What is a French Press?

Many people don’t realize that there are several different ways to make coffee.  There is another popular method called the French Press.  If you have never heard of this term before, you might be wondering ‘What is a French press coffee maker?’  and why should I read French Press reviews?  Most of us are stuck thinking that an automatic drip coffee maker, like Mr. Coffee, is the only way to prepare you morning drink, but that’s not true.  Reading French Press reviews written by people who understand how a press works, is a great way to find the best press for you.

What is a French Press coffee makerWhile an automatic drip coffee maker filters water through a pile of coffee grounds, a French Press works much differently.  The device is usually some kind of tube or pot that the users fills with a mixture of coffee grounds and boiling water.  The mixture of water and coffee might be stirred or shaken to ensure and even mixture.  The longer the mixture is allowed to stay it, the stronger the final product will be.  For this reason, a French press is a great way to control the taste of your coffee.

After the desired amount of time, a piece called a plunger is put into the pot.  A plunger is a long rod that has a mesh filter on the end.  The rod is slowly pushed through the mixture and the filter on the end causes all of the coffee grounds to be pushed towards the bottom of the pot while the water filters through.  When the rod and filter reach the bottom of the pot, all of the coffee grounds have been pushed to the bottom and what remains on top is a sediment-free coffee.

The intricate design of the French press is the secret.  The filter must be an exact fit to the pot so no coffee grounds will escape into the mixture.  The filter must also be a micro-mesh so no grounds can pass through.  After the filtering is done, the rich full bodied coffee can be poured out from the top.  Usually a French press will have a spout on top to make pouring much easier.

What is a French Press coffee makerPressing coffee grounds through water creates a unique flavor that tastes much different from the drink created with an automatic drip coffee maker.  Pressing the coffee allows many of the subtle and delicate flavors to be released into the mixture.  Some of these are flavors that you completely miss when you any other kind of coffee maker.  That’s why many coffee enthusiasts prefer preparing their drinks with a French press.

 

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