The French press is a simple immersion brewer that's capable of producing great-tasting coffee easily. This low-cost brewer has been around since the 1800s and is based on a simple design patented by two French inventors — Jacques-Victor Delforge and Henri-Otto Mayer.
In this article, you learn about the French press, the kind of coffee it can make, its history, how to brew coffee with the press, and other brewers that share a similar design.
What is a French Press Coffee Maker?
The French press is also known as the cafetière, cafetière à piston, press pot, coffee press, or coffee plunger. Whatever you call it, it’s a manual immersion brewing device that allows you to steep coffee in hot or cold water and separate the grounds by pressing a mesh plunger through the brew.
The French press consists of a cylindrical carafe, usually made from glass or stainless steel, a plunger with a mesh disk filter, and a lid that the plunger arm slides through.
This brewer is known for its simplicity, low cost, versatility, and ability to produce a robust, flavorful, thick-bodied cup of coffee.
What Does French Press Coffee Taste Like?
French press coffee is celebrated for its rich, full-bodied flavor. Unlike drip coffee or pour-over, the French press brewing method allows the natural oils and fine particles from the coffee grounds to remain in the final cup.
This results in a more aromatic and textured brew that’s often described as bold, earthy, and intense even when medium to dark roast arabica is used.
The exact flavor profile of French press coffee can be tailored to taste by adjusting factors such as the type of coffee beans, the grind size, extraction time, and the coffee-to-water ratio.
The History of the French Press
The French press was invented in 1852 by two Frenchmen — Jacques-Victor Delforge and Henri-Otto Mayer.
The two inventors patented the first design of the French press and its appearance was similar to what we use today. However, a lot has changed over the years to make the French press more efficient and consistent at making great-tasting coffee.
The modern design was patented in 1929 by an Italian designer by the name of Attilio Calimani. The main difference in Calimani’s design was the sealed mesh filter and lid — the previous design allowed a certain percentage of grounds to escape down the sides of the filter during plunging.
Since the early 1900s, not much has changed with this brewer. However, it has undergone several refinements and material updates to make it a more efficient coffee maker.
Today, the French press is a household staple for many. Although drip coffee machines are more commonly used to make a morning cup of coffee in the United States, an estimated 30% of American households own a French press.
In Europe, where the French press originated, this brewer is even more widespread. It’s the standard daily coffee maker used in many households across Southern, Western, and Central Europe.
What Type of Coffee Can You Make With a French Press?
The French press can produce immersion coffee from coarsely ground beans. Traditionally, the French press is used to brew arabica coffee. However, you can use it to brew great coffee from arabica and robusta blends as well as 100% robusta coffee. You can also make a range of different beverages using the French press.
You can make the following beverages with the French press:
- Regular Black Coffee — When used correctly with high-quality coffee beans, the French press can make delicious black coffee with a thick body and balanced flavor.
- White Coffee — By adding milk and sugar to regular French press coffee, you can make a sweet and creamy white coffee.
- Latte Coffee — You can make latte-style beverages with the French press by brewing a concentrated coffee and adding warm, frothed milk.
- Iced Coffee — The French press is perfect for making strong, black coffee. This concentrated brew can then be poured over ice and combined with milk to make delicious iced coffee.
- Cold Brew — The French press is the perfect coffee maker for traditional cold brew coffee.
What You Need to Brew Coffee With a French Press
The French press is incredibly simple to use and cheap to buy. You don't need much in the way of ingredients and equipment to brew great coffee with the French press.
Here's what you need:
Tools
- French Press — These coffee makers are available in a range of sizes. You’ll find French presses in one-cup capacities all the way up to eight-cup capacities.
- Kettle — The French press requires hot water to brew coffee. An electric or stove-top kettle can achieve this.
- Coffee Grinder — The best brews are made from freshly ground coffee. A burr grinder is the best option for creating the consistent coarse-grind that’s needed for the French press.
- Coffee Measure — A coffee measure allows you to accurately measure the amount of coffee used, ensuring you create the perfect brew every time.
- Coffee Mug — Use your favorite coffee mug for serving French press coffee.
Ingredients
- High-Quality Coffee — Opt for a high-quality, whole-bean coffee. Arabica is the most popular for French press but blends and robusta work well too.
- Water — Use fresh, filtered water to create a clean brew and prevent mineral build-up around the plunger of your press.
- Sugar (Optional) — Sweeten the finished brew with sugar if desired.
- Milk (Optional) — A touch of milk can mellow out your French press coffee and provide creaminess.
What’s the Best Coffee for French Press?
The best coffee for use in the French press should be high-quality, dark-roasted, and freshly ground. Whole-bean coffee that’s ground just before brewing will produce the best quality cup of French press coffee. If you don’t want to grind your own coffee, make sure to use a high-quality pre-ground coffee.
You have a few options when it comes to bean type — arabica, robusta, and arabica x robusta blends. Arabica beans are the most popular to use in a French press but blends and 100% robusta coffee also work.
The type of coffee you use depends on your taste:
- 100% Arabica — If you enjoy sweet, smooth, mellow coffee flavors and a mild caffeine hit, opt for a 100% arabica such as fruity DaLat Coffee.
- 100% Robusta — If you want a bold, dark, slightly bitter coffee with a strong caffeine hit, opt for a 100% robusta such as strong BanMe Coffee.
- Arabica and Robusta Blends — If you want a balanced brew with the characteristics of both beans, opt for a well-mixed blend such as Saigon OG.
How to Make French Press Coffee: Step-by-Step Instructions
Making coffee with a French press is easy. The method is as simple as adding hot water to ground coffee and leaving it to brew before straining with the plunger. However, a few simple techniques will improve the extraction and elevate your coffee.
Here's how to brew great-tasting coffee with the French press:
1. Boil a Kettle of Water
Boil a kettle of water. Use fresh, filtered water for the best result.
2. Measure and Grind the Coffee
Next, you’ll need to measure and grind your coffee properly. The ideal grind size for the French press is coarse — a consistency similar to sea salt.
The amount of coffee you’ll need depends on how much coffee you want to brew and the capacity of your French press.
Use the table below to work out how much coffee and water you need:
|
French Press Capacity |
Serving Size |
Coffee |
Water |
|
3 Cups (350 mL) |
1 serving |
17 grams (2–3 tbsp) |
7.5 oz (220 mL) |
|
4 Cups (500 mL |
2 servings |
27 grams (4–5 tbsp) |
12 oz (350 mL) |
|
8 Cups (1000 mL) |
3 servings |
54 grams (8–10 tbsp) |
22 oz (650 mL) |
3. Add the Coffee Grounds and Water
Once you’ve ground and measured your coffee, add it to the bottom of the French press. Add the appropriate amount of hot water and place the plunger on top to retain heat. Don’t press the plunger down through the brew yet.
4. Brew the Coffee
Wait for four to five minutes to allow the water to extract the flavors, oils, and aromatics from the coffee.
5. Strain and Pour
After four to five minutes, gently press the plunger down through the coffee to separate the grounds from the brew. Slowly pour the brew into your cup.
6. Adjust and Enjoy
Enjoy your French press coffee black. You may also add a spoon of sugar or syrup to sweeten and milk or coffee creamer if desired.
What Other Coffee Makers Are Like the French Press?
The French press isn't the only infusion brewer on the market. There are a few other brewers that make similar coffee using immersion. However, they offer slight differences in terms of body, flavor, and mouthfeel.
Here are three popular coffee makers that are similar to the French press:
1. The Espro Press
The Espro Press is an immersion coffee maker with dual microfilters in a basket construction. The basket is attached to a plunger, and the container holds the coffee and water — similar to a French press.
The Espro Press is used in the same way as the French press. However, the unique dual micro filter basket results in a much cleaner brew with a thinner body.
The filter system prevents any fine grounds from making it to the final brew. This gives the coffee the flavor characteristics of a French press brew without a silty mouthfeel — similar to a cup of drip coffee.
2. The Sowden SoftBrew
The Sowden SoftBrew is an infusion coffee maker that immerses ground coffee in hot water for extraction. It features a fine mesh basket that sits inside a ceramic carafe (coffee pot). The ground coffee is placed inside the basket and the hot water is poured into the carafe.
When the basket is placed inside the carafe, the flavors are extracted into the water. After being left to steep for four to five minutes, the basket is removed — revealing a pot of freshly brewed coffee.
Coffee made with the Sowden SoftBrew tastes similar to the French press. However, the brew is slightly bolder in terms of flavor and less silty due to the fine mesh basket.
3. The Clever Dripper
The Clever Dripper combines infusion brewing with drip brewing. This unique system holds coffee and water in a brew chamber above a “flow valve.” The coffee can be left to steep in the brew chamber before opening the flow valve.
Once the coffee has had time to steep, the valve is opened so the coffee can pass through the paper coffee filter into a collection chamber or coffee mug below.
The Clever Dripper produces rich, bold coffee that’s incredibly clean. You can compare the flavor to French press coffee and the body to drip coffee maker or pour over coffee.
FAQs: The French Press
Want to learn more about the French press and other ways to brew coffee?
Check out the answers to the frequently asked questions below:
1. What’s the Best Coffee for a French Press?
The best coffee for the French press should be high-quality and freshly ground. Arabica coffee variety is the most popular coffee to use in the French press. However, robusta and blends also produce great-tasting coffee.
2. What’s the Best Coffee-to-Water Ratio for the French Press?
The recommended coffee-to-water ratio for brewing coffee in a French press is 1:12. However, you may want to adjust this to your taste. Add more coffee for a stronger brew and less coffee for a weaker brew.
3. How Much Caffeine in a Cup of French Press Coffee?
There is around 100–137 mg of caffeine in an eight-ounce cup of French press coffee. The exact amount of caffeine can differ depending on the coffee-to-water ratio used, the extraction time, and the type of bean.
4. What Grind Size Should You Use for French Press?
You should use a coarse grind in your French press. Coarse ground coffee should have a similar consistency to Kosher salt or sea salt.
5. What’s the Best Water Temperature for French Press Coffee?
The best water temperature for brewing coffee in a French press is 208ºF (98ºC). You don’t need to be exact with this figure to brew great coffee with the French press. You can achieve 208ºF by leaving the kettle to cool for 30 seconds to a minute after boiling.
6. What’s the Difference Between a French Press and Espro Press?
The French press and Espro Press work in the same way. However, instead of a simple mesh disk filter, the Espro Press has a basket made from dual micromesh filters. The Espro Press produces similar coffee to the French press but it’s “cleaner” — fewer fine coffee grinds end up in the final cup.
7. Is French Press Coffee Similar to Drip Coffee?
French coffee tastes similar to drip coffee. However, it tends to have a thicker mouthfeel and stronger flavor. Drip coffee has a faster extraction time and is filtered using a fine paper filter, resulting in a cleaner brew with a thinner body and more subtle flavor.
8. Can You Make Iced Coffee With a French Press?
Yes. You can make iced coffee with a French press, and it’s remarkably easy. Simply increase the coffee-to-water ratio and brew as normal to create a concentrated shot of coffee. Pour the shot over ice, add milk, stir, and enjoy while cold.
9. Can You Make Cold Brew With a French Press?
Yes. The French press is one of the best brewers to use when making cold brew coffee. Simply add coarse ground coffee and cold, fresh, filtered water to the container. Chill the mixture in the fridge for 18 to 24 hours before straining and enjoying your brew.
10. Can You Make Tea in a French Press?
Yes. You can use the French press to steep loose-leaf tea. The process is the same as brewing coffee. Simply add tea leaves of your choice to the French press and add hot water (at the correct temperature for the tea). Allow the tea to infuse the water and strain using the plunger.
