Advantages and Disadvantages of French Press - French Press Brewing Method, Grind Size, and Water Temperature Guide

How Hard is Coffee Brewing?

Not hard at all - you just need hands! How hard is it to brew delicious coffee? Actually not that hard either, provided you don't unnecessarily raise the difficulty for yourself.

Take water control techniques, for example. The stability of water flow has a significant impact on coffee flavor. Unstable water flow often leads to negative effects like uneven extraction and channeling, resulting in coffee that doesn't taste very good, with noticeable differences between each cup.

There are two methods to solve the difficulty of brewing stable and delicious coffee due to unstable water control. The first is to practice water control diligently; the second is to reduce the impact of water pouring on coffee extraction.

If you simply want to enjoy coffee without experiencing the "tedious" process of practicing water pouring, then the second method is undoubtedly the optimal choice. In terms of stability, FrontStreet Coffee believes that immersion extraction is more stable than filter extraction, and it's also more hassle-free.

Filter vs. Immersion Extraction

Filter extraction is when the water pouring process and coffee dripping process occur simultaneously, with pour-over coffee being the classic representative. Immersion extraction is when water and coffee grounds continue to steep for a period of time before being filtered, with French press and Clever dripper as representatives.

Some friends might think that coffee made with a French press doesn't taste as good as pour-over. This is likely because you haven't used the right extraction parameters, just as pour-over coffee won't taste good if wrong parameters are used! If we must discuss the differences in flavor characteristics between immersion and filter brewing methods, immersion extraction typically has better mouthfeel and sweetness than filter extraction; but it's inferior in terms of complexity and clarity. The difference in extraction methods doesn't change the flavor profile of a coffee bean.

Using a French press or Clever dripper to brew coffee, you only need to master the parameters of grind size, water temperature, ratio, and time to produce coffee with stable flavor, completely avoiding unstable factors like water control. Moreover, the process is also more worry-free than pour-over, requiring only four steps: add grounds, add water, wait, and filter.

As long as you use the right parameters, immersion-brewed coffee tastes completely on par with pour-over. Here, FrontStreet Coffee wants to share some information: when coffee shops taste-test the flavor characteristics of coffee roasts, they don't use pour-over form but rather immersion (cupping). Therefore, if you also want to taste coffee the same way roasters do, then immersion is the best choice.

James Hoffmann's French Press Method

Below, FrontStreet Coffee shares James Hoffmann's French press brewing method. The principle of his method is actually derived from cupping.

Coffee dose: 30g

Water amount: 500ml (1:16.7 ratio)

Grind size: Cupping standard (75% passes through #20 sieve)

Water temperature: Just boiled water (94°C for precision)

Process: First add 30g of coffee grounds, then pour 500ml of hot water, making sure all grounds are fully saturated. Next, wait 4 minutes for the coffee grounds and water to fully steep. After 4 minutes, gently stir the surface layer with a spoon, then use the spoon to scoop up the golden foam and coffee grounds floating on the surface. Then wait another 1-4 minutes for the coffee grounds to naturally settle at the bottom. Finally, gently press down the plunger to separate the grounds from the coffee liquid, then pour out all the coffee liquid. This immersion method almost perfectly reproduces the taste that roasters experience during cupping.

Of course, the advantage of using immersion to extract coffee is that it minimizes unstable flavors caused by human uncertainty. Even novices with shaky hands can brew stable and delicious coffee. At the same time, this immersion method also reveals the quality of the beans - higher quality beans will reflect better flavors, while similarly, defective beans will honestly reveal their flaws.

Some friends might say that French press coffee is very murky and affects the drinking experience. This is actually because the French press uses a metal filter to separate coffee grounds, which has poorer filtration effectiveness than paper filters. The solution to this is simple - you can use circular filter papers specifically designed for French presses. Just place one over the metal filter, and you can filter coffee as clear as pour-over coffee. If you don't want to buy additional filter papers, you can also pour the coffee through a pour-over dripper with filter paper for a second filtration - the effect is the same.

Clever Dripper Method

The Clever dripper has almost the same structure as a pour-over dripper, except it adds a piston mechanism. When closed, coffee liquid cannot flow down; when opened, it drains normally like a regular pour-over dripper. With this structure, you can perform immersion extraction. The immersion method is similar to French press, with the only difference being that French press pours coffee from the top, while Clever dripper lets coffee flow from the bottom. The Clever dripper encounters resistance from the coffee grounds layer, so the immersion parameters will be slightly different.

Coffee dose: 20g

Water amount: 330ml (1:16.5 ratio)

Grind size: 75% passes through #20 sieve

Water temperature: 94°C

Process: Place filter paper, add 20g of coffee grounds, then pour 330ml of hot water, ensuring all grounds are fully saturated. Wait 4 minutes, gently stir the surface 2-3 times with a spoon, then place the Clever dripper on a serving pot, and the coffee liquid will flow down automatically.

Alternative Pour-Over Options

Some friends might feel these immersion methods lack participation and still want the hands-on experience of pour-over coffee. In that case, FrontStreet Coffee suggests using drippers with slower flow rates, such as Kono drippers or wave (cake) drippers. When using these drippers, water control technique has less impact on coffee taste. Because when the drainage speed is slower, the dripper tends to accumulate water, allowing the coffee grounds and water to reach an immersion extraction state, which to some extent alleviates problems like uneven extraction and channeling.

If budget allows, you can also purchase Hario's Clever dripper, which is a V60 with a closing mechanism. This dripper can freely switch between immersion and filter states during brewing. When you want immersion, you can close the switch so water doesn't flow down. When you want filtration, you open the switch, and it becomes a regular V60.

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473