeroPress Clear.

AeroPress Clear review: alternatives to consider

If it’s a portable coffee maker you’re after, I tried the Wacaco Minipresso Gr2 and rated it highly. While I found it more of an ordeal compared to the AeroPress Clear, the Wacaco Minipress Gr2 is smaller and better for camping trips or hikes.

If this method of brewing is something you’re interested in, I’d also recommend buying a regular French press.