Why French Press Coffee (Plunger Method) when Drip machines and those little pod things are SO DARN POPULAR??
Brewing genuinely fresh coffee is such a marvelous affair. A wonderful blend of art and science – and best of all the kind of art and science that you can drink. There are numerous brewing methods and more popping up all the time, but only a few have gained world-wide popularity and endured over time. Without a doubt, the plunger method is the most time-tested given it consistently yields the highest caliber brew.
Although the plunger method of brewing was also being developed elsewhere, it became so popular in France that most people refer to the technique as the French Press and the brewer itself as the French Press coffee maker. Regardless of the syntax, this method tops all others, from the “just-need-a-cup to-get-through-the-day drinker” to the proverbial coffee snob, and here’s why:
It allows the user to control the flavor profile and fully develop the intricacies of each particular roast by controlling the brew time, water temperature, and grind, assuring that each cup is not only perfect but fully customizable to each person’s desires.
Drip machines, pour-overs, espresso machines and the like are good at quickly pushing water through the beans, but that speed prevents the hot water from mingling with the grounds. That mingling (and essentially steeping like tea) is what allows a full-bodied infusion, which in turn creates that buttery, rich and smooth brew. The full flavor profile of the beans can only be achieved by a full steeping of the grounds and only the French Press coffee maker was designed specifically to provide for this.
No flavor and essential oils-robbing paper filters to run out of, no wasting plastic pods, no finicky espresso machines, no percoloator that over cooks (burns) your coffee… just a pure, fresh cup of coffee the way the roaster intended: simple, convenient and consistently superb.
A few other considerations. The environment: most other methods use single-use filters or single-use plastic pods and these really do add up in the landfill. Convenience: Nothing is as simple as the French Press method and it can be used anywhere there is the availability to heat water – from the office to the top of a mountain. French Presses are also incredibly easy to clean, a simple rinse will do. Expense: A quality French Press Coffee Maker will be less than most drip makers and a fraction of the cost of an espresso machine.
So all that said, what kind of French Press coffee maker?
First, material is important. Glass is the traditional medium and works well enough for a few minutes – however glass does not retain heat, and easily breaks. Plastic is lighter and more durable, but given the high temperature of the water, it’s likely to infuse a little plastic taste as well as some chemicals from the plastic itself. Finally, there is stainless steel. We highly recommend stainless steel French Presses for a number of reasons. First, steel is infinitely more durable than glass and this is especially nice when cleaning out the press. A few knocks to the side of the press will clean the grounds out, this doesn’t work so well with glass! Second, stainless steel will retain heat exponentially longer than glass or plastic. Add in double-walled, vacuum insulation and you can be enjoying hot coffee many hours after it was prepared. Finally, steel is food safe even with high temperature water and will not impart flavors like plastic. Hence, you can enjoy many different coffees and roasts and enjoy the unique flavor profiles of each – all w/o the fear of ingesting BPA or some other toxin.
So get out there and use the camping French Press coffee maker to unlock all those amazing and unique flavors the coffee world has to offer.
French pressing – ensuring the purest, most perfectly brewed cup on the planet, to be enjoyed anywhere on the planet.
