Take the Plunge
The French Press is one of the most popular home brewing methods. The first design for this style was patented in 1852 by two Frenchmen but it did not have a seal inside the carafe and hence did not look like the present day French Press. Though the most popular design was patented by a Swiss man which was also very popular in France and gave the cafetière its French identity.
The French Press, also known as a press pot, consists of a glass or plastic beaker and a mesh plunger. The main part is the beaker which is where you place your coffee grounds and hot water. Attached to the beaker are the base and handle. These ensure you won’t burn yourself or the surface you place it on. You have the lid with the attached filters and plunger. They are fairly intuitive to assemble, though, and the whole setup is quite simple.
It is available in different sizes. The French press works by immersion. The coffee grounds are steeped in water and then pressed down on the plunger. The plunger will push the grounds to the bottom of the pot that allows to pour the coffee out.
French Press is ideal for a coffee enthusiast who prefers nuanced flavours that are clear and robust bringing café to your home.
In general, you have small, large, metal and electric options:
- Small french press – if it’s just you and maybe a friend or loved one using it on a regular basis. Typical sizes include 3 and 4 cup presses.
- Large french press – These 8 to 12 cup behemoths are meant to pacify a crowd of coffee seekers and can produce several cups of coffee in a single batch!
- Metal french press – Are more durable, and seem to retain heat better than glass. Choose if you live in a cold area.
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Electric french press – For the lazy. These units heat the water, brew the coffee, and keep it warm after it’s ready! (Although we strongly recommend you decant the coffee when it’s done.)
Brew delicious coffee everyday
Don’t worry, we know what it’s like to look at a French Press with confusion. While these beauties are incredibly simple to use, they can be a little intimidating as well - but a few pointers will set you on the right path. What’s special about this brewing method is that it’s more gentle than drip coffee or stovetop brewing that heat the water and can scald the beans, resulting in a bitter brew.
The French Press works by immersing ground coffee in hot water, and separating the grounds from the coffee by plunging down the filter. To get good coffee each time, it’s important to disassemble and clean your device. Leftover grounds can leave a rancid taste in your cup.
Method
- Preheating your French Press is important! All you have to do is add some hot water to the press, swirl it around till it’s warm to touch, and discard the water. This will stop your brewing temperature from fluctuating, as the cold device and hot water can result in low brewing temperatures and inturn lower extraction.
- It’s time for coffee, and the secret is all in the grind! Choose a medium coarse grind, which is uniform and consistent throughout. Coarse, large grinds may clog the filter, while very fine grinds pass through the filter, resulting in a muddy cuppa. How much coffee you use will depend largely on the size of the press and the amount of coffee you want, remember to use a scale!
- You’re looking for 12 parts of water for 1 part of coffee, which should be at about 93DEGC to optimise the extraction of flavour. Careful - any hotter and your coffee could taste burnt. Any cooler, and the brew may be under-extracted, tasting flavourless and watered down.
- Add the coffee grounds, followed by a little hot water into your device. Give it a quick stir to ensure that all the grounds are properly immersed in water and then add the remaining water.
- Standard steep time is about 4 minutes, after which you slowly press the plunger down. Make sure to press it down all the way, or your coffee will continue to brew and over-extract.
Tip: if there’s too much resistance when you plunge, then your grounds are too fine. If there’s little to no resistance at all, that means your grinds are too coarse. It’s all a balancing act.
And your French Press is ready! We recommend decanting the coffee immediately, as the longer your brew sits with the grounds, the more flavour it’ll pull out — which isn’t necessarily a good thing, unless you like really bitter coffee. The best part? You can even use your device to brew loose leaf tea - enjoy!
French Press for all
The Fresh Start
If you are starting out, getting an entry level French Press is the right thing. You will require coffee powder to brew a tasty cup as and when you want. If you like brewing the pot, you can graduate on to more interesting equipment.
Our coffee experts recommend the following set for you.
1. Budan French Press
Named after the patron saint of Indian coffee, who will bless you with every round of brewing.
2. Corridor Seven French Profile
Corridor Seven is a Nagpur based indie roasterie. It roasted the coffee keeping French Press in mind.
On The Next Level
One only requires to grind the coffee beans fresh to jump on to the next level. Coffee beans has aromatic compounds, which evaporate fast, as soon as they are ground. To taste the freshest coffee, brew it right after grinding it.
Our coffee experts recommend:
1. Hario Cafe Press
Hario is a Japanese coffee equipment giant. Its clean and aesthetic approach is to die for.
2. Hario Hand Grinder
Hario's hand grinder has burrs, which crush coffee, and not cut them like blade grinders. It means the coffee will retain all the good aromatic and flavour profiles.
Simply The Best
Great coffee demands simple things. Make sure that you use the same amount of coffee with the same amount of water to brew for the same time. Getting a scale and a temperature kettle will put you in the most discerning cohort of coffee lovers.
Our coffee experts recommend:
1. Varia Digital Scale
Why bother getting a separate timer and scale, when you can have the both in one. You can track the time and weight at the same time. Once you get addicted to brewing with the scale and timer, you will never go back to the old ways.
2. Stagg Kettle
No more hit and trial after you get the kettle. With Stagg you can micro control the temperature with the increments of one degree. Brew darker coffees at lower temperatures, and brew lighter coffees at higher temperatures.
If you are starting out, getting an entry level French Press is the right thing. You will require coffee powder to brew a tasty cup as and when you want. If you like brewing the pot, you can graduate on to more interesting equipment.
Our coffee experts recommend the following set for you.
1. Budan French Press
Named after the patron saint of Indian coffee, who will bless you with every round of brewing.
2. Corridor Seven French Profile
Corridor Seven is a Nagpur based indie roasterie. It roasted the coffee keeping French Press in mind.
On The Next Level
One only requires to grind the coffee beans fresh to jump on to the next level. Coffee beans has aromatic compounds, which evaporate fast, as soon as they are ground. To taste the freshest coffee, brew it right after grinding it.
Our coffee experts recommend:
1. Hario Cafe Press
Hario is a Japanese coffee equipment giant. Its clean and aesthetic approach is to die for.
2. Hario Hand Grinder
Hario's hand grinder has burrs, which crush coffee, and not cut them like blade grinders. It means the coffee will retain all the good aromatic and flavour profiles.
Simply The Best
Great coffee demands simple things. Make sure that you use the same amount of coffee with the same amount of water to brew for the same time. Getting a scale and a temperature kettle will put you in the most discerning cohort of coffee lovers.
Our coffee experts recommend:
1. Varia Digital Scale
Why bother getting a separate timer and scale, when you can have the both in one. You can track the time and weight at the same time. Once you get addicted to brewing with the scale and timer, you will never go back to the old ways.
2. Stagg Kettle
No more hit and trial after you get the kettle. With Stagg you can micro control the temperature with the increments of one degree. Brew darker coffees at lower temperatures, and brew lighter coffees at higher temperatures.
The Fresh Start
If you are starting out, getting an entry level French Press is the right thing. You will require coffee powder to brew a tasty cup as and when you want. If you like brewing the pot, you can graduate on to more interesting equipment.
Our coffee experts recommend the following set for you.
1. Budan French Press
Named after the patron saint of Indian coffee, who will bless you with every round of brewing.
2. Corridor Seven French Profile
Corridor Seven is a Nagpur based indie roasterie. It roasted the coffee keeping French Press in mind.
On The Next Level
One only requires to grind the coffee beans fresh to jump on to the next level. Coffee beans has aromatic compounds, which evaporate fast, as soon as they are ground. To taste the freshest coffee, brew it right after grinding it.
Our coffee experts recommend:
1. Hario Cafe Press
Hario is a Japanese coffee equipment giant. Its clean and aesthetic approach is to die for.
2. Hario Hand Grinder
Hario's hand grinder has burrs, which crush coffee, and not cut them like blade grinders. It means the coffee will retain all the good aromatic and flavour profiles.
Simply The Best
Great coffee demands simple things. Make sure that you use the same amount of coffee with the same amount of water to brew for the same time. Getting a scale and a temperature kettle will put you in the most discerning cohort of coffee lovers.
Our coffee experts recommend:
1. Varia Digital Scale
Why bother getting a separate timer and scale, when you can have the both in one. You can track the time and weight at the same time. Once you get addicted to brewing with the scale and timer, you will never go back to the old ways.
2. Stagg Kettle
No more hit and trial after you get the kettle. With Stagg you can micro control the temperature with the increments of one degree. Brew darker coffees at lower temperatures, and brew lighter coffees at higher temperatures.
Frequently Asked Questions
We have been helping India's coffee community to brew the best coffees. If you still have questions, call us, Tweet us, send a message on Instagram. We would love to be of any help
1. What material French press is better-glass/ ceramic/ metal?
The stainless steel French press is durable and easier to clean. Though it tends to retain heat very well and is considered as a travel friendly gear but it is perceived as subtracting from the overall taste experience of the coffee where as the glass and the ceramic versions lacks the durability although it can be associated with aesthetic brewing which can be considered as a gourmet brewing experience.
2. What coffee roast is best when brewing with a French Press
It’s advisable to use a medium or dark-roasted bean because these roasts retain the most oils, leading to a better tasting and more flavorful brew.
3. What grind size should one use for a French Press
French press coffee requires a coarse, even grind. We recommend starting with a 1:12 coffee-to-water ratio. If you're using 350 grams of water, you’ll want 30 grams of coffee.
4. What is the difference between French Press and Aeropress coffee
The main difference between AeroPress and French press is the paper filter in Aeropress which reduces the oils and sediment in your coffee to a much greater degree than the French press’s metal filter does. The result is a lighter-bodied cup of coffee that’s usually free of sediment.
AeroPress method extracts under pressure and filters the grounds with a paper filter, while the French press method uses no pressure and a metal mesh filter.
5. Difference between French Press and Moka Pot
There is a striking difference between the French Press and Mokapot.
The MokaPot uses pressure, whereas a French press uses steeping. The MokaPot brews coffee that is strong, sharp, and highly energizing. It mixes great with milk or cream. The French press tends to produce coffee that is more full-bodied and richly textured.
6. Difference between French Press and Drip Coffee
There are several differences between French press and drip coffee. The main difference between French Press and drip coffee is the extraction of coffee in hot water. In drip coffee maker, hot water passes through grounds while extracting oils from coffee. On the other hand, in French press, coffee grounds are steeped in water for an extended period of time. While the drip coffee method is mostly automatic, French press requires more attention in the brewing process.
2. What coffee roast is best when brewing with a French Press
It’s advisable to use a medium or dark-roasted bean because these roasts retain the most oils, leading to a better tasting and more flavorful brew.
3. What grind size should one use for a French Press
French press coffee requires a coarse, even grind. We recommend starting with a 1:12 coffee-to-water ratio. If you're using 350 grams of water, you’ll want 30 grams of coffee.
4. What is the difference between French Press and Aeropress coffee
The main difference between AeroPress and French press is the paper filter in Aeropress which reduces the oils and sediment in your coffee to a much greater degree than the French press’s metal filter does. The result is a lighter-bodied cup of coffee that’s usually free of sediment.
AeroPress method extracts under pressure and filters the grounds with a paper filter, while the French press method uses no pressure and a metal mesh filter.
5. Difference between French Press and Moka Pot
There is a striking difference between the French Press and Mokapot.
The MokaPot uses pressure, whereas a French press uses steeping. The MokaPot brews coffee that is strong, sharp, and highly energizing. It mixes great with milk or cream. The French press tends to produce coffee that is more full-bodied and richly textured.
6. Difference between French Press and Drip Coffee
There are several differences between French press and drip coffee. The main difference between French Press and drip coffee is the extraction of coffee in hot water. In drip coffee maker, hot water passes through grounds while extracting oils from coffee. On the other hand, in French press, coffee grounds are steeped in water for an extended period of time. While the drip coffee method is mostly automatic, French press requires more attention in the brewing process.
