Introduction
Sometimes, you want a cup of black coffee but don't want to use the "cumbersome" pour-over method (too many tools). That's where simple immersion-type coffee makers really shine, with the Clever Dripper and the French Press being the most classic examples. So how do you choose between these two coffee makers?
 
Clever Dripper
The Clever Dripper is a very convenient coffee brewing device that can complete the process of immersion brewing and filtering, saving a lot of effort. The key to the Clever Dripper's design is the piston valve at the bottom of the dripper. After hot water is poured into the dripper, the water pressure automatically seals the piston valve to stop the flow, allowing the coffee grounds to fully immerse. Once immersion is complete, place the dripper on a mug, and the base gets pressed to open the piston valve, letting the coffee slowly flow into the cup.

French Press
The French Press originated in France in 1850. It is a simple brewing device consisting of a heat-resistant glass body and a metal filter with a plunger rod. Its working principle is to immerse the coffee and then use the metal filter with a plunger rod to press down the coffee grounds, resulting in a clean cup of coffee.

So what's the difference between the coffee made by these two?
These two coffee makers share common ground while each having their own characteristics. Front Street Coffee plans to do a brewing comparison. Since both are immersion-type, the same coffee beans and brewing method will be used.
 
Front Street Coffee's Kenya Asalia coffee beans are selected. This is a coffee with bright acidity and full fruity flavors. In particular, when extracted with hot water, Asalia not only expresses explosive sweet and sour notes of cherry tomatoes and smoked plums, but also has a very prominent caramel aroma. The body is rich yet clean, much like drinking a glass of freshly squeezed juice with the pulp filtered out.

Dose: 15g
Coffee-to-water ratio: 1:15
Grind size: Medium grind (70% passing through a No. 20 standard sieve)
Water temperature: 94°C
Steep time: 4 minutes
 
Clever Dripper: Place a paper filter, add 15g of coffee grounds, prepare 225g of hot water and pour it into the dripper in a bold stream, cover with the lid, and wait 4 minutes. Then place the Clever Dripper on a mug and wait until the coffee liquid finishes dripping.

French Press: Add 15g of coffee grounds, prepare 225g of hot water and pour it into the press pot in a bold stream, pull up the plunger, cover with the lid, and wait 4 minutes. Then slowly press down the plunger until the filter is at the halfway point of the pot, and pour the coffee liquid into a mug to finish.

Flavor comparison of the two
Observing the coffee liquid, the Clever Dripper's is relatively clear and transparent, while the French Press's appears cloudy with oils floating on the surface. Tasting: the Clever Dripper has bright acidity with flavors of lemon, cherry tomato, and maple syrup. The overall cleanliness is high, and the flavor is slightly light. The French Press presents flavors of smoked plum, berries, and cherry tomato. The mouthfeel is intense and round but appears rough.

The reason for the difference in flavor is that with the Clever Dripper, coffee grounds and water only interact during the initial pouring stage; the rest of the time it is basically static. This includes the later stage when the water drips into the mug — most of the water flows into the cup through the ribs, and combined with the filtering effect of the paper filter, the coffee ends up clean, bright, and transparent.
 
For the French Press, besides the coffee-ground-and-water movement during the initial pour, there is also the downward movement of coffee grounds when pressing the plunger, which increases extraction efficiency. Moreover, the French Press filters out coffee grounds through a metal mesh, and the mesh openings are larger than regular paper filters, so it retains most of the coffee oils and some fine particles. This is why the liquid surface appears cloudy and the mouthfeel is round.

So, how should you choose?
If you prefer cleanliness and convenience, the Clever Dripper is recommended. Because of the paper filter, the coffee's cleanliness is enhanced, and subsequent cleaning is also easier. Compared to the French Press, the French Press requires cleaning out coffee grounds as well as fine particles and oils clinging to the mesh and glass walls during washing.

The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.