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Alan Adler

14 min read

Alan Adler

Quick Facts

  • Full name: Alan Adler
  • Also known as: The Inventor of the AeroPress
  • Born: May 1938, Detroit
  • Nationality: American
  • Primary field: engineering
  • Best known for: xxx

One-Sentence Summary

“Alan Adler, an American inventor and retired Stanford University engineering instructor.”

Biography

Early Life

The AeroPress was invented by Alan Adler, an American inventor and retired Stanford University engineering instructor.

Besides the famous AeroPress coffee maker, Adler’s inventions include various aerodynamic toys that fall under the  Aerobie brand. This includes things like footballs with fins, flying rings, and discs.

Adler started his career in the 60s as an engineer. He designed submarine and nuclear reactor controls, instrumentation systems for military aircraft, and optics.

He was a curious person and pursued a variety of hobbies. He always wanted to make things better, so he invented things based on these hobbies.

Adler now holds more than 40 patents ranging from mirrors for astronomy, a race-winning sailboat, and designs for a Japanese flute.

However, it was hist inverted brewing invention in the form of the AeroPress that made Adler known around the world.

Alan Adler’s Early Inventions

One big fascination for Adler was flight. So, in the 1970s, he started working on designing a flying disc that was easy for the average person to throw.

The result was the Skyro, which he licensed to toy manufacturer Parker Brothers. Even though it sold a million units, it wasn’t enough to maintain their interest, and they returned the license to him.

The Skyro had one major problem – you had to throw it at the right speed for it to fly properly. So Adler spent the next six years optimizing the disc. He discovered that a spoiler lip around the disc solved the issue.

This time, Adler decided to launch the product, known as the Aerobie, himself.

Alan Adler got tons of publicity for the Aerobie Pro because a toy being invented by a wacky college professor made good headlines. This led to early success for the disc.

Adler’s goal for the Aerobie Pro was to outsell Frisbee’s 10 million units, which he has more than achieved.

Since the success of the Aerobie Pro, the company has released 18 aerodynamic toys, including a football with fins and a dog-proof disc.

How the AeroPress Was Invented

Despite Alan Adler’s flying ring success, it was a conversation with his sales manager’s wife that would prompt him to invent his most popular product.

The question that pushed Adler into action was “what do you do when you want one cup of coffee?” with both agreeing that a drip maker produces unappealing bitter coffee.

So Adler started trying to discover how to make the perfect cup of coffee, not thinking he was working on his next product.

He developed some methods to make pretty good filter coffee. But he also noticed that the 4-5 minutes it took for the coffee to pour through the filter added bitterness.

So Adler started experimenting with different brew methods to make the brew-time shorter. He came up with the design of the AeroPress, which, using air pressure, reduced this time to less than a minute.

After making the first AeroPress prototype in his garage and tasting the resulting coffee, Adler was blown away by the results. He invited Aerobie General Manager Alex Tennet to his house, who, after tasting a cup, said, “Alan, I can sell a ton of these.”

Adler spent the next year refining the product because he didn’t know how to use it himself yet. The result was the simple to use AeroPress.

All you had to do was put in 2-4 scoops of finely ground coffee into the plastic tube, add 175-degree water, stir for ten seconds, and insert the plunger. Then slowly push down to get a pure cup of coffee that was about as strong as espresso.

An unintended feature of this method is that it self-cleans the device as you use it.

The Aeropress was the ultimate solution to make coffee brewing easy and convenient for a single cup.

AeroPress Launch

Adler debuted the AeroPress in 2005 at Seattle’s Coffee Fest, where it was well-received.

Still, in the first few years after its launch, AeroPress sales were low. Tennant even had to convince a prominent sales rep group not to drop the product.

What made things even tougher was that there were many coffee makers AeroPress had to compete against in the same price range.

The AeroPress set itself apart by creating fresh, single servings of coffee compared to the 8-12 cup drip makers.

The company decided to focus on what AeroPress did best, make a great cup of coffee. They kept attending trade shows and sending products to food writers and coffee experts. This tenacity paid off when, in 2008, sales started to rise.

One strategy Adler used to get the coffee community on his side was to join a popular coffee forum. Here he answered almost 700 questions users had about his product on the site.

This attention helped AeroPress become popular not just in the US but also internationally.

What Made the AeroPress Unique?

Coffee fans like the AeroPress because it’s easy to make a quick, clean, and smooth cup of coffee. But there’s another reason why coffee-lovers are drawn to the product – its hackability.

AeroPress is perfect for people who want control over all aspects of the process of brewing coffee. It allows you to adjust all of its variables, including temperature, brew-time, coffee water ratio, and more.

The customizable nature of the product has led to several feature-extending inventions. These include a reusable metal filter, specialized brew stations, and weights that push down on the plunger for you.

World AeroPress Championship

This popularity and flexibility has led to a fun expression of AeroPress obsession, the World AeroPress Championship.

Since 2008, baristas using different recipes have been competing to make the perfect cup of coffee with AeroPress.

The simple brewing process has resulted in all kinds of different AeroPress recipes and techniques for brewing better coffee.

The World AeroPress Championship is the perfect example of just how well-loved and popular this little plastic tube is to brew coffee. Who would have thought that such a seemingly simple invention would have its own world championship?

AeroPress Company Growth

In 2017 Adler sold the Aerobie toy line and renamed the company AeroPress Inc. He started focusing on a new product, resulting in the release of a travel-sized model called the AeroPress Go.

Since launching, AeroPress coffee makers have become Adler’s main focus. Quite a far-off difference from the Aerobie flying ring that he was originally determined on.

After 16 years of heading up AeroPress, Adler decided to sell a majority investment to Tiny Capital for a reported $70 million.

AeroPress Sales and Revenue

AeroPress doesn’t disclose its revenue figures.

Still, with the original AeroPress retailing for 31.95 and having sold millions of units, it’s safe to say that the business is doing alright!

What’s Next for AeroPress?

While AeroPress has gone from a slow-seller to one of the best-known coffee-makers, little has changed with the product. Apart from some visual upgrades, it’s still the same AeroPress.

And although they introduced a new product with the AeroPress Go, Adler has always said he isn’t interested in making a larger AeroPress. Still, with new ownership, this could change in the future.

Whatever the future holds for AeroPress, what can be said is that thanks to Adler, a fresh, clean, and smooth cup of coffee is less than a minute away.

Summary

From designing control systems for submarines to inventing record-breaking flying discs, Adler’s constant curiosity has taken him from engineering to the toy industry. His desire to improve things has netted him over 40 patents.

This includes a revolutionary coffee-maker that’s captured the hearts of millions of coffee lovers worldwide. With such a simple plastic design, inventor Alan Adler has revolutionized coffee brew methods. His own invention has become so popular that it’s even resulted in the World AeroPress Championship – pretty crazy for a simple idea that resulted from Adler’s garage.

Career & Major Milestones

Alan Adler’s career moves in waves: first high-end engineering, then aerodynamic toys, and finally a full pivot into coffee.

  • 1960s – Early engineering career
    Works as an engineer designing submarine and nuclear reactor controls, instrumentation for military aircraft, and optics.

  • 1970s – First flying disc: Skyro
    Designs the Skyro flying disc, licensed to toy manufacturer Parker Brothers. The disc sells around a million units, but the licence is later returned, partly because it is difficult to throw at the right speed.

  • Late 1970s–1980s – Aerobie & founding his own company
    Spends ~6 years refining the flying disc, discovering that a spoiler rim solves the stability issues and leads to the Aerobie flying ring. He founds Superflight, Inc. (later known as Aerobie, Inc.) to manufacture and sell his own products.

  • 1980s–1990s – World-record flying rings and toy line expansion
    The Aerobie Pro ring sets a Guinness World Record for farthest thrown object (1,333 ft / 406 m). Adler and his company go on to release ~18 aerodynamic toys, including footballs with fins and various flying discs.

  • 2003–2004 – Beginning of AeroPress
    Triggered by a conversation about why it’s so hard to brew one good cup of coffee, Adler starts experimenting with brewing methods. He prototypes the AeroPress in his garage, aiming to shorten brew time and reduce bitterness with air pressure.

  • 2005 – AeroPress launch
    Debuts the AeroPress at Seattle Coffee Fest. Initial sales are modest and some sales reps consider dropping the product, but the device gains a small, highly enthusiastic following.

  • 2008 – World AeroPress Championship (WAC)
    The first World AeroPress Championship is held, turning a simple plastic brewer into the centrepiece of an annual global competition with constantly evolving recipes and techniques.

  • 2017 – Focus shift from toys to coffee
    Adler sells the Aerobie toy line and renames the company to AeroPress, Inc., focusing the business entirely on coffee brewing products (including the later AeroPress Go).

  • 2019 – AeroPress Go
    Launch of the AeroPress Go, a travel-oriented version that packs into its own mug, cementing the brand’s association with portability and single-cup brewing.

  • 2021 – Majority investment by Tiny Capital
    After about 16 years of leading AeroPress, Adler sells a controlling stake in AeroPress, Inc. to Tiny Capital, retaining a minority interest and remaining involved while the company scales further.

Throughout this career, Adler accumulates ~40+ patents across electronics, optics, aerodynamics and coffee equipment.

Key Contributions

Alan Adler’s key contributions can be grouped into aerodynamic design, consumer toys, and coffee brewing technology.

Major Inventions / Ideas

  • Skyro flying disc
    Early flying disc designed to be more stable and easy to throw than typical Frisbees. Commercially successful but technically limited by a narrow “correct” throwing speed.

  • Aerobie flying ring & Aerobie Pro

    • Introduces the idea of a spoiler rim to stabilize flight over a wide speed range.
    • The Aerobie Pro sets a world record for farthest thrown object, and becomes an iconic flying toy.

  • Aerobie product family (18 aerodynamic toys)

    • Expands the range to include football with fins, dog-resistant discs, and other high-performance rings and discs.
    • Establishes a reputation for “engineered fun”: toys that are simple to use but deeply optimized aerodynamically.

  • High-performance sailboats & other engineering work

    • Designs boats like the Fast-40 and the 60-foot racing ketch Etosha, plus optics (e.g. astronomy mirrors) and a Japanese flute design, showing that his inventiveness is not limited to one domain.

  • AeroPress manual coffeemaker (2005)

    • A pressure-assisted brewer that uses short brew times, lower water temperatures, and paper filtration to reduce bitterness and highlight sweetness.
    • Engineered to give the user full control over grind size, brew time, and water temperature in a compact, durable form factor.

  • AeroPress Go & later variants (Go, XL, Premium, Clear variants)

    • Extends the original idea into travel-friendly and larger-capacity formats, while keeping the same 3-in-1 brew principle (espresso-like, filter-like, and cold brew).

Impact on Coffee Culture

  • Single-cup brewing revolution
    Before AeroPress, most home brewers targeted 4–12 cup batches. Adler directly tackled the “I just want one good cup” problem and normalised single-cup manual brewing at home and in cafés.

  • Low-bitterness, fast brew methods
    By focusing on short extraction times and relatively low temperatures with air pressure, Adler offered an alternative taste profile: clean, sweet, and low in bitterness compared to French press or many drip setups.

  • Hackable brewer & recipe culture

    • The AeroPress is extremely parameter-rich: grind, temperature, ratio, brew time, agitation, and orientation (regular / inverted) are all tweakable.
    • This has generated an entire subculture of recipes, accessories (metal filters, stands, automatic plungers, etc.), and online discussion.

  • World AeroPress Championship (WAC)

    • Since 2008, the WAC has become a global event where baristas compete using wildly different AeroPress recipes.
    • It’s turned a plastic brewer into a cultural icon within specialty coffee, demonstrating how a simple device can inspire endless innovation.

  • Bridge between engineering and specialty coffee
    Adler’s approach—treating brewing as an engineering problem with variables and constraints—helped push specialty coffee towards more measurement-driven, experimental brewing, especially among home enthusiasts.

Timeline

  • May 1938 – Born in Detroit, Michigan, USA.
  • 1960s – Works as an engineer on submarine and nuclear reactor controls, military aircraft instrumentation, and optics.
  • 1970s – Designs the Skyro flying disc, licensed to Parker Brothers; approx. one million units sold.
  • Late 1970s–early 1980s – Develops the Aerobie flying ring with a spoiler rim, solving stability issues.
  • 1984 – Founds Superflight, Inc. to manufacture and sell the Aerobie ring himself.
  • 1980s–1990s – The Aerobie Pro flying ring sets a Guinness World Record for farthest thrown object (1,333 ft / 406 m).
  • 2003–2004 – Begins experimenting with coffee brewing and prototypes the AeroPress in his garage.
  • 2005 – Official launch of the AeroPress at Seattle Coffee Fest.
  • 2005 – Company renamed Aerobie, Inc. as the Aerobie brand becomes widely recognised.
  • 2008 – First World AeroPress Championship held.
  • 2017 – Sells the Aerobie toy line; company pivots fully to coffee and is renamed AeroPress, Inc.
  • 2019 – Launch of the AeroPress Go, a compact travel version of the brewer.
  • 2021 – Tiny Capital acquires a controlling stake in AeroPress, Inc.; Adler retains a minority interest and ongoing involvement.

Notable Quotes

“There’s no way to adjust the temperature and it was that problem that led me to start designing my own coffee maker.”
Alan Adler, on why he began designing the AeroPress

“I’ve always encouraged people to at least try 175 because everybody seems to like it best.”
Alan Adler, on recommended brew temperature

Trivia / Fun Facts

  • Started inventing at 13 years old, when he independently came up with an electronic device to measure tiny structural movements – only to discover it already existed as a “strain gage.”
  • Holds 40+ patents spanning military instrumentation, optics, astronomy mirrors, sailboats, flutes, toys, and coffee equipment.
  • Designed the Aerobie flying ring, which went on to set a Guinness World Record for the farthest thrown object (about 406 m / 1,333 ft).
  • Left his electronics job to build a company around Aerobie after frustration with how another manufacturer handled his earlier disc, the Skyro.
  • Personally answered hundreds of questions (almost 700) about the AeroPress on an online coffee forum to support early users and build community.
  • Still advocates the traditional (non-inverted) AeroPress method with a total brew time of about one minute and relatively low water temperatures (~80–85 °C).

Sources & Further Reading

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