What Is a French Press? A Complete Guide
Plot Twist: It isn’t even French.
Lets talk about the French Press and why I think it delivers a reliably delicious cup of coffee with very little effort. I saw a TikTok video the other day. A woman was outside on her back deck taking apart her drip coffee maker to confirm a suspicion that there was mold inside. 20 seconds later we see a dramatic reveal of colonies of mold and mineral deposits gunked on the inside of the coffee maker. Admittedly she hadn’t descaled the coffee maker since she first got it, over a year ago. But even so, it’s not her fault. A closed unit system like a drip coffee maker, makes it very hard to know if there’s a problem and even harder to clean it. Enter the French Press.
What is a French Press?
A French Press is a manual brewing method where coffee grounds steep directly in hot water. After a few minutes the grounds are separated from the liquid coffee with a fine mesh plunger. This is full-immersion brewing and the results are unique. The metal mesh lets coffee oils and dissolved coffee compounds stay in the coffee liquid. A paper filter absorbs these precious flavor compounds, which is why using a French press gives your cup of coffee a heavier, fuller body and a different flavor that a lot of people prefer. And with few moving parts, its very simple to clean.
History of the French Press
Although it’s called a French Press, like many great coffee inventions, the French Press was designed by Italians. Two Italian designers, Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta, filed a patent for their invention in 1929 and later refined their design into the first commercial French press, The Bodum Chambord, in the 1950s.
Beyond Coffee: A Versatile & Beautiful Kitchen Tool
Besides coffee, you can also brew tea and make infusions with a French Press making it an incredibly versatile kitchen tool. Nutritionist and cookbook author, Megan Stevens, has a great article about how to use your French press to make a few different tea recipes.
My Favorite Vintage & Handmade French Presses
A French press is a design object on its own. It looks beautiful out on your counter or at your desk. Mine is a single serve, vintage Bodum and I love it. If you’re looking for a particularly stylish version, here are a few I found on Etsy that I absolutely LOVE.
Vintage 1960’s Alessi French Press: In excellent vintage condition, this would make the perfect gift for lovers of MCM or Italian Modernism Design.
Retro Bodum Bistro French Press Set: Bright handles and cork bottoms for both beauty and function.
1970’s Portmeirion Botanic Garden Sweet William French Press: An elegant ceramic French press from the 1970s featuring hand-painted details.
Lucid & Real Stainless Steel French Press: A new French press with a generous capacity and elegant shape.
Bodum 70th Anniversary Limited Edition French Press: A fun, cheery French press for the lover of modern design.
Eagle Arts Pottery Handmade Stoneware French Press: A gorgeous, handmade French press. Would make a great hostess/host gift.
