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WBC World Barista Championship competitor Suzuki Shigeru once said that the advantage of the French press is that its brewing principle is very simple, anyone can use it, and it won't cause differences in coffee flavor due to different brewing techniques. The French press can intuitively express the flavor of the coffee itself, while not being affected by filter paper.
As the simplest brewing device to operate, the French press requires no rigorous pouring technique or complex variable control, so it is often the first choice for "lazy people" brewing coffee at home. Today, Front Street Coffee will explain the extraction principle of the French press, and how to choose a good French press!
French Press French Press
The French press, as the name suggests, originated in France. Its structure consists of a cylindrical container and a lid, with a metal filter that can be pulled up and down in the middle of the lid, used to separate coffee grounds from the coffee liquid to control extraction. The principle of the French press is just like brewing tea: after soaking coffee grounds in hot water for a certain time, the plunger is pushed down to filter and obtain the coffee liquid.
Unlike pour-over coffee, which involves so many complex influencing parameters, the French press's "one-pour" method is simpler, which also means there are only 4 factors affecting the coffee: coffee-to-water ratio, grind size, water temperature, and steeping time. Similar to cupping, extraction is relatively stable, and the coffee's flavor can better reflect its original taste. Because the French press completes the pouring directly all at once, the extraction temperature will gradually decrease over time, so the water temperature needs to be slightly higher than for pour-over. If brewing light-to-medium roast acidic coffee, Front Street Coffee recommends using 92–94°C; for medium-dark roast beans, it is recommended to steep at 89–90°C. In autumn and winter when room temperature is lower, Front Street will also preheat the French press with boiling water first to reduce heat loss during coffee extraction.
Time is an important parameter that can be freely adjusted with a French press. With less human stirring involved, steeping time is one of the key factors affecting the extraction rate. Under the same conditions, generally speaking, the longer the extraction time, the richer the mouthfeel, but it is also more prone to over-extraction, resulting in bitterness, astringency, and woody notes. Paired with a coarse grind, Front Street recommends a steeping time of about 4 minutes for light-to-medium roast coffee; medium-dark roast coffee more easily extracts bitterness, so steeping for 3 minutes 30 seconds is sufficient. This time can fully release the positive flavor substances, and also avoid the bitter and muddy taste caused by steeping too long.
If asked whether Front Street pour-over coffee or French press coffee is better, Front Street believes there is no standard answer—what suits you is the best. If you want to taste the richer and more diverse layers of coffee, choose pour-over coffee; if you want simple operation and a cup of black coffee with a mellow aroma, choose the French press.
The Historical Origins of the French Press
According to information consulted by Front Street Coffee, the prototype of the French press came from a coffee brewing vessel designed in 1852 by two Frenchmen named Mayer and Delforge. The two added a layer of cloth filter to a metal plate, thereby creating what is considered the earliest French press, and applied for its patent.
Later, as the French press spread, this device was improved by Italians Bruno Cassol and Faliero Bondanin in 1935 and 1958 respectively, and once again became popular in France and other places. By the 1990s, the French company Bodum officially commercialized the French press. Before long, its advantage of convenient operation made it people's first choice, and this brand gradually became synonymous with this brewing vessel. The French press Front Street uses is precisely from this classic brand—Bodum—which is easy to use and inexpensive, one could say it combines extremely high cost-effectiveness.
After many customers choose a coffee bean, they will ask Front Street whether it is suitable for brewing with a French press. In theory, the French press is suitable for all coffee beans that can be used for pour-over, but considering that its extraction principle belongs to static immersion extraction, the oils give the coffee more body, and the flavor tends toward rich, mellow, and balanced, it is therefore more suitable for the flavor expression of medium or darker roasts, such as chocolate, nuts, caramel, fermented wine aroma, cocoa, and other aroma types. Taking Front Street Coffee's bean list as an example, Front Street Brazil Queen's Estate Coffee, Front Street Colombia Huila Coffee, Front Street Jamaica Blue Mountain No. 1 Coffee, Front Street Indonesia Golden Mandheling Coffee, and other beans are all very suitable for making French press coffee.
Finally, Front Street believes it is necessary to remind everyone of some small details when using a French press. Because the French press has a built-in metal filter, after long-term use it will absorb and accumulate the oils released by the coffee. Residue left on the filter and plunger rod can easily lead to oxidation and deterioration, thereby affecting subsequent use. So after using the French press, we must, must remember to clean it promptly. When cleaning the French press, all metal parts should be disassembled. Both the container and the parts need to be cleaned with detergent and completely wiped dry, then air-dried before being put away.
The above content is compiled by CoffeeHunters, a coffee news website.
