The French Press method for brewing coffee…the French Press method is highly recommended for anyone who wants a quick and delicious cup of home-brewed coffee.

The brainchild of designer Attilio Calimani, it debuted in 1929 and was at one time manufactured in a factory that made musical instruments. Today it comes in a wide variety of sizes and styles, with prices ranging from about $20 to $350.00.Its brewing method is brilliantly simple: just mix coffee grounds and hot water inside the glass or plastic cylinder and press down on the plunger metal or plastic.

The mesh-filter in the cylinder separates the spent coffee grounds from the brew after the brew period – which takes only a few minutes – has ended. Since the holes in the mesh are too large for the finer ground used in the drip method to brew properly, a coarser grind is needed for the French Press method.

Why is the French Press method better?

There are several reasons why this way of brewing coffee is superior to the more popular filter method. With the French Press, essential oils and flavor are neither lost nor trapped in a paper filter. Unlike the dip brewing method, which offers no control over the drip rate – and therefore no control over the strength of the brew – the French Press method allows you to control the strength of the brew by letting you decide how long the coffee-water mixture will stand before you press down on the plunger.

The French Press method for brewing coffee

Versions of French Press

There are several extremely practical modifications of the French Press. Are you a morning commuter? There is a sturdy plastic travel mug version for those who want their morning coffee “to go.” Just place it in your car’s cup holder, and when the brewing process is done, make your confrontation with morning commuter traffic that much less exasperating with a fresh cup of quality coffee.

Are you a hiker?
There’s an special, insulated, stainless steel thermos-style version made just for you. What’s more, tea lovers have not been left out of the picture.Did you know that you can substitute this device for a tea infuser? Just put tea leaves instead of coffee grounds in your French Press! On a cautionary note, be sure to get the brew out of the press and into a warmed-up tea pot in a timely manner. That way bitterness will not set in.