French Press Usage Guide: Advantages and Invention History

Introduction to French Press Coffee

Humans have been brewing and drinking coffee as a beverage since the 11th century. Through centuries of invention and refinement, manual brewing methods have become numerous and varied. Making a cup of coffee can be as complex as using a siphon brewer or as simple as using a French press. Siphon makers and filter drippers are certainly interesting, but making coffee taste pleasant with them also takes real skill. Coffee, though, doesn't have to be that serious. To brew a cup yourself and enjoy the process, you don't need to practice for three, five, or seven years. Here is a very simple, easy-to-use tool that fully expresses coffee's original flavor: the French press.

The Arrival of the French Press

The French press (also called a press pot or coffee plunger) first appeared in France in 1850. Like the earliest cars and computers, its original form was crude by today's standards, and the French press was no exception. It was not considered a dedicated coffee brewer back then; it was simply a glass or plastic container with a metal filter screen attached to a plunger rod. More people used it to brew black tea than coffee.

The "Piston-Filter Coffee Device"

As one can imagine, the prototype quickly revealed its flaws. Because the metal screen could not separate the grounds completely, its performance was limited, and the brewed coffee fell short in both texture and taste. Then, in March 1852, the design made a breakthrough: a French artisan and a merchant obtained a patent for the "piston-filter coffee device." The patent mainly described a metal canister joined to a movable rod, with holes at the base of the rod and layers of flannel sandwiched above and below. Pulling the movable rod let it travel within a cylindrical container; pressing the rod to the bottom left the filtered coffee above it, separated from most of the grounds. This patent marked a significant improvement in French press design.

Although the French press originated in France, it was the Italians who made the brewing method widely known. In the late 1920s, around 1929, designer Attilio Calimani from a Milan company officially registered a patent for an improved version, and press-style coffee gradually became popular.

French Press: A Lazy Person's Pot?

If you love coffee — or even if you habitually brew at home — what impression do you have of the French press? Simple to operate? Exclusively for lazy people? No technique required? Whatever your impression, the brewing skill it demands is certainly low compared to other tools. Because its extraction principle is immersion rather than drip brewing, it places little emphasis on pouring gestures and speed. Follow a sensible coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature, and time, and brewing a delicious pot is not difficult.

Still, describing the French press merely as a "lazy person's pot" glosses over its advantages. Beyond being simple to use, it is lightweight, easy to carry, and convenient — at home, at the office, or packed in luggage while traveling, it never feels in the way. It also needs no filter paper; once extraction is complete, simply press the plunger down to separate the grounds. It is environmentally friendly and requires no extra accessories. Versatility is another strength: as mentioned, the French originally used it for black tea, and even after its improvements it can brew both tea and coffee, hot or cold. That is why some people who don't drink coffee still keep a French press.

Tasting the Original Coffee, A Different Mouthfeel

The French press is very convenient, but the coffee sometimes tastes a little less "clean" and leaves sediment in the cup. Is that because no filter paper is used? Not at all — in fact, that is precisely what makes French press coffee unique.

Because it uses immersion, the French press can separate grounds from coffee without filter paper, yet it still lets coffee oils and larger aromatic particles pass through the screen into the cup. As a result, French press coffee has a rounder, fuller mouthfeel and texture that adds to its smoothness. That is why so many enthusiasts love brewing dark roast coffee this way, savoring the sweetness and richness of dark roasted beans to the full.

As for the sediment, it is definitely avoidable. First, with a tool that uses no filter paper, the grind should be medium to coarse — for a French press, grind to the consistency of coarse salt. Second, after steeping, press the plunger all the way down in one motion; if you repeatedly pull it up and push it down, grounds escape easily and cause sediment.

FrontStreet Coffee's French Press Brewing Parameters

15 grams of coffee, a coffee-to-water ratio of 1:15, water at 88°C, and a medium-coarse grind.

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

A French press brews by full immersion, so the grounds sit in hot water for several minutes; that favors medium and dark roasts, which show sweetness and caramel rather than a sharp brightness. If you enjoy fragrance, FrontStreet Strawberry Candy — a Gesha blend made from a Costa Rica honey-process coffee and a Panama washed Geisha — releases rose, citrus, grape and dried-blueberry aromas in the press, and with milk it smells of strawberry soft candy.

If you prefer a low-acid, oil-rich cup, FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling is the classic choice. One of Asia's most famous specialty coffees, it is sorted by hand three times and by machine once for uniform, glossy beans; a medium-dark roast leaves them large and full of spice, caramel, cedar and dark chocolate, and the press extracts a thick body with excellent oils.

For the brew itself, aim for a coarse grind like coarse sugar — around 10.5 on an EK43s or 26 clicks on a hand grinder, more like small gravel than fine sand. FrontStreet also notes that a lighter roast can be used if you want more layered flavor, but then shorten the steep to avoid over-extraction; a 1:15 ratio and a 4-minute steep are a reliable starting point.