The historical story of the French Press 

French Press – an extremely popular tool in the US and Europe to enjoy the full flavor of Specialty coffee. But where did the French Press coffee maker come from?

The historical story of the French Press

Where did the French press come from?

Below is the historical story of the French Press 

The French Press is probably one of the oldest filter coffee makers ever used. However, no one is sure when or how the first French Press was born.

According to Craft Coffee, before using the filter, people just boil their coffee powder with water in the pitcher and pour it out. Until 1850, when a Frenchman realized that he had boiled water and forgot to put the coffee in the pot before. So when you add coffee later, they float to the top of the water so they can’t be dissolved. This Frenchman took a metal plate, placed it on top of the vase and pushed it down with a stick. After that, the coffee taste was very good, but after this method, there was still no progress.

In 2014, a New York Times article found a relative match for this story about the time period. Accordingly, two Parisians, Frenchmen Mayer and Delforge, applied for a joint patent in March 1852 for a device using the basic principles of the French Press. The patent description is right below – and this is the design closest to modern French Press.

The first FrenchPress designs by Mayer and Delforge in 1852

In the 1950s, Faliero Bondanini, made some innovative modifications on this device and registered his own patent. He started mass production of these tools in the French factory Martin SA and distributed by major kitchenware companies such as Bodum, the popularity of French Press spread throughout Europe. However, it took longer for it to become popular in the United States.

Cassol’s innovation is the introduction of a bendable steel filter mesh, incorporating a spring around the edge of the filter. This innovation made the piston seal more efficient, making it a standard design to this day.

According to British food historian Jonathan Morris, Cassol’s spring seal around the piston was a turning point in the popularity of the French Press.

Assess French Press coffee maker

Advantages of French Press

French Press has some below strengths:

Better taste experience

When hot water and coffee blend in one cup, this is an opportunity for the coffee to freely bloom, release the flavor, and enhance the aroma. Coffee will sublimate the full flavor in 4-5 minutes when mixed with water, the “difficult” coffees with the most complex flavor structure are also drawn by the water for a rich taste experience.

Convenience, less expensive

With a minimalist design, French Press is easy to use at home, for those who want to enjoy Specialty coffee quickly, and does not take much time to “clean up the battlefield”. You don’t even need to cook on the stove, watching the time like a Siphon pot or a Moka kettle. There is also no need to prepare filter paper with many operations like the Filter method, or need many technical factors like Shot.

At the same time, investing in the method of brewing with French Press is also much less expensive than brewing with AeroPress or Siphon… The simple components, not afraid of damage, make French Press quite popular for enjoying coffee. home coffee.

Making coffee by FrenchPress

Defects of the French Press

French Press has the following disadvantages:

French Press is not suitable for pureed coffee beans

The biggest advantage is also the disadvantage of this brewing method, when filtering coffee with a wire mesh. This method of preparation is quite “envious” with ground coffee. Because the coffee will more or less pass through the filter and in the coffee, the finer the ground coffee, the more “ephemeral” in the cup. Comparing the grain size in the preparation, the French Press needs to have the largest size, (second only to the cold brew method), then the Chemex, Filter, then the Shot, and finally the brewing method (Turkish coffee).

Temperature

The second disadvantage of the French Press is temperature. You only make boiling water once and then let the water “embrace” the coffee completely. But things don’t always go so well, the water cools down after 3 or 4 minutes, the coffee may not be hot enough to fully sublimate the flavor, and pouring into a cup of coffee may cool. to 50 or 70 degrees. This brewing method is not nearly as perfect and complete as a Shot, Siphon or Moka kettle. This is the downside for those who like to enjoy hot coffee.

French Press is one of the most loved home coffee makers because of its convenience. However, any method of brewing will have inevitable disadvantages. Even so, the French Press is still a potential coffee maker that not only users but also Baristas love. Let visit 43 Factory Coffee Roaster to enjoy sublime moments after a tiring working day, hold a cup of coffee and listen to more stories about the dynamic coffee industry.