We know that Starbucks can make aromatic and delicious coffee without the French press maker. The small size, large capacity, and retro design of French press pots are still loved by many coffee lovers. So, how should we choose the right French press for ourselves?
There are many varieties of French press pots on the market. But we believe: the one that suits you is the best. Let's see how to choose the right French press pot.
How many kinds of material of the French press
The French press is a kind of immersion extraction, and is very simple to use, add hot water to the pot with coarser ground coffee powder, fully steep, and smothered for 4~5 minutes, then use a metal filter with a pressure bar to separate the coffee powder from the coffee liquid, then you can pour out and enjoy.
Before understanding what materials are available in French press pots, let's find out what are the current common capacities.
French press generally has a capacity of 12/20/27/33 oz, of which 12oz and 27oz capacity is more common, most travel models of French press pots are 12oz, you can choose according to your actual use.
Material
French press is made up of three parts: the cup, the outer frame, and the strainer. To choose the right French press jug, we also need to consider the material of the above three factors.
Body
Traditional French press is made of glass.
1. High borosilicate glass: the current better glass material, has a good high-temperature resistance, explosion-proof, high light transmission, temperature transient changes withstand the advantages of strong, of course, can see the process of coffee extraction, but also a very enjoyable process.
2. Stainless steel: stainless steel cup body, consider only the edible grade material. The stainless steel cup body is drop-proof, double-layer stainless steel, insulation and insulation effect is more excellent, especially suitable for winter consumption. The disadvantage is that you can not see the process of coffee extraction.
Outer Frame
French press are made of glass and will generally use the plastic or metal outer frame to protect the cup and play a good reinforcement role. Although the plastic outer frame does not look as tight as the metal one, the protection will be a little better and will not damage the glass.
The stainless steel body of the French press pot does not need an external frame.
Strainer
Regardless of the material of the cup, most of our common strainers are made of stainless steel. And to judge whether a French press jug is qualified or excellent, it is necessary to consider whether the filter is in place.
Common filters will range from 80 mesh to 120 mesh. The larger the mesh, the more effective the coffee grounds filter. For our French press maker, the better filter mesh is 120, which can very well filter coffee grounds, the mesh is higher than 120, and although it can better isolate the coffee grounds, it will lead to water pressure is not smooth, and not conducive to the pressure rod.
In addition, there is a better silicone material filter, that can be in good contact with the inside of the French press pot, and does not damage the inner wall, more convenient to clean.
When we know the material of these three parts, we can roughly filter out which type of French press pot is suitable for us.
No matter which brand or style of French press pot we choose, clean filtration is the most important assessment point. If you have a beautiful French press pot, if the filter is not clean, when the mouth is full of coffee residue, I believe your desire for this cup of coffee has been greatly reduced.
How to reduce the French press filter residue
If you have purchased a French press pot always a lot of coffee grounds, what else can you do besides buying a new French press pot again?
French press pots are prone to fine grounds for no more than 3 reasons.
- Too fine a grind of coffee powder.
- The pressure is too fast or repeatedly pressed down several times.
- The French press pot filter is not precise enough.
To avoid these problems, when using a French Press, we need to subscribe to the following three principles.
1. the coffee powder grind to coarse grind (sea salt-like) coffee powder grind finer means the fine powder is not filtered, resulting in cloudy coffee liquid and not smooth taste. Therefore, the corresponding grind of the French press should be coarse rather than fine, the coarser coffee particles are more easily filtered out by the filter, thus avoiding falling into the coffee liquid.
2. slow down the speed of pressure, evenly pressed to the end
Many people do not grasp the strength and speed of pressure when using a French press, often appears too fast or repeated pressure, resulting in a large number of coffee grounds being backwashed into the coffee liquid. The correct approach should be to slow down the speed and press down evenly and pay attention to the end of the pressure, to fully filter the coffee grounds.
3. choose a more sophisticated filter structure for the French press
Although the structure and extraction method of the French press pot are destined to produce more or less fine coffee residue, the more precise filter structure of the French press pot can maximize the separation of residue and water, so that the coffee liquid is cleaner and smoother. But because there are many types of French press pots on the market, the shape, material, process, and price vary greatly, so it is not easy to pick out a French press pot with good quality, moderate price, and meets your needs.
Next, I will recommend two different materials of a French press, the filtration effect is outstanding:
The French press consists of a high borosilicate glass body and a silicone filter. The design is simple and generous, especially suitable for home consumption, the most important is that the filter is very clean, and high a light transmission filter body, so you can see the process of coffee extraction.
This 304 stainless steel double-layer French press, has very heat preservation for three hours, three layers of extraction filters, is very good to filter the coffee residue clean, and can be disassembled and cleaned, convenient for daily consumption.
What coffee beans are suitable for French press
The French press extraction is the closest to the cup test brewing method, which can bring out the best of the oil content, aroma, flavor, and other flavor elements in the coffee, with a smooth, sweet and rich taste, making it a very good choice for breakfast coffee.
The coffee beans used for French press brewing are more suitable for single-origin coffee beans, or coffee beans with heavy fruit acidity, and suitable for medium to dark roasted coffee beans. If the powder-to-water ratio is well controlled, medium-roasted coffee beans are the most suitable for the French press.
The French press can bring out the oils, aromas, and richness of the coffee through steeping, while the deep-roasted coffee beans tend to reflect the aroma and mellowness of the coffee, with the disadvantage that it also tends to bring out the bitter taste of the beans. So at first, it is recommended to use medium-roasted coffee beans, and after several attempts, then choose your favorite flavor beans.
