French Press

French Press is a popular method of coffee brewing that originated in France in the mid-19th century. It is also known as a press pot or plunger pot due to its unique brewing mechanism.

History

The French Press was first patented by Italian designer Attilio Calimani in 1929. However, the design has been modified several times over the years, with the most notable changes being made by Swiss inventor Faliero Bondanini, who patented his own version of the French Press, known as the Chambord, in 1958.

Design

A typical French Press consists of a cylindrical beaker made of glass or clear plastic, equipped with a lid and a stainless steel or plastic plunger that fits tightly in the cylinder. The plunger features a mesh filter which separates the coffee grounds from the liquid when the coffee is brewed.

Brewing Process

To brew coffee using a French Press, coarse-ground coffee is steeped in boiling water within the beaker. After the coffee has steeped for a few minutes, the plunger is slowly pressed down, separating the coffee grounds from the liquid and trapping them at the bottom of the beaker. The brewed coffee can then be poured directly from the beaker.

Variations

There are several variations of the French Press, including the Espro Press, which features a dual filtration system, and the AeroPress, which uses air pressure to extract flavor from the coffee grounds.

Criticism

While the French Press is praised for its simplicity and the rich, full-bodied coffee it produces, it has also been criticized for allowing fine coffee grounds to pass through the mesh filter, resulting in a cup of coffee with sediment. Some studies have also suggested that coffee brewed using a French Press may contain higher levels of LDL cholesterol due to the lack of a paper filter.

See Also

• Coffee preparation
• Coffee percolator
• Drip brew