The French Press: History and Method

As Mark and I have been using our French Press more and more, I thought I would do some studying on this brew method.

While some(most likely French people) insist it was a Frenchman who developed the pot, which we know as the French Press, it was actually Attillo Callimani, from Milan, Italy, who was awarded the first patent for it in 1929.  The Italians call this process, cafetiere. Over the years various designers and companies have toyed with the look of the plunger pot, Bodum, a Dutch company is credited with really mainstreaming the popularity of the French Press.

Making coffee in a French Press is pretty easy. Grind the coffee coarsely. You don't want a fine grind, or grounds get through the filter. Heat the water to about 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour about 1/3 of the pot with water to let the coffee bloom, then slowly add the rest of the water. Once the water is in the pot, let the coffee seep for about 4 minutes. Once the time is up, push down on the plunger, and the grounds will remain on the bottom of the pot, and you have coffee - VOILA!

One pot for us makes two cups of coffee. What I like is there is almost no coffee wasted, unlike a pot, where you may throw out what you don't drink. Mark and I make each have two cups, and there is no waste.

From a flavor standpoint, I find this method and the Chemex, really allow you to get the full flavor of a coffee. A drip maker could have calcium deposits, and other other minerals, as well as old coffee residue(if you aren't cleaning it regularly), which can alter the taste of the coffee. These methods allow water and coffee to mix and blend, and bring out the full flavor.

If you haven't tried this method, I highly recommend it.

Charlie