French press
A coffee brewing device using a plunger and mesh filter.
Last updated
KoeppiK · via Wikipedia: French press · CC BY-SA 4.0
It is known by different names in different regions, including cafetière in Britain and Ireland and coffee plunger in Australia and New Zealand.[1] The device can also be used to brew loose tea or strain broth.[2][3]
Quick Facts
- Field
- Coffee brewing device
- Alternative names
- Cafetière
- press pot
- coffee plunger
- caffettiera a stantuffo
Facts from the source article.
Key facts and history
The device was further popularized by companies including Melior-Martin, Household Articles Ltd., and Bodum.[4] The mesh piston normally leaves a space of about 30 mm below it in its lowest position, so it does not compress the grounds.[5] For optimal results with a French press, the coffee grounds should be coarse, similar in size to cooking salt crystals.[6] An optimal brewing duration of about four minutes is suggested by certain authors.[7]
To avoid scalding and to improve the extraction of oils and flavonoids from the coffee, the plunger should be pushed down slowly.[5] Leaving the prepared coffee in the carafe together with the spent grounds can result in a bitter, astringent taste, although some drinkers prefer that outcome.[5]
What the cited sources add
A recipe from Crema.co recommends a 1:15 ratio of coffee to water and a four-minute brew time for a 4-cup French press.[8] The same source advises preheating the press with hot water and thoroughly cleaning it after each use to avoid bitterness.[8] Bon Appétit describes using a French press to make broth by steeping fish and seafood scraps with aromatics for five to seven minutes before pressing.[9] The broth method intensifies flavors and allows adding fresh elements like tomatoes and herbs without bitterness.[9]
Bon Appétit recommends buying a separate press for coffee and for savory broths if the method is used regularly.[9]
References
- Wikipedia, "French press" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: :fr:cafetière à piston; :nl:cafetière (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "French press" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Tong, "Chinese tea - the definitive guide", China Intercontinental Press, 1 June 2010 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "French press" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Bilow, "Why You Should Be Making Broth in Your French Press", Bon Appétit, 2015-05-09 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "French press" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Apparatus for preparing infusions, particularly for preparing coffee Google Patents; "The Melior Way of Brewing Coffee and Tea", Melior Line; "The coffee house: beating heart of a city", The Guardian, 2015-02-20 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "French press" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Instruction Manual", Brim Coffee (original not read by us) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "French press" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: "Brew Perfect French Press Coffee with this Recipe - Crema.co"; Millman, "Freshen Up; Manual Brewing Techniques Give Coffee Lovers a Better Way to Make a Quality Drink", Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 2009-04-23; "Brew Perfect French Press Coffee with this Recipe - Crema.co" (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- Wikipedia, "French press" (CC BY-SA 4.0), which cites: Rinsky, "The Pastry Chef's Companion", John Wiley & Sons, 2008, p. 119 (we also read that source) en.wikipedia.org
- "Brew Perfect French Press Coffee with this Recipe - Crema.co". facts only, no text reused. crema.co
- Bilow, "Why You Should Be Making Broth in Your French Press", Bon Appétit, 2015-05-09. facts only, no text reused. bonappetit.com
Each numbered sentence above was checked against the source it cites before publication. Sentences citing Wikipedia adapt text from the English Wikipedia article French press (contributors), used under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is available under the same licence. Other sources were used for facts only; no text or images are copied from them.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: French press (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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