There are many ways to make coffee, from high-tech, professional, multi-functional, and various portable coffee makers, to coffee pots. When Milan-based designer Paolini Ugo invented the French press (although the history of its development before it became an irreplaceable coffee maker is a bit complicated), this simple way of making coffee revolutionized how people make and enjoy coffee.
The French press has become one of the world's most popular coffee brewing devices, and some people are curious: is the coffee plunger the French press?
With questions, let's continue to read on.
What is a Coffee Plunger
The coffee plunger, a manual coffee brewing method, works by steeping, releasing the essence of the coffee through a steeping method in which the water comes into complete contact with the ground coffee. The coffee brewing apparatus usually consists of a heat-resistant glass carafe (or clear plastic), a metal filter, a pressure bar, and an insulated handle. Coffee made with a coffee plunger is usually strong in flavor.
(click the picture for more details)
How to Use a Coffee Plunger
Brewing coffee with a coffee plunger is simple, with just a few steps below, and a few minutes of video brushing, you will get a pot of rich black coffee.
The ingredients you will need to prepare:
- 15 grams of coffee beans.
- One French press pot.
- 250 ml of filtered water.
- One stirring stick.
- A kettle (one with a thermometer is best).
- One bean grinder.
- One electronic scale.
Steps:
1. Preheat the coffee plunger with warm water. Preheating the appliance in advance can reduce the temperature difference generated by the subsequent production, otherwise, the taste of the coffee made may become sour
2. Weigh the grams of coffee beans and grind them. To make a better-tasting coffee, we need to control the ratio of coffee powder to water, so it is recommended to use a digital scale to weigh the coffee. Also, grinding the coffee beans on the spot can ensure the integrity of the coffee flavor and better flavor.
3. Add water & steam. Choose hot water around 198 °F to brew the coffee. Start by steaming the coffee powder with 40% of the water for 15 seconds, then pour the rest of the hot water into the coffee plunger.
4. Stir gently & let it sit for 4 minutes. Gently stirring will ensure that all the coffee powder is fully infused. During the 4 minutes of resting, you can do what you want, such as watching a video or chatting with friends.
Press down the filter after four minutes. Slowly allowing the filter to press down will reduce the likelihood of fine coffee powder.
6. Enjoy the coffee!
One posting you need to know is that the coffee will become more and more bitter if it stays inside the coffee plunger for a long time. It is recommended to pour the unfinished coffee liquid into a thermal cup to ensure that the coffee will not be over-extracted, while also ensuring that the coffee temperature, is more suitable for slow tasting.
Difference Between Coffee Plunger and French Press
Does it feel like the coffee plunger operates in the same way as a French press pot?
Yes, just as you might imagine, the difference between them is semantic. They both refer to a coffee brewing appliance with a cylindrical container and its filter.
Different regions have different names for them, for example, people in North America are used to calling them French press, and coffee press, while New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa are more used to calling them coffee plunger.
Of course, in different regions, you can also hear a cafetière, cafetière à piston, caffettiera a stantuffo, press pot, and so on.
How to Make the Perfect Cup of Coffee with A Plunger
There are many styles of coffee plungers on the market and many choices of capacity, so how do we use the coffee plunger around us to brew a better-drinking French press coffee?
Notes on the use of the coffee plunger:
1. Grind degree
To make a good pot of French press coffee, the premise is to choose the coffee beans you like. The coarseness of the grind that follows directly affects the important factor of whether your reason to drink it all. To avoid more coffee fines falling into our coffee cups, the grind needs to be controlled to a coarse level of sea salt. Too fine a coffee powder will go directly through the filter into our coffee cup, directly impressing the taste we enjoy.
2. Warm the pot
This is a very simple operation, but also an operation that should not be ignored. Especially for glass French press pots, if not preheated, it will cause the coffee water temperature to drop significantly, affecting the quality of extraction.
3. Coffee brewing ratio
This refers to the ratio of coffee powder to water. A common ratio is 1:15-18. In addition to your drinking habits, you should also consider the roasting level of the coffee beans used this time. Some adjustments can be made to make the coffee flavor fuller.
4. Pressing the lever
I once saw a person pulling the lever up and down when pressing the lever, resulting in a cloudy coffee liquid, which is a coffee disaster. Be sure to even out the speed and press to the end.
The coffee plunger shopping tips:
The key to choosing a French press pot is the filter. A good filter should be fine mesh, durable, and easy to remove and wash, the quality of the filter directly determines the quality of coffee. There is also the spring next to the filter, the role is to filter coffee grounds. Try to choose a spring with good elasticity, because a long time of hot water immersion will damage the elasticity of the spring.
Of course, you can also choose a filter made of silicone, the mesh is made of stainless steel, with silicone instead of the spring, the benefit is not afraid of the spring wear affecting the filter effect. And the silicone filter is more protective of the pot, cleaning is also more convenient than the spring.
The Benefits of Using a Coffee Plunger
French press pots will always satisfy your caffeine cravings no matter where you are in the world.
Why can't so many people give up the French press pot, despite some reports that it may be bad for your health (read more in the article: Is French Press Makers Healthy), what is the attraction of the French press pot?
Cost-effective. You can easily buy a French press pot from online stores, from ten to a few dozen dollars, and you can get a coffee device with the style/capacity/price that suits you.
The unique strong coffee flavor. French press pot coffee is a great choice if you like espresso but don't have an espresso machine. The simple steeping method will also allow you to reap the benefits of a rich, rich black pot of coffee.
You can put it anywhere. You don't need to worry about whether it will fit in your kitchen or get depressed about whether it will fit in your suitcase. Even if you choose the largest capacity French press pot and put it in a corner of the cupboard you don't have to worry about the reprimand from your mom!
The style is plenty. Because it is cost-effective, you can have several French press pots at the same time, even if different brands of French press pots can be purchased.
Easy to clean. It does not require power, wires, or an electric stove, and it is safe to make. After use, you can wash it in the dishwasher.
With such a simple and easy French press kettle, why can't people like it?
