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The Emergence 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 it was not even regarded as a dedicated coffee brewer back then. It was simply a glass or plastic container with a metal filter screen attached to a plunger rod, and more people used it to brew black tea than coffee.

The "Piston-Filter Coffee Device"

As you might expect, the prototype quickly revealed its flaws. Because the metal screen could not separate the grounds completely, its performance was limited and the resulting coffee was short on texture and flavor. Then, in March 1852, the design made a breakthrough: a French goldsmith and a merchant obtained a patent for a "piston-filter coffee device." The patent 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 rod moved it inside a cylindrical container; pressing the rod to the bottom left the filtered coffee above it, separated from most of the grounds. It was a genuine step forward 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 of 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?

For coffee lovers — even those used to brewing at home — what is your impression of the French press? Simple to operate? Exclusively for lazy people? No technique required? Good or bad, the truth is that it demands fewer brewing skills than other tools. Its operation is genuinely easy. Because the French press uses immersion extraction rather than drip brewing, it places little emphasis on pouring technique or speed. As long as you follow a sensible coffee-to-water ratio, water temperature, and time, brewing a delicious pot is not difficult.

Still, calling it a "lazy person's pot" glosses over its real advantages. Besides being easy to operate, the French press is lightweight, portable, and convenient to use. At home, at the office, or packed in luggage while traveling, it never feels like a burden. It also needs no filter paper — once extraction is finished you simply press the plunger down to separate the grounds. It is environmentally friendly and requires no extra accessories. Versatility is another strength: as mentioned earlier, the French originally used it to brew 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 at home.

Tasting the Original Coffee, with a Different Mouthfeel

Many friends say that while the French press is convenient, the coffee always tastes a little less "clean" and leaves grounds in the cup. Is that because no filter paper is used? Not at all — that is exactly what makes French press coffee distinctive.

Florence Fabricant, the renowned food critic for The New York Times, once introduced the French press to readers as the favorite tool among coffee connoisseurs, and the reputation is deserved. The French press presents coffee's original flavor through the simplest possible method. Because it uses immersion, it 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, which adds to its smooth character. That is why so many enthusiasts enjoy brewing dark roast coffee this way, savoring the sweetness and richness of dark roasted beans to the fullest.

As for the grounds in the cup, they are entirely avoidable. First, with a tool that uses no filter paper, the grind should be medium to coarse — for a French press, grind the beans 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 end up as sediment.

The Evolution of the French Press

Have you heard of Bodum? This coffee equipment brand from Copenhagen, Denmark, sells its products worldwide. Its French Press Coffee Maker, launched in 1970, became so popular that Bodum is almost synonymous with the French press.

Today the French press is no longer limited to its traditional form (glass, with a handle, and so on). Bodum has even introduced a handle-less "Travel Press." The Clever Coffee Dripper developed in Taiwan, meanwhile, combines pour-over dripper design with French press principles. Clearly, the merits of the French press are well appreciated in the coffee world, and it keeps evolving.

French Press Brewing Guide: Grind, Ratio, and Temperature

Grind Size:

French press coffee over-extracts easily, so the grind needs to be coarser. Generally it should be slightly larger than a grain of granulated sugar. If the grind is too fine, extraction runs very fast and small particles pass through the metal screen, leaving the cup less clean.

Coffee-to-Water Ratio:

The brewing ratio is the proportion of coffee to water. Common ratios run from 1:15 to 1:18. A 1:15 ratio means 15 grams of coffee needs 225 grams of water. When brewing at home, adjust the ratio to your own taste.

Water Temperature:

Water temperature should be approximately 92-94°C.

French Press Brewing Steps

Steps:

1. Remove the plunger from the pot, check the mesh of the metal filter, and grind the beans to coarse particles that cannot pass through the mesh (about 20 grams / two cups). Tip: pull the plunger handle upward.

2. Pour the grounds into the pot. To help the hot water wet them evenly, gently shake the pot so the coffee surface is level.

3. Set the timer for 4 minutes.

4. Start the timer and pour hot water (150ml) over the grounds for about 30 seconds to ensure even saturation, bringing the water to about half the pot's capacity. Tip: keep pouring while the grounds finish blooming.

5. Slowly pour the remaining hot water (150ml) until you reach the desired volume, then position the plunger. Tip: the pouring up to this point should take about 1 minute.

6. When the 4-minute timer goes off, slowly press the plunger down.

7. To avoid over-extraction, pour the coffee into cups immediately. Tip: if you make two cups for one person, the grounds keep steeping, so the first and second cups may taste different.

Finally, take your time and enjoy the delicious coffee in your cup!

FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

Because a French press is an immersion brewer, the grounds stay in contact with hot water for several minutes, so it tends to flatter medium and dark roasts more than delicate light ones — you get sweetness and caramel tones rather than a sharp, tea-like brightness. If you like a fragrant, floral cup, FrontStreet Strawberry Candy is a lovely choice: a Gesha blend built from a Costa Rica honey-process coffee and a Panama washed Geisha, combining the best flavors of Central America. Pressed in a French press it releases rose, citrus, grape and dried-blueberry aromas, and with milk it turns into the scent of strawberry soft candy.

If you prefer a low-acid black coffee with a rich, oily body, reach for FrontStreet PWN Golden Mandheling. One of Asia's best-known specialty coffees, it is sorted by hand three times and by machine once, so the beans are uniform and glossy. After a medium-dark roast the beans are large and carry dense spice, caramel, cedar and dark chocolate aromas, and a French press extracts a thick, full body with plenty of oils.

For the method itself, FrontStreet suggests a coarse grind — roughly the texture of coarse sugar, about 10.5 on an EK43s or 26 clicks on a hand grinder, closer to small gravel than fine sand. Use a 1:15 ratio (15g coffee to 225g water), water around 90°C, and a 4-minute steep to get the most out of either bean.