The French Press

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The French Press aka the Plunger

French Press aka Plunger Pot

First known as French Press, but most commonly known as the “plunger pot coffee,” it uses a technique that is similar to making tea: infusion technique. Unlike the Electric Drip or manual drip coffee, many of the essential oils and flavor that would otherwise be trapped in the filter are still contained within the coffee. This technique tends to lead to thicker and more potent coffee with the possibility of some sentiment ending up in the cup.

How it works:

The brewer consists of a cylindrical glass container with a tight fitting pump. Using a very thick, coarse grind, the coffee grounds are placed in a glass beaker with hot water. After the water has steeped into the grounds, the pump is pushed down to the bottom of the pot forcing the grounds to the bottom. Some of the smaller pieces of sentiment can end up in the coffee.

Grind: Medium Coarse to Coarse

Tips:

Always look for a metal filter screen as opposed to a nylon mesh. A tighter fitting filter screen reduces the chances of the screen breaking. There is a large variety of plunger knobs, but its best to look for one with a larger knob to guarantee an even distribution of pressure. An equal distribution of pressure will reduce the risk of breaking the carafe. And as always, use a coarser grind to minimize the amount of sediment in the cup. Of course, if you like sipping some ground coffee in your cup by all means use a finer grind.