Everybody’s got an opinion, and I’m sure the french press is not everyone’s preferred brewing method. I actually really enjoy making coffee on my AeroPress just as much as my french press (will blog about the AeroPress, soon). But, overall, I believe that the french press makes a better cup of coffee than many other brewing methods. Here’s why…
The More Control You Have, the Better Results You’ll Get
Automatic drip-brewed coffee makers have internal presets for how hot to make the water for brewing your coffee. Often times, the water temperature is set too hot (or not hot enough), and you’re usually unable to alter this setting, resulting in a cup that is consistently bland. The french press gives you more control over the brewing process. You get to choose how hot you want the water to be when you pour it in (make sure it’s not boiling or you’ll burn the coffee!). With french press, you’re in total control over water temperature and its contact with your ground coffee beans.
With an automatic drip-brewed coffee maker, the water is only in contact with the ground coffee for the few seconds it takes to go from the reservoir chamber, into the basket, flow through the ground coffee and drip into the decanter. This isn’t nearly long enough. With a french press, you also get to choose exactly how long the coffee steeps. Once again, you’re in total control and can choose how long the coffee will be in contact with the hot water (typical steep time is 4 minutes but you can adjust this based on your preference – again, more control!).
Drip-brewed coffee makers also tend to make inferior coffee because of the usage of filters. Do you know where all of the flavors are in coffee? They’re in the coffee oils that are extracted when freshly ground coffee comes into contact with hot water just off the boil. These essential oils include lipids and colloids which hold the flavor but unfortunately get absorbed by paper filters during the drip-brewed method. Thus, the elements that really make great coffee never make it into your cup. Using a french press, these essential oils do make it into your cup. After the coarse ground coffee is steeped in hot water, the plunger that is slowly pushed down has a metal mesh small enough to catch most of the coarse coffee grounds, yet big enough to allow the coffee oils to pass through and ultimately make it into your cup.
Most experts would agree that the french press is one of, if not the best way to taste the subtle differences in roast profiles in coffees from around the world. A drip-brewed coffee maker diminishes the ability to taste these differences and often mutes the flavors you would have been able to taste in the coffee, had it been brewed differently.
Drawbacks to French Press
A few drawbacks to the french press method are the cleanup involved and the sediment that’s left in the bottom of your cup. Is it more work to make french press coffee? Of course… but not that much more work. To taste and enjoy everything a coffee has to offer may mean more work, but it’s worth the 4 or 5 minute inconvenience. Also, some people don’t like the sediment that ends up at the bottom of their cup. For less sediment, I highly recommend using a conical burr grinder on a coarse setting and just don’t drink the last few sips in the cup (as delicious as your coffee may be) as it will have the most sediment. French press coffee may be a bit more work than other brewing styles, but the resulting cup is worth it.
Remember, coffee is all about you. It’s important to brew it in a way that you can control as many aspects as possible to really taste the intricacies in various coffees. Using a french press for brewing is a great way to do this.
Tell me your thoughts on french press coffee in the comments.
Return to our Coffee Library to read more coffee tips.
If you enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it!
I love french press coffee. the best part about it is the body–I don’t get as full-feeling coffee any other way.
my biggest complaint, though, is consistency, or rather the lack thereof. I rarely make the officially marked amounts of coffee (mine’s marked at 4 and 8, and usually make 3 or 6 cups), so I have to guess at water amounts. and I don’t have a good way to control the water temperature (I boil it then let it cool). The only thing I really have consistent control on is the amount of coffee and the time, so I get pretty widely varying taste.
That said it’s always better than any other way, Aeropress included
I’ve been using a drip coffee maker for years, but the more I read about French Presses, the more I want one. You post convinced me even more that I need to go out and find one sooner,r ather than later.
I used to just grab whatever was brewed off a drip coffee maker and didn’t get the “foofie” coffee stuff. That is, until my daughter worked at Starbuck’s. She then made me come out and try a French Press coffee. I was sold! I then got a French Press for Christmas (yes, from the same daughter!) and now love to make a French Press coffee. I still have my drip coffee maker for convenience, but when I want some good coffee vs. just a “wakeup”, it’s definitely worth it. The days when I can convince my daughter to make it is better because she’s got a very good process.
My favorite part is the fact that you can actually get more flavor without the bitterness. I’m used to stronger coffee=more bitter, but not with a press! Since the oils stay in the coffee instead of being absorbed by a filter, you can actually taste more, bolder coffee flavor without the bitterness you get from a strong cup of drip coffee.
Drip coffee almost tastes tasteless to me now. I love french press coffee. I do hate the sediment, and hate to dump out the last few sips of my delicious home roast, but 95% of awesome is better than 100% of blah.
I love my French press! You’re right; a nice coarse grind eliminates most sediment, so that the very last sip is the only part with any sediment.
Tip: I also use my French press to make cold-brewed iced coffee. Makes the filtering easier, and cold brew is delicious on a hot day!
I love the French press also, but my water isn’t consistent in temp so I guess I could use a thermometer if I need to be that picky. However, it’s the best, richest flavor you can get at home. I can’t make a latte that beats my local coffee shops, but I can make a good coffee!
@candy A trick that might help you is to never let the water boil… right before it boils, pour the water into the french press and start the timer for 4 minutes. I like to put something over the press during this time as you’re right, water temp will start to fall, which will cause problems (you want a consistent temp for all 4 minutes).
I had been using a French press for a while, but I didn’t care for the clean-up afterwards – disassembling the filter and press to clean/purge the grinds that usually get stuck in between. I now use a simple device called the Swiss Gold reusable one cup coffee filter. You place it on top of your drinking cup. It’s shaped like a cup with a gold mesh filter on the bottom and an insert placed on top after the grinds are added. You just pour hot water into it, put the lid on top, and voila, you get a fresh cup of coffee with less clean-up. Purists will say it’s just a simple drip brewer, but you control the water temp. and the gold filter allows the oils to pass through. I think it’s a viable alternative to the French press.
[...] press (ex. 3 cup), then 3 minutes might be OK. For more information on french press coffee, see my blog post on [...]
[...] Why French Press Makes Better Coffee | weeklyroast.com coffee blog. [...]