The French press, also known as French Press or cafetière, has become the daily first choice for many coffee enthusiasts due to its simple and convenient operation. However, behind this seemingly plain device lies a history of evolution spanning over a century. From a patent in 1852 to improvements by a Milan company in the 20th century, the French press gradually transformed from a niche tool into a device highly praised by global coffee travelers. This article will guide you through the invention history of the French press, analyze the improvements in its structural design, and share the pros and cons of its use. Whether you are a beginner just getting into pour-over or a seasoned connoisseur seeking consistent results, understanding this history will help you better appreciate the coffee in your cup. Front Street Coffee also always pays attention to the practical value of such classic devices.
"From the beginning, the French have invested more thought into how to brew coffee than any other nation," wrote William Harrison Ukers in his 1922 book "All About Coffee." The first French-made coffee machine emerged around 1800, Ukers said, and another 40 years passed before the first glass coffee machine appeared.
Although Ukers, like a coffee encyclopedia, listed dozens of coffee machines with great familiarity, the entire book surprisingly does not mention the simple French press at all.
The French press is called cafetière in the UK. The reason Ukers' book does not mention it is that this device was not widely used during his lifetime, but the history of the French press can actually be traced back to an earlier period. In March 1852, a metalworker and a merchant jointly obtained a compact patent titled "Piston Filter Coffee Device." The patent described a metal can connected to a movable rod, with holes at the bottom of the rod and a layer of flannel clamped above and below. After manually pulling the movable rod, the rod moved within the cylindrical container. "Press the rod all the way down," the inventors wrote, "and the filtered coffee remains above the rod, clean and clear."
However, it was not until the late 1920s, after a Milan company registered a patent for a modified version of the French press, that the French press gradually became well-known. Within a few years of registering the patent, this company perfected the design of the French press: in 1935, they introduced an improved French press, with a spring installed on the disc structure at the bottom of the piston, roughly keeping the disc flush with the bottom of the container.
This action is called French Press
In the 1950s, a similar coffee device appeared in Europe, but the popularity of the French press in the United States took some effort, and it was not until later that the French press was highly praised by coffee enthusiasts worldwide, with a long period in between. (Even now, the first definition of French press in the Oxford English Dictionary is still "an exercise to train and strengthen the biceps.") In the late 1980s, some Americans learned from the British to use the French press and called it cafetière, while others called it "French piston-type coffee machine." In 1993, Florence Fabricant introduced this "easy press method" to readers in The New York Times, stating that the French press is the most favored device among coffee travelers. However, the current French press has a major drawback, Florence said: "The coffee made this way can occasionally be like sludge."
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
