"One chews coffee beans while gargling 200 F water for four minutes; pressing with the tongue, coffee is filtered through the teeth: is this the French press you refer to?" -M. Python
AN INTRODUCTION TO COFFEE AMBROSIA.
It's a quest for flavor. It's all about flavor. You are here searching for the best quality French Press, one that delivers the most flavorful coffee possible. You might be new to French Press and are rightly skeptical about the vulnerability and safety of a glass model. Or, you might be experienced, a Bodum or BonJour refugee exasperated by having to replace your second, or third, or even your seventh broken glass beaker. No cuts? Lucky you. Been there.
Below: First is a look at buying a French Press, followed by a Review of the Frieling French Press, then info on grinders, accessories, buying coffee, and brewing the best French Press.
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SHOPPING FOR A FRENCH PRESS: WHAT TO LOOK FOR
FIRST, WHAT IS FRENCH PRESS? Call it French Press, Press Pot, Cafetiere, Plunger Pot, Pressed Coffee, Coffee Press, or Cafe a Piston, it is all the same. Invented by an Italian man, popularized in France, "French Press" has emigrated to North America. The apparatus itself is strikingly simple: A handled pot, a lid, and a plunger. A French Press can be made of glass, metal, plastic, or ceramic. The pot is never placed on a stove burner...hot water is poured over ground coffee and steeped a few minutes, the plunger is pressed down, the brewed coffee is then poured into cups.
French Press is a hands-on brewing method that allows the user to control brewing variables, adjusting for personal taste, for excellent flavor and aroma. Excellent flavor and aroma results are achieved when properly brewed using proper equipment. Usually, coarsely ground coffee beans are poured into the Press followed by off-the-boil water, allowed to steep about four minutes at the correct temperature, then the piston-like, porous filter plunger is slowly pressed down to filter and separate the grounds from the brewed coffee just prior to serving. A simple ritual indeed. In order to brew French Press you need a French Press. So, for shrewd shopping, French Press design features are discussed below...
SIMPLICITY. No unnecessary parts means less parts to fail or to clean.
ROBUST CONSTRUCTION: Your pot, lid and plunger should be of sturdy, durable construction using rust-free metals such as food-grade stainless steel, high impact, BPA-free plastics, boro-silicate glass, or quality ceramics with food-safe glazes. The most durable quality is heavy-duty restaurant/hotel commercial grade rather than the far less durable, light-duty consumer grade.
INSULATION:: Coffee Science has confirmed that coffee should be brewed at between 195 and 205 degrees F during the ENTIRE brewing cycle to release as much flavor and aroma as possible. The brewing cycle is usually four minutes for French Press. To keep temperatures within this range during the brewing cycle requires an INSULATED French Press. French Press designs that will do so are: thermal double-wall stainless or glass, thick-wall ceramic designs, or inexpensive "thermos" designs.
A heads up: An INSULATED French Press is a dedicated coffee BREWER, and is NOT a coffee storage vessel designed to store coffee after brewing...therefore it should NOT be confused with an INSULATED "thermos," a design dedicated only to STORING hot or cold beverages. So, after brewing, immediately pour ALL coffee into cups or into an insulated thermos. This will immediately terminate brewing to avoid over-extraction, producing a bitter cup.
DISHWASHER SAFE. Ensure that your Press is dishwasher safe, and is easy to clean if hand-washed. Look for hidden corners or crevices. Insist on dishwasher-safe high-heat resistant materials.
EFFECTIVE FILTER. Your plunger's filter screen, the metal mesh, must filter, or separate, coffee grounds from the brewed coffee. The finer the screen the better it does so, BUT, and I mean the BIG BUT...no matter how good your grinder is, or your filter, some very fine particles will always make it through the filter, ending up at the bottom of your cup. It cannot be helped. Why?
Because if the screen is too fine, almost solid, all grounds might be filtered out, but then it might be impossible to push the plunger to the bottom because of the resistance encountered when coffee cannot pass through the filter, yet if the filter screen is too porous then the amount of "fines" coming through the filter screen will markedly increase. The solution?
Aside from optimal filter porosity, a quality burr grinder is key in reducing to a minimum the amount of "fines" coming into your cup. Even still, do not take the last sip...a bit of silt in the cup is a French Press thing...part of its reality, part of its pleasure...the price you pay for excellence in the cup.
COMFORTABLE, SECURE HANDLE. You need a comfortable, secure, insulated handle. Look for a handle with a horizontal grip for the thumb and clearance for the fingers. Your handle should stay cool, especially when pouring. Its grip design should be comfy and encourage a confident, accurate pour.
STABLE POT. Your Press should be stable enough to resist accidental tipping when struck: A Press can have tall proportions IF the weight is substantial. A base smaller that the width at any point is not a good design.
DRIPLESS SPOUT. Your French Press should never drip or dribble when pouring...return it if it does so. Good design prevents that.
SAFE TO USE. Your Press must be safe to use when not fully awake in the morning. As you know, accidents and fumbles can happen, so avoid materials that might shatter, crack, or injure you, as well as needing replacement. Only food-grade 18/5 or the better 18/10 stainless steel should used. Glass beakers should be high-heat resistant, Pyrex type boro-silicate glass. If plastics are used, ensure that they are food-safe, BPA-free, and are not porous enough to harbor bacteria (or harbor stale coffee tastes and aromas). If ceramics are used, ensure that the glazes are food safe, cadmium and cobalt-free, or FDA approved.
MATCHING YOUR FRENCH PRESS SIZE TO YOUR DESIRED COFFEE SERVING SIZE
BUY THE RIGHT SIZE FOR YOUR DESIRED SERVING SIZE : When brewing fill the press no higher than an inch or more from the brim, or to the V at the bottom of the spout. This reduces capacity, but prevents coffee ejecting from the spout when pressing down. Room MUST be allowed for the half-inch to one-inch thick CO2 caused foamy "bloom" to rise, the water displacement of the plunger itself, and spillage room. Do not forget the volume of the grounds either, and the 2-4 ounces of water retained by the grounds after pouring.
Because of the facts mentioned above, any "to-the-brim" capacity claimed by the maker must be adjusted downward by at least 2-6 fl. oz., in proportion to the size of the press. This goes for ALL brands and models of French Press products. For example, Frieling's stated capacities are often confusing and not clearly defined, so you might need to contact Freiling to ask questions prior to purchase, or read the below. Do so when shopping Bodum, BonJour, Frieling, or any brand of French Press. To eliminate confusion, you need to know the actual, always lesser, YIELD of served coffee in fluid ounces, not the maximum capacity, to the brim, of the French Presses you are comparing. If in doubt, go larger.
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A REVIEW OF THE FRIELING FRENCH PRESS
PROS:
1) FRIELING OWNERS HERE ON AMAZON VOTE IT 4.6-4.7 STARS, 92%-94% POSITIVE. You might have noticed that only a few products on Amazon are rated that highly.
2) FRIELING MAKES FIVE SIZES FOR YOUR DESIRED PORTION SIZE. Frieling's stated sizes are at full capacity, but it is prudent to reduce that maximum capacity by about 2-6 fluid ounces, depending upon the size chosen, to allow space for the plunger and the inevitable rising head of bloom-foam when hot water hits the ground coffee. Accordingly, Frieling makes FIVE sizes to suit your capacity needs: 8 fl/oz, 16 fl/oz, 23 fl/oz, 36 fl/oz, and 44 fl/oz. Both polished mirror surface, and satin brushed surface models are available.
3) DOUBLE-WALL THERMAL INSULATION. Frieling makes only one model, the Ultimo, in polished or brushed finish. ALL its three main elements are double-wall insulated: the pot, the handle, AND the lid. So far, it is the only brand or model of French Press, with one exception, to possesses ALL three features--the insulated LID in particular. Such insulation will keep your brewing coffee at 195-205 degrees F during the entire brewing cycle resulting in maximum flavor and aroma, as verified by the Specialty Coffee Association of America.
4) 18/10 STAINLESS, COMMERCIAL-GRADE DURABILITY. Unique to Frieling, this heavy duty French Press is made of food grade, food-safe stainless steel, 18/10 (18% chromium, 10% nickel: best quality), heavy gauge stainless steel stock. This quality, special alloy is food-safe and lead-free, meant for world-wide commercial use in hotel room-service and hotel dining rooms, for fine-cuisine restaurants, for embassies in all countries worldwide, for caterers, and is sold to specialty, high-end hotel/restaurant supply houses (still Frieling's primary business). It will never shatter or injure you. Survives dishwasher hell, and comes out looking like new. The Frieling was once under the radar. It is now available to the public at better coffee-ware or kitchen-ware stores, and is available here on Amazon, far from its industrial roots.
5) ITS FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION. Discipline and restraint, with utility in mind, results in the Frieling's handsome, elegant, and understated lines. Appearance has been given a slight nod. It's all business. Even its high polish is not there to WOW at, but to make it easier to clean. There are no false touches present; only the authentic remains. The entire achievement makes it presentable for casual entertaining, even for more formal occasions. A matching sugar and creamer, with spoon, is available. Its tall, slightly narrow profile has a small footprint, taking up little space on the counter or the table.
Shopper's note: Confusing an insulated Press with an insulated carafe is a very common blunder. ANY brand of thermal insulated French Press is specifically designed as a brewer, NOT as a thermal carafe or thermos, so brewed coffee MUST be poured into cups IMMEDIATELY after the four minute brewing period or the continued steeping will produce, even if over a minute, an over-extracted, bitter, and insipid cup! For leftover coffee, use a pre-heated thermal carafe or thermos, with a screw-on sealed lid, specifically designed to store hot coffee, and to keep it hot, after it is brewed. Actually, it is best not to store coffee. Consume coffee within 10-15 minutes for the best flavor. For more coffee simply brew more coffee for the best flavor.
6) THE POT'S SPOUT is drip-less due to its lipped design. The spout is small enough to lose minimal heat, but large enough for a quick, steep-stopping pour. Not a stray drop on the tablecloth yet after four years of daily use.
7) THE INSULATED LID is entirely unique. It is, with one exception, the only INSULATED lid for a French Press to be found by any manufacturer. Heat rises, and as far as heat is concerned, the pot functions as a chimney, focusing heat above, and its opening is where most heat is lost. This lid caps the heat with its tight fit and insulation. The lid's underside dome shape helps assist in that, like a domed teakettle. The overall lid design is critical if you care to brew at the proper 195-205 degree F temperature. THIS WAS THE FINAL KICKER IN MY DECISION TO CHOOSE THE FRIELING, along with the other goodies.
8) THE INSULATED HANDLE is crafted of hollow, extruded stainless, all of a piece, to keep it cool, as well as to keep it lightweight so as not to unsteady the pot. The handle's vertical upright is ovoid in cross-section to provide comfort for the gripping fingers. A secure niche for the thumb is provided with its horizontal thumb rest and thumb-block. An often overlooked feature in cup or French Press design, because if the thumb rests on on a horizontal support, especially if that support is provided with a means of blocking the thumb from slipping off, one's grip is then very secure indeed. Take a look at the photo of the handle on this site, you'll see it. The long, vertical provides plenty of clearance for the fingers, and is angled inward toward the bottom to secure the fingers, also to provide good leverage when pouring.
9) THE PLUNGER, when pushed down, results in a dynamic turbulence that agitates the water and grounds to intensify flavors...this is the heart of the Press, and what makes French Press what it is. It also separates the grounds from the coffee, so it is fitted to precise specifications to minimize stray grounds coming through the filter or from between the pot's inner walls and the periphery of the plunger, and thence into the cup. The unit is entirely crafted from 18/10 stainless steel (the best grade)...no plastic parts to retain stale tastes whatsoever. Easy to dissemble for cleaning and spare parts are always available. Remember, with ANY French Press you will have stray grounds, especially if you buy canned coffee because it is always ground too fine for French Press, or if you use anything but a burr grinder. Even so, tiny grounds sneak in...French Pressists never sip that last sip: don't blame the Frieling Press, or a Bodum, or a BonJour.
10) REPLACEMENT PARTS AND EXCHANGES FOR VALID PROBLEMS ARE ALWAYS AVAILABLE. My online and telephone experience with Frieling USA has been excellent. They will replace any product or part you feel is defective. Also, down the line, parts such as the filter screen. cross plate, spiral plate of the plunger assembly, or the plunger rod, are available at very reasonable prices.
11) FRIELING KEEPS GOOD COMPANY. Beside Amazon, the finest, most prestigious online coffee gear retailers carry it: cateringplanet, wholelattelove, seattlecoffeegear, clivecoffee, terroircoffee, williams-sonoma, espressozone, shop.illy, chriscoffee, liquidplanet, roaste, crateandbarrel, coffee.become, coffeebydesign, coffeeart, veniacoffee, greentreecoffee, blacksmithcoffee, wayfair, etc.
12) USEFUL FOR MAKING "OPEN POT" COFFEE. You can also use this for "OPEN POT" brewing, the simple, "connoisseur's method," also called "Cowboy Coffee." With this method, you simply dose a pot with coffee, pour in off-boil water, and steep with the lid on just as in French Press, stir three times during the steep, after the THREE minute steep, then pour through a fine filter into your cup.
Well, a French press can be used as the pot to make Open Pot coffee, and you can use its filter as well: after steeping, DO NOT DEPRESS THE PLUNGER TO THE BOTTOM, depress the plunger no lower than a level just below the interior V of the spout, about an inch below the brim, then pour: this "non-plunged" extraction delivers a different, clearer, cleaner cup, allowing more bright and complex notes and aromas to emerge, yet not quite so rich and deep as French press...try it. Also, try your Frieling for press-making tea...really excellent results.
13) USEFUL AS AN INSULATED SERVING PITCHER FOR HOT OR COLD DRINKS. Use the Freiling for serving cold juices, milk, or ice water; use it for serving hot syrup, hot chocolate, hot milk, etc.
CONS:
1) THE LID CAN SLIP FORWARD A BIT WHEN POURING: The lid is snug for pressing, but while pouring, the lid can slip forward an inch or so. Solution--the "teapot pour", the way waitstaff use it: with the finger(s) of one hand, lightly press down on the lid or plunger knob, the other hand grips the handle to pour. Or, use the "one-hand pour": grip the handle with your fingers, press down lightly with side of your thumb upon the flat of the lid's back edge, nearest handle, then pour...easy and secure.
2) A FEW SMALL PARTICLES OF GRIND CAN CATCH IN THE PLUNGER, in the tiny screen seam. Solution--If that happens, then after brewing and rinsing out your Frieling, fill with hot water, replace lid and plunger. Then, pumping vigorously up and down a few times, the turbulence removes the particles. I seldom have to do that twice or use a small brush. Then place the pot and plunger in the dishwasher.
SUMMING IT UP
3) FRIELING'S SIZING IS CONFUSING CUSTOMERS: Capacities of Frieling's presses are often expressed in two capacities: he "serving" capacity and the "maximum capacity" when used as a serving carafe for liquids other than coffee. Very often the "serving capacity" is not accurate, serving less than the amount stated. Moreover, various vendors, Amazon sellers, and other retailers list the same model at different capacities. It is maddening. Not only that, but most customers do not know that the "cups" Frieling and all coffee manufacturers refer to are actually the European "Tasse" cup of 4.22 fluid oz each (1/8 liter, 125ml), NOT the US 8oz measuring cup, so customers often feel misinformed when coffee servings are HALF what they expected. Frieling is innocent of misrepresentation here: it is customer ignorance that is at fault. Regardless, Frieling needs to address this issue ASAP and give is the ACTUAL YIELD per serving, in US fluid ounces, of each size offered.
CONCLUSION
The Frieling French presses are a commercial, industrial design with commercial-grade stainless, insulated everywhere, including the lid, easier to clean than with plastic parts that also retain flavors. Holds the brew temperature at the correct SCAA recommended 195-205 degrees, the most important brewing feature of all. Dishwasher hardy and clean-up is easy. Handsome and presentable for entertaining. Durable to the maximum. Excellent, all stainless plunger, few stray particles, produces minimal silt. Highly recommended. 4.8 Amazon stars.
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FRIELING'S DOUBLE-WALL STAINLESS STEEL INSULATED COMPETITION
FRIELING ULTIMO FRENCH PRESS 8c (Vacuum-Insulated, 18/10 SS), $74, 4.7 stars: ALL-STAINLESS plunger, INSULATED ALL-stainless lid, DRIP-LESS spout, THUMB-SECURE handle, stable.
BODUM ARABICA 8c, $68, 3.5 stars: plastic plunger &lid parts, uninsulated lid, spout dribbles, stable shape.
BODUM COLUMBIA 4c, $60, 4.7 stars: plastic plunger & lid parts, thin uninsulated lid, VERY stable, good handle.
BODUM COLUMBIA 8c, $71, 4.4 stars: plastic plunger & lid parts, uninsulated lid, UNSTABLE bowling-pin shape.
BODUM PRESSO 8c, $58, 4.4 STARS: plastic plunger & lid parts, uninsulated lid, HIGHLY STABLE with flared base.
BONJOUR FIORE 8c, $30, 3.5 stars: NO plastic parts, uninsulated lid, spout dribbles, MIXED REVIEWS, stable.
BONJOUR TRIOMPHE 8c, $68, 4.2 stars: plastic in lid assembly, uninsulated lid, ADJUSTABLE FILTER, stable.
CUISINOX PRESS 8c, $55, 3.4 stars: NO plastic parts, uninsulated lid, Frieling COPY, MIXED REVIEWS, stable.
ESPRO PRESS, 30oz, $99, NEW, plastic filter, "clean-cup" DOUBLE FILTER, uninsulated lid, stable, good handle.
LA CAFETIERE THERMIQUE 8c, $35, 4.2 stars: NO plastics, INSULATED LID, drips, MIXED REVIEWS, stable.
P.S.
Most of the above brands and models, Bodum and BonJour in particular, I respect for their overall quality, if not for the plastic parts. They, and Frieling, all make similar coffee, but with varying degrees of insulation efficiency and thus very noticeable flavor-intensity outcomes. Being consumer-grade products, they are not expected to be as durable as commercial-grade equivalents, such as Frieling, due to their intended work environment. Consequently, their comparison with the Frieling is a bit unfair...like comparing apples to oranges. Always buy commercial products whenever possible...the tough guys.
By the way, if you remain loyal to glass-beakered Presses, the double-glass wall, insulated version of the iconic Bodum Chambord 8c ($80) is available (being that glass holds in heat better than metal, I can recommend it), but a replacement beaker is $50, $130 total Amazon. If insulation is not important to you, the glass beakered, single walled, Bodum Eileen ($67 Amazon for the 8c), with its "full metal perforated jacket" of stainless, is widely used in French restaurants and bistros as a commercial Press; it is fairly durable for a single wall Press due to the metal sheath, but its single wall will NOT keep the brew at the right temperature.
A REBUTTAL OF THE MOST COMMON CRITICAL REVIEWS, AND SOME OVER THE TOP ONES
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THE COMMON ONES
1) "Some grounds and silt bypass the filter and are in my cup." Answer: some will always pass through, it is a French Press thing, common to all brands and models...French Pressists never take that last sip. But there are three ways to dramatically reduce that, 1) the fault, almost invariably, USING A WHIRLY-BLADE GRINDER, or the LACK OF A CONICAL BURR GRINDER that allows you to grind EVENLY and COARSELY, no more dust-and-boulders; or b) not grinding COARSELY enough with any grinder; or c) buying CANNED OR PACKAGED PRE-GROUND coffee ground FINE for drip coffee so that fine grounds can bypass the French Press's filter. Grind medium-course for French Press, not" fine. If you have no good grinder then have your coffee source grind it coarsely for you.
2) "My coffee does not stay hot very long after I pour it." Answer: ANY brand of French Press is designed to BREW coffee, and NOT TO STORE IT. Period. Stainless Steel, or glass, double-walled Presses are designed to keep the brewing coffee at the correct temperature (195-205 degrees) DURING THE BREW CYCLE and are NOT MEANT TO STORE COFFEE AFTER THE BREW CYCLE IS COMPLETED. If the steep goes much past 4 minutes you get nasty coffee--over-extracted and bitter. I am convinced that the confusion comes from mistaking what it looks like: an insulated pot "looks" like a thermos, or insulated carafe. Well, it's not. It's a brewer.
Timing is critical when making any coffee. Espresso Baristas use a timer to cut short their pull at 25-30 seconds per shot, with French Press (and drip) set your timer to 3.5 to 4.5 minutes per extraction (4 minutes is the sweet spot).
3)"I get this metallic taste (or bitter taste, or stale taste, take your pick)." Stainless steel, especially food-grade 18/10 stainless used in the Frieling, is famed for imparting ZERO taste to food or beverages. It's what it's known for. The off-tastes come from other sources such as, a) coffeol oil and collagen residues adhering to the Press wall, or in your grinder, or both...keep them clean, or 2) certain coffees give off unusual flavor notes also, or c) your water might be less than ideal, or d) your dish-wash detergent is not thoroughly rinsed off. It's NOT the metal itself.
THE OVER-THE-TOP ONES
"The handle breaks off," or "has a sloppy weld." Or, "Cannot clean the thing at all." Or, "I get gray powder on my paper towel when I wipe it out." Answer: These are over the top, spoiler, deal-killing statements and are intended to be so, for various malicious reasons, I remain convinced, and so utterly lacking in truth that they are laughable. The laser-weld on the handle is so secure that the restaurant supply managers I personally know say they have never experienced any handle failures or sloppy welds, none, ever. Dirty Stainless is not 18/10 stainless's fault, so if really neglected use food-service's favorite: Barkeeper's Friend, use it gently, rinse. Lastly..."It shows fingerprints all the time, and spots"...uh, well, wipe them off, how hard is that? Or sell it on e-bay and buy the new matte brushed-finish Frieling. Gray powder on the inside? Not possible with 18/10 Stainless...has to be bad water or bad dish-washing detergent, come on, think of a better pot shot.
Frieling's positive 4 & 5 star reviews are 94% of the total here. That is highly unusual on Amazon. So don't worry, the $75 is only about $10 more than the lesser Bodums you might be shopping. It is money well spent, lasting for many, many years. I cherish my Frieling, and so will you.
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WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE HIGH QUALITY FRENCH PRESS COFFEE
BUY ONLY QUALITY, SINGLE-ORIGIN COFFEE BEANS WHEN POSSIBLE. This assumes that you will be buying quality BEANS and not the grounds, pre-ground. If you insist on buying only pre-ground canned or brick coffee (called "commercial coffee" in the coffee trade) then your coffee will always be swill, so shop for "Specialty Coffee." This means freshly roasted beans found in some better supermarkets, but usually found in better quality, and in greater variety, at coffee houses or online. Or even better, buy green coffee beans roasted at home for far better flavor, and at a much better price. If you can make popcorn or spaghetti, you can roast coffee, it is almost that easy. Some green-bean online sources: Sweet Maria's Coffee, Terroir Coffee, Intelligentsia Coffee, Green Mountain.
Look for SINGLE-ORIGIN coffee, sold by country of origin, but better if also bought by REGION or Grade of the country: Sumatran Mandheling, Yemen Mocha, Colombian Supremo, Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, Kenya A or AA, Guatemalan Antigua, Tanzanian Mt.Kilimanjaro, or perhaps even by estate or plantation, e.g., Costa Rican Terrazu, La Minita Farm. After that, learn the different roasts and how that affects flavors, e.g., City roast, Full City, Vienna, Italian, French, etc. Maxwell House, for instance sells, cans of "Coffee"...but what kind is it? Be assured that it will be the cheapest, or merely "French Roast"...French Roast what? From where? what grade? What origin-blend percentages does it contain? You get the idea. Home roasting is an easy mini-hobby option, and many coffee enthusiasts do it. Buy this book!--Coffee: How to Buy It, Brew It, and Enjoy It, by Kenneth Davids ($4.00 used on Amazon).
BUY A QUALITY BURR GRINDER: it's all about brewing at the correct heat range, BUT with grounds all the SAME SIZE and of the RIGHT size! French Press' dirty little secret that nobody tells you: your grinder is just as important, and in some ways, more important than the brewer you choose. To make THE most flavorful, luscious, French Press coffee, without too many stray grounds coming through the filter, you must FIRST match it to a QUALITY burr grinder. Such a grinder produces grounds of exactly the same size, so all coffee particles "cook" at exactly the same time! A burr grinder's only reason for existence is to ensure that superior flavor. A cheap, whirly-blade grinder cannot. It can only produce dust-and-boulders, just the opposite of what you need.
The bad news is: a QUALITY conical-burr grinder for French Press costs about TWICE as much as a top QUALITY French Press ($100 minimum, preferably $150, or better), and far more than that abomination of a $25 whirly-blade toy-like grinder. If you always go to Charbucks, the money saved within 2-3 months would pay for a fine French Press and grinder to make your own, INCLUDING quality fresh coffee beans that produce the flavor elation you seek. So, in return you get ambrosia--a luxurious, deep, rich and satisfying French Press cup that makes you, and others, smile wide every time you make it.
Recommended grinders IMHO: the best adequate grinder: Gaggia MM ($100); the best "very good" entry-level grinder, the Baratza Encore ($130); the "excellent" and iconic Press grinder, the Baratza Virtuoso ($230); or the ultimate Press and espresso-appropriate Preciso ($300)--check refurb/open box pricing. That's the price of admission, and well worth it. Best Reviews? Staff and consumer reviews of coffee grinders online at coffeegeek.
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HOW TO BREW FRENCH PRESS THE WAY THE WORLD CHAMPION BARISTA TIM WENDELBOE MAKES IT (from the Freakonomics website):
1. The brewing ratio is critical. So using a scale to weigh the grounds and the water will make a remarkable difference to the consistency of your coffee. I like 70g of grounds per liter of water. My press pot will hold about 700g if water, so usage 49/50g of grounds to the hot water.
2. Grind size matters. For French press, the coffee should be ground coarse and have a uniform particle distribution (actually the distribution is trimodal, but that's a tangent). Only burr grinders can achieve this. If you don't have a decent burr grinder, have your beans ground for French Press by a reputable coffee shop. (BTW, I recently looked at good burr grinders for home use and can highly recommend the Baratza Virtuoso Preciso (see Mark Prince's review on the Preciso, and his thorough and scientific white paper as well). A bit pricey, but really the only decent one IMO at an almost affordable price point.)
3. Keep the brewing time consistent. I use 4 minutes for the grind size I use and will adjust the brewing ratio to find the ideal strength for my cup of coffee. Grind size, brewing ratio, and brewing time all interact, so adjusting only the brewing ratio helps me from getting confused when I'm dialing things in for a new batch of beans.
4. I will usually not cover the press during the steeping. I like to allow the grounds to "bloom" as much as possible. Anything that prevents this tends to yield an uneven extraction from the cake of coffee.
5. Skimming makes an amazing difference. I was shocked just how big this difference was when I first tried it, but it makes sense. The basic French Press design allows a lot of the "fines" from the coffee to pass through the plunged screen. These fines continue to steep in the coffee, resulting in very over extracted coffee with a bitter taste and a muddy mouthfeel. By skimming the cake of swollen grounds before plunging, you're throwing out a lot of these fines, so you end up with less overextraction and a cleaner mouthfeel.
(My take on the above: I would not leave the lid off as you lose too much heat during brewing unless you have a very large Press, which Wendelboe does, but ordinarily, removing the lid defeats the purpose behind an insulated Press, just make a bit less coffee so the bloom does not hit the lid's underside, and keep the lid on, dammit, but all the other info is excellent).
MY FRIELING FRENCH PRESS BREW METHOD
1. FILL KETTLE with TWICE the water needed to brew using fresh, cold, filtered water. Just before the water boils (208-210 degrees F), remove the kettle from the burner, fill your press with the hot water to pre-warm. Set kettle aside to cool to 205-208 degrees...a minute or so (I often use a probe thermometer to monitor this).
2. WEIGH BEANS, THEN GRIND. Place your grinder's grounds-collecting bin on your scales, tare. Dose at 55-65g, averaging 60g, coffee beans to one liter of water, or 70 grams if you "break and clean" (rather than stirring the bloom, you break the bloom cake and spoon out the surface grounds to reduce the fines, in which case you sacrifice some brewing grounds, so you need to over-dose a bit). Set your grinder to a mid course setting, as coarse as coarsely ground pepper.
(Bodum grinders are barely adequate for the job, look into a Baratza Precisco, refurb to cut costs, it is THE best for french press as it produces very few fines for superior flavor...I agree with Mr. Wendelboe).
3. WEIGH WATER, THEN STEEP. Pour your press' warming water into your cups. Then place your press on your scales, tare, add your grounds, then pour in the kettle's remaining water into the press to the grams desired as shown on your scale. Set timer to 3-4 minutes for a half pot, 4 for a full pot).
4. SINK OR SCOOP BLOOM, FINISH STEEPING. After one or even two minutes (to your taste), either gently sink the bloom with a spoon, or remove (break) the cake "crust" with a soup spoon (or two) to gently scoop to remove (clean) the bloom and sink it one minute into the steep. When the timer beeps, press the plunger down VERY SLOWLY to the bottom (to reduce agitation of any fines present). Serve and enjoy.
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I've been a fan of French-press brewed coffee for years. But after going through umpteen glass carafes due to breakage, I started looking for alternatives. I've tried using plastic carafe types, but the plunger assemblies always leave something to be desired for in quality, I haven't found one that isn't cheap and flimsy. Hesitated before purchasing this because of the price, but after having it for a few weeks, I'm extremely happy with it. The quality of the press is top notch. I really like the brushed stainless steel finish, it's very forgiving of finger prints (unlike polished stainless steel). The pluger is robust, durable, and serviceable. Very easy clean-up, I just dump the grounds, rinse, and give it a quick wipe-down with a paper towel.
Update: 1+ year later and the press still looks as good as the day I got it. The filter screen is still in excellent condition which has not been the case on other presses I have had after extended use.
Buy Frieling French Press, Brushed Stainless Steel Now
This is my first french press and I ordered based on reviews. This really is ALL metal, with no plastic and is a well made, high quality product. I would HIGHLY recommend!!
Read Best Reviews of Frieling French Press, Brushed Stainless Steel Here
After researching all the thermal carafes out there (the camping ones, too) I decided on this one. I hated glass carafes because i was having to add oily coffee into my thermal carafes that then need to be washed out to keep clean, whereas coffee brewed with a paper filter would normally produce a coffee with much less oils and thus I wouldn't use soap to clean the carafe afterwards. Plus the extra step to keep my coffee warm already made a rather involved process even more involved when cleanup was factored in to it all. Plus I wanted one that could take car camping to all the parks we have here in Texas.
That is where I am coming from. PROS:>>> It is made from quality stainless steel. Nothing feels thin or dings with a high pitch to show cheap material. The welds on this are all top notch as well. I homebrew beer and have been around craft beer equipment so I know the need and can recognize a quality stainless steel weld. The whole thing is quite heavy empty actually. All this sturdiness and its design makes this french press seem very simple and effortless. There is absolutely nothing on here that is not stainless steel of some kind. NO PLASTIC AT ALL. Even the packing material was stainless steel and not Styrofoam. (not really)
The spout does not dribble at all even when you get to the bottom. The spout shape is very functional. The lid though is the only weak point on the whole thing. It obviously holds the whole press mechanism. Where the bar goes through the lid is not sealed and the bar just moves rather freely in there. I would think that some sort of rubber filler or a tighter tolerance would have been better suited than what the ended up producing. This allows the angle of the press to get slightly off and makes the press a little harder sometimes.
The press itself is precisely manufactured to fit inside this carafe. It is amazing how tight the tolerances on the press is; all without the use of rubber gaskets.
How I make my coffee: I fill the carafe with boiling water and let warm for 4 minutes and go and grind my coffee (Bodum Bistro Grinder BTW). I then pour the water back into the kettle and let it heat back up to boiling. I add my grounds (4T light roast) and then fill with water to just under the spout line. The filter press then fits so well that I can slide it onto the very top of the carafe to cover it to let it steep. I then pop off the lid and stir the ground to help them settle. The press is definitely harder and slower than most but that is better than the contrary as it keeps me from spurting boiling water (only time that happened is when I overfilled it).
My trick to KEEPING IT WARM:
As any carafe user will know; the carafe stays warm by minimizing heat transfer outward. That means there is no energy added to the liquid to keep it warm. Also, the thermal insulating ability of water versus gas are quite different. Thus, no amount of insulating material can keep a small amount of liquid hot for very long. I believe most people complaining about the presses inability to keep their coffee hot are failing to crunch the numbers. This only holds less than four cups of coffee. After pouring out a mug or two at the beginning, there is only about two mugs left at the bottom. That is not enough liquid to keep itself warm. Couple that with the head space created above that then acts to absorb the thermal energy from the liquid below; this high pressure warm gas then flows out the spout and around the lid and pulls in cooler room temperature air. This exchange is continuous.
I counter this by pouring two mugs out of it that have are 1/3 full of boiling water (This also heats up the mugs). I have made the coffee bit stronger than I like to do this. I then put the lid to one side and refill the carafe with hot water and slowly pullout and re-plunge the coffee.
This gives me the volume of hot liquid and the lack of gaseous headspace I need to keep my coffee very warm(165+) for hours. I can serve 5+ mugs out of this one brewing this way over 3 hours and not need to reheat because I countered the physics involved with retaining heat. \
I so thoroughly elaborated on this to explain that there is no magic thermal carafe french press that will be able to retain heat better than this one. Yes, after pouring 8-12 ounces of coffee out of this carafe, you will not be able to come back after an hour and have acceptably warm coffee. Though, what 10-12 cup thermal drip coffee maker do you know that can do that as well with only 2.5 cups of liquid on the bottom? (none...physics)
Vacuum sealed thermos's can do so because they are completely sealed and the gaseous headspace warms up but then reaches equilibrium because there is no exchange with outside air. Even those cool down quickly if they are opened frequently. That is why they are designed with a small throat. If you pour quickly enough the headspace gas won't completely exchange and you can keep your liquid warm. The lack of continuous air exchange also makes the carafes from drip machines better insulators as well.
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At last, I'm having coffee that tastes as good as it smells! Before buying this item, I read dozens of reviews of French Presses. I was tempted at first to buy a glass press so that I could see the coffee, but decided to avoid the breakage problem. I am totally satisfied with this choice. I think it is great value for the money it looks elegant, no plastic anywhere, the brushed finish is easy to keep shiny, the insulated walls keep the coffee hot during the brewing period, no need to scrub the inside, and of course it is pretty much indestructible. I have used it daily for about a week and have had no problem with grounds escaping; the little bit of sediment that gets through settles at the bottom of my mug and is easily avoided. Although it is well insulated, this is still a coffee press, so if I want to save coffee for later, I pour it into a pre-warmed thermos.
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I've owned semi automatic machines in the past and let me tell you, this machine certainly brews a better espresso than any of those machines ever did! Just to prove a point to my husband, I brewed him an espresso at home last night, then took him to our favorite cafe this morning and bought him one, and then I heard those beautiful words, "You were right." Music to my ears! So if you're looking for a tasty espresso, that requires no effort or thought what-so-ever, give this machine a whirl and you won't be sorry!
