How to Brew the Best Coffee (Pour Over Vs. French Press)

French Press Overview

The French Press is a common feature in plenty of homes, particularly due to its straightforwardness and the powerful, intense flavor of the coffee it brews. Its continued and longstanding popularity is well-deserved. This coffee maker has many names worldwide; it is known as a Caffettiera a Stantuffo in Italy, Coffee Plunger in New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, Cafeteire in the UK, Holland, and France, and French Press or Coffee Press in North America.

So where did this iconic coffee maker come from? It might shock some people to find out that the original patented French Press was created by an Italian named Attilio Calimani back in 1929. Nevertheless, the moniker might not be completely erroneous, considering the fact that in 1852, two Frenchmen, Mayer and Delforge, created a brewer that was somewhat alike.

An ‘immersion’ type of coffee maker is referred to as a French Press. This implies that the taste of coffee is released as the grinds are allowed to soak in hot water for a length of time. This method is comparable to how both Aeropress (with the appropriate instructions) and cold brew are made. This procedure tends to generate a stronger coffee with more body than other procedures that involve a shorter contact period between the coffee grinds and hot water.

How To Use It

The most attractive feature of French Press for many is its ease of use, even for those with little or no prior knowledge of how to make coffee. The different methods of making French press coffee generally involve coarsely grinding the beans, adding boiling water, allowing the resulting mixture to sit for a period of time, and then pressing the plunger. Brewing coffee with a French Press is uncomplicated and can yield a really delicious cup of coffee. This particular technique has been mastered by barista Chris Baca and is arguably the most delicious French Press coffee that can be made.

Pour Over Overview

The popularization of the specialty coffee industry coincided with the reemergence of the Pour Over brewing technique. This method of brewing coffee, widely recognized as iconic, has likely been practiced since coffee was first discovered and was popular in certain areas of Europe in the early 20th century. Though the initial type of filter used was textile fabric, Melitta Bentz, a German innovator in 1908, is credited with devising the paper filter designed specifically for pour over brewing. Filter coffee or manual drip can also be described as Pour Over coffee.

Pour Over is known to be a type of brewer that uses infusion to brew coffee – where fresh water is slowly poured over coffee grounds. This technique fundamentally mirrors the means by which automated coffee makers function. The result of the brief encounter between the grinds and water creates a significantly lighter and brighter cup of coffee that has a texture near to that of a cup of tea. Additionally, paper filters, while they’re the most general choice of filter used with pour over coffee, prevent much of the flavor-packed coffee oils from making it into the beverage. This brews a very pure and delicate cup of coffee. The upside to this is that it is great when used for lighter roast coffees to emphasize the small differences between various single origin coffees. However, the downside is that the coffee may not be strong or intense enough to appeal to coffee fans who need a stronger flavor in their morning drink.

How To Use It

All pour over coffee makers employ the same essential technique for brewing the beverage. In all situations, the coffee goes into the moistened filter, is given a quick rinse with hot water, and then steadily gets wetter as more hot water is poured in. It is essential to bear in mind that various methods are utilized between flat base and conical pour overs. This recipe can be used as a base for any pour over device; however, adjustments might be necessary to make it compatible with your specific pour over.

It should be noted that making pour over coffee is both more detailed and involves more steps than the technique of using a French Press. Making the perfect pour over coffee requires both skill and artistry, and will only come with time and practice. As Scott Rao the coffee expert expressed, making Manual Drip is particularly difficult.

Tip For Pour Over

Be consistent in pour rate – Because the flavour of Pour Over is highly determined by the skill and technique of the barista or home brewer, try to be as consistent as possible in your pouring. This is part of the reason that to do pour over well you really do need a gooseneck kettle. You should aim to keep the kettle at a consistent height and have the flow of water the same whenever you are pouring. This will help produce an even extraction of the grinds.

HOW TO BREW THE BEST COFFEE (POUR OVER VS. FRENCH PRESS)

To press or pour? That is the question. In recent times, the manual brewing of coffee at home has increased rapidly as people have endeavored to make coffee that rivals or outdoes the quality they can get from large cafe chains. This has caused a lot of coffee connoisseurs to switch to French presses and Pour-over coffee makers.

Both of these manual processes create coffee that differs from what you can make with a regular electric coffee maker. Despite both the obvious improvements to the everyday electric coffee maker commonly found in the average office space, the two systems may also produce varied levels of output.

In this article, we will explore the contrast between French Press and Pour Over coffee brewing and provide advice and guidance on how to prepare coffee with each technique.

HOW TO BREW COFFEE IN A FRENCH PRESS?

A French press, originally invented in Italy in the 1920s, has remained a coffee favorite and popular among a new wave of coffee aficionados. This simple machine is known for its ability to make great coffee. This device has three components:

A carafe is a glass container that functions as the main part of a press.

The thin metal rod connected to the lid of the carafe is called a plunger, and is used to force the grounds downwards.

This is a permanently reusable device usually constructed of metal that contains a very fine mesh in it which is used as a strainer.

METHOD AND TIPS

Heat your water. Your water should be brought to around 200°F. If you do not have a thermometer to test this, then bring your water to a boil (212°F) and let it cool for a minute before pouring.

Pro Tip: Use only fresh, filtered water with all your brewing methods. Minerals, chlorine and other off-tasting elements in tap water will greatly affect your final cup.

Advice Idea 2: Get your carafe ready with heat before you put in the coffee grounds. Put your heated water into the carafe and leave it there while you take out the pre-measured amount of coffee grounds.

Measure your grounds. You should use around 7 to 8 grams of coarsely ground coffee beans for each cup (6.7oz) of water. If you can, grind the beans yourself for the best possible flavor.

Suggestion: A recommendation to try out when making coffee with a French press is to use a medium to darker roast bean, but you can also experiment with other types of beans. The oils in the beans become more visible and taste more intense when they are roasted further. This is especially suitable for using the French press technique.

Pour and time. Before adding your coffee grounds, make sure you get rid of any water already in the carafe if it has been heated. Set a timer for 4 minutes and add your coffee grounds. Then, add a little bit of water to the grounds to wet them lightly. Allow 30 seconds to elapse before pouring in the rest of the liquid. This process is known as “blooming,” and it helps for the flavor of the ground materials to be released into the water once it is poured over them.

Plunge. When the four minutes are over, press the plunger down gradually to make the grounds settle in the bottom of the carafe. Now, you are prepared to savor your delicious, strong French press coffee.

Tips for Minimizing Grit

Despite changes to the French press design being made over many years, this process is still recognised for letting some small particles through. You can minimize this downside of French Press in three ways:

Select a grind that is similar to a texture of coarse sea salt. These parts are too large to pass through a wire sieve.

Allow the coffee to sit: After pouring your coffee, pause for a few minutes for the particles to sink to the bottom. Then, carefully pour into your cup. Do not pour the last dose of coffee in your cup if you want to avoid having any unwanted grounds in your beverage, even though it is a shame to waste it.

Employ a second sieve to trap any sediment that has not been taken out. Using a little metal sieve placed on the top of your mug can be great for this purpose. Gently trickle the coffee from the French press into a strainer similar to this one for an extremely creamy cup.

TASTE

The characteristic of an excellent cup of French press coffee is that it is strong and has a rich flavor. This process enables a higher concentration of the beans’ oils to stay in your cup, resulting in a noticeably richer flavor.

BENEFITS

A major advantage of French press is how easily adjustable it is. You are able to customize the amounts of water to coffee grounds, in addition to deciding the duration of time that the grounds stay in the water.

CONS

Many coffee drinkers have a major problem with the amount of grit in their drink, but there is also the difficulty of cleaning up afterwards. Though the gadget is uncomplicated, the mesh area can be hard to get spotless. You can reduce this issue by rinsing the carafe immediately after you are done pouring coffee. Do not keep the remains of your coffee in there for more than required.

HOW TO BREW COFFEE WITH THE POUR OVER METHOD?

Brewing Pour Over coffee is similar to making French press coffee, however there are some significant distinctions. In both processes, you are pouring water directly onto the coffee beans, and much like with the French press, it is advised that fresh, purified water and just-ground beans are used.

The major distinction is that a pour-over set comprises of a jug and a paper filter, instead of a mesh sifter similar to one found on a French press. You can make a cup of pour over coffee by putting a filter into the carafe, adding your desired ground coffee, and then slowly pouring hot water over the grounds. As the liquid flows over the coffee grounds, it absorbs the flavor and then drains into the carafe below.

PRO TIP

Use a gooseneck kettle to pour your water. The slim neck of a gooseneck teakettle offers you greater command over the speed of pouring the water.

BENEFITS

Pour Over kits are extremely easy to clean up. Once you take out the used paper filter along with the coffee grounds, you simply need to wash the pot. Pouring over coffee eliminates the problem of gritty texture that comes with a French press.

CONS

There are two main cons for Pour Over coffee. First, it can be inconvenient to use disposable filters. Though the price is not steep, it does mean that you need to have them available when you crave a cup of coffee.

There are greater levels of litter and harm to the environment connected with paper filters as opposed to a reusable mesh sifter such as the one used in a French press. With pour-over, you cannot dictate the time the grounds have contact with the liquid, and this can cause a feeble beverage if caution is not used.