French Press vs Pour Over: Which Suits Your Taste Buds?

There are two common ways to brew coffee: the French Press and Pour Over. They each produce different results in terms of taste, flavor, acidity, and more. For example, red wine is usually more tannic than white wine, and white wine is typically more acidic than red wine.

Coffee lovers usually have a preference for one of these two methods, but which is the best?

This article will compare the two brewing methods to see which one makes a better cup of coffee!

French Press

The French Press is a manual coffee maker that uses a plunger to press coffee grounds to the bottom of a glass cylinder carafe. The coffee maker was invented in the 1850s and has been a popular coffee brewing method since.

Brewing coffee with the French Press is simple. Coarse to fine coffee grounds and hot water are all you need.

You just need to add coffee grounds to the carafe, then pour hot water over them and let it brew for a few minutes. Press the plunger down slowly to separate the coffee grounds from the rest of the drink. The average French Press can make around 4 cups of coffee.

French Press water temperature

The recommended water temperature for brewing coffee using the French Press method is between 195 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit (91-96 degrees Celsius). The best flavor is extracted from coffee grounds when the water temperature is around 200 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the standard temperature for most manual coffee makers.

French Press grind size

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again—the best grind size for a French Press is somewhere between coarse and fine. To ensure your coffee has the best flavor, use a fine ground coffee. This will allow the coffee grounds to seep through the filter and into your cup.

You would get a better tasting cup if you used fine grounds rather than coarse grounds.

French Press coffee taste

When using a French press, you can expect a strong, aromatic, and full-bodied cup of coffee. This coffee maker extracts a lot of oils from the beans, giving your drink more depth and flavor than other manual coffee makers.

This method results in a more aromatic cup of coffee because the coffee oils are evenly distributed, rather than being pushed in one direction as with other methods.

The process of emulsification forces the oils to mix evenly throughout the drink rather than to pool in one area. If you apply more pressure, more oils will be pushed down into the drink.

Not only does French Press give you a dose of aromatic compounds that are lost when the brew is pushed through paper filters, but it also gives you a dose of antioxidants.

French Press cost

You can save money by buying a French press instead of a pour-over coffee maker. You can find a French Press for around $10-25. The price is very affordable for anyone who wants to make their own coffee at home.

Cleaning the French Press

Cleaning the French Press is extremely simple. To clean the coffee pot, simply run hot water through it to remove any leftover residue. You can also clean the area with vinegar and a brush for a more thorough cleaning, but this is optional.

To learn more about how you can keep your French Press in the best possible condition, check our cleaning guide.

Pros:

Easy to Use – Requires no previous brewing experience and is a very forgiving brewing method.
Requires little extra gear – Basically all that you need to brew French Press is a French Press, coffee beans, a burr grinder (preferably), an iPhone or timing device, and a basic set of kitchen scales.
Very affordable – French Presses vary in cost but can be picked up for a very affordable price as well as requiring little or no additional gear.
Full-bodied Taste – French Press tends to produce coffee that is very full-bodied and rich and bold which some people really enjoy. This is largely a result of both the amount of coffee oils that make it into the cup and the length of the contact time between the beans and the water.
Very customizable – Because the brewing process is so simple, this is a very easy method to customize and experiment with. If the coffee is too strong you can either reduce the steeping time or reduce the amount of coffee to the same amount of water. Similarly if it is too weak you can do the opposite and lengthen steeping time or increase the coffee to water ratio.
Good Brew Capacity – Another real advantage of French Presses is that they are typically able to brew more than one cup and work well in group settings. The larger presses, in particular, are designed for this and are a great way to either cater to guests or provide coffee for an office setting.

Cons:

Gritty Coffee – Probably the greatest detractor of this brewing method for most people is the presence of coffee grit or silt that ends up in the cup. While this is avoidable it is nonetheless typical of French Press coffee.
Takes a long time – Compared to some other brewing methods French Press is fairly slow to make which can be a pain if you are in a rush or simply don’t want to lengthen your morning routine.
Finicky to clean – Further, the metal filters on French Presses tend to be annoying to clean and old grounds easy get stuck within the mesh.
Flavor – While French Press produces rich and heavy coffee, this tends to mask some of the more intricate nuances of many single origin beans, especially light roasts. As coffee expert Scott Rao states; “French Press produces coffee with very heavy body and poor flavor clarity.”

The Pour Over

The main difference is that instead of placing the coffee grounds in the pot with water, you put them in a filter and pour water over the coffee grounds The pour-over coffee brewing method is slightly more complicated than the French press. The main difference is that you put the coffee grounds in a filter and pour water over the coffee grounds, instead of placing them in the pot with water. The process of making coffee involves pouring hot water over coffee grounds to extract flavor and produce a delicious cup.

This method was invented in the mid-17th century and has become popular because it is easy to use and simple. The Chemex is known for producing a clean, smooth taste that is better than the French press.

Pour-over brewing generally requires more steps than using a French press. First, you boil hot water in a kettle. The cone is designed to indirect the water so that it hits the center of your coffee grounds, which ensures each grounds is evenly saturated. After pouring the water into the cone, it will indirectly hit the center of the coffee grounds and saturate each of them evenly.

The water passes through the paper filter and collects in your cup. After you’ve added the grounds and water, you wait 3-4 minutes for the coffee to drip down into your cup, or until all the water has dripped through. Then, you remove the paper filter and enjoy your freshly brewed cup of coffee.

Although accuracy is not required, pour slowly and carefully to get the desired flavor.

Pour Over water temperature

The recommended brewing temperature for pour-over coffee is between 200 and 205 degrees Fahrenheit. Before adding hot water to your coffee grounds, be sure to wet them first. This will help bring out the flavor in your cup of coffee. It also prevents your beans from getting burnt, which is our next point.

Pour Over grind size

It’s important to get the right grind size for your coffee to prevent it from getting burnt. You need to find a balance when grinding your beans- too coarse and the beans will be burnt, too fine and there won’t be enough flavor. You need a grind that’s medium-coarse.

If you want to get the perfect grind, you can use a manual burr grinder. A grinder like this will give you a smooth, consistent grind, which is perfect for making pour-over coffee.

Pour Over coffee flavor

The pour-over method is believed to give a cleaner and smoother taste than the French press method. When you drink coffee, you are likely to taste all three aspects of it- the body, the acidity, and the bitterness that is slightly sweet.

This method of brewing coffee is not only more flavorful, but it is also easier to control the strength in comparison to other methods. To improve the flavor of your coffee, use beans with a low acidity level. Our medium roasts have a brighter, sweeter taste than regular or light roasts.

Pour Over price

The pour-over coffee maker is more expensive than a French press, typically costing around $60. This coffee maker is reasonably priced if you are looking for a high-quality and easy-to-use coffee machine.

This is a great long-term investment since you can use it for years, brewing your favorite coffee every morning.

Cleaning the Pour Over

To clean the pour-over, simply allow the carafe and cone to cool completely before cleaning them.

First, you should remove the paper filter and discard it. After making your coffee, pour hot water over the carafe to rinse out all of the coffee grounds. You should wash the carafe and cone with a sponge or dish soap to remove any coffee residue.

Pros

Produces a light and nuanced coffee that many people have come to love – The coffee pour over is capable of making is both light and bright, does a great job of highlighting the nuances of different single origin coffee, and simply tastes delicious to many in the specialty coffee scene.
Produces a very clean cup – Another real advantage for many people is that the use of the paper filter produces a very clean cup of coffee with absolutely no grit or silt and with a texture similar to tea.
Easy Clean-Up – Compared to the French Press it is a piece of cake cleaning a pour over. You simply lift up and dispose the filter with the grinds in it then rinse the cone in hot soapy water.
Affordable – By themselves Pour Over cones and paper filters are very affordable.
Enjoyable process – This may come as a bit of a surprise but most people who love pour over, love not just the taste but the very process of making it. From watching the gases released in the bloom to carefully pouring the water, this process has become a treasured part of many coffee lover’s morning routine.

Cons

Can be a steep learning curve – Especially with the conical pour overs such as the V60 it can take a fair while and hard work to get good results and a coffee that you are really happy with. These can be quite unforgiving coffee makers.
Poor Brew Capacity – Pour Overs in general are designed to make 1-2 cups of coffee at a time so don’t deal so well in larger settings. However, it is worth noting that some pour overs such as the Chemex and the Bodum are capable of brewing large batches.
Lack of coffee hit – While some people love how light and bright pour over is, others who enjoy a richer and more full-bodied coffee can be somewhat disappointed by the sometimes subtle and less intense taste.
Equipment Required – Unlike French Press, pour over requires the purchase of additional equipment such as a gooseneck kettle, scales and paper filters which can add up in price

The final verdict

Which one should you get? In conclusion, which brewer should you get? What are the differences between a French press and a pour over? Which one is best and which one should you buy?

The answer to the question “Which coffee maker is the best?” is that it depends on the coffee drinker’s preferences. Considerations include how the coffee is made, the budget, how many people will be served, and how much involvement the coffee drinker wants in the brewing process. And there is some truth to this.

Both coffee makers are popular for making coffee that many people really enjoy. Pour over and French press coffee makers both have their own unique strengths. Pour over coffee makers are typically better for making small batches of coffee, while French press coffee makers are better for making large batches of coffee.

Although it may seem like a copout, it honestly depends. I believe that if you are passionate about coffee and want to learn more about its flavor profiles and origins, then pour over is the method for you.

Pour over coffee brewing results in coffee that is nuances, distinct, and showcases the flavor characteristics of different coffee growing regions better than French Press coffee does.

So my verdict? Pour Over is a better option for people who want to get into coffee, while French Press is a better option for larger group settings and for those who like richer and heavier brews.