Pour over guy here but I enjoy just a touch of oils in my extractions so I’ve settled on coffee sock use. Never liked the French Press side of things, but I’ve just learned about FP with paper filters, the Espro paper filter and more interestingly the Caffi bag filter. I’d like to experiment with this. The Caffi filter especially is appealing as the cleanup looks super easy (big change compared to my coffee sock ritual) and I like the idea of cleaning up the murky FP taste with some decent filtering. I’m considering trying an Espro device so I would have the option to try their paper filter too, but that’s less interesting since you still have to clean grounds out of your FP bucket. The Espro devices are pricey though. I’m curious if anyone thinks the finer mesh buckets on the Espro would contribute any cleanup benefit at all if using a paper filter like the Caffi bag? I would assume the much finer filter mechanism of the paper would just trump any plunger filter mechanism. Ok, my next question is what’s going on with insulated FP brewers? Stanley, Yeti, even Espro (they even make a travel mug FP that you just leave the grounds in!!) and many others make these. I don’t mean to be rude, but are FP drinkers just barbarians that think there is no such thing as over-extraction? How in the world can you just leave coffee grounds sitting in contact with your brew for hours as these insulated FP brewers claim? Don’t you need to decant as soon as the brew is complete?
It sounds like you want an Aeropress. You get the same results as a French press with a paper filter, and the whole process, including cleanup, is much more streamlined. It also stores a little easier.
Have an aeropress. I find getting the brew right is almost as fussy as pour over but never quite as good. Also, I often brew larger batches. I like chemex for that but a 32oz FP would work. I know there’s a mega aeropress out now, but I’ve heard it’s clunky and kind of a pain. I just want to experiment with FP since that would be new to me (other than some messing around with it I did as a dumb college student).
Mind if I ask what you don’t like about French Press coffee? I ask only because we’ve been FP-only when at home for more than 10 years now. I can enjoy a cup of coffee from just about anywhere when on the road, so I’m definitely not a picky drinker but I do enjoy homemade FP the most.
I find it opposite end of spectrum from pour over. Don’t you agree it’s a different taste? I think it’s just personal preference. It’s far more oily and often has sediment / fines in the cup. You ever have any cholesterol issues? I’ve also heard the cafestol is something to look out for with FP (but again, I’m only interested in trying paper filtered FP which should clean a lot of that up).
Jeez, thanks for that invitation down the rabbit hole lol. Prior to your comment, I’d never come across any studies on boiled vs filtered coffee and its effects on hypertension and overall cardiovascular health. I’ve since read several and I’m now questioning my life choices. Seriously though, thanks for tip, and I’ll definitely be doing my own experiments soon.
Maybe try the caffi filters? Unless there is a lot of leakage or they are overly porous, they should filter out cafestol (no data available unfortunately) and people seem to love them especially because they make cleanup easier. I’m interested in them primarily in hopes they crisp up the taste of FP. I’ve ordered some and can report back. If you remember, a few months from now would be curious if you made a dent in cholesterol with coffee related changes.
I also am a mainly pour over person but incorporate other methods (French Press, AeroPress, Syphon, etc.) depending on how I’m feeling and the beans I’m brewing. Check out Hoffman’s French Press video. I used to not enjoy most FP because I would either way over extract or make it too weak. His approach has minimal agitation, maximizes immersion by letting it sit as long as possible after removing the bitter floating grounds, and reduces the grinds in the final brew by not plunging all the way and decanting slowly. As an addition, you could just decant through one of your pour over filters if you still don’t enjoy the mouth feel.
I use an insulated FP because the glass ones would break after a year or so of just standard use. The insulated metal one I’ve had is going on 13 years now. I have only recently had to replace the plunger, as it wore out and was allowing grinds to pass on the side.
How do you know when to stop plunging with the insulated one? I thought you are supposed to stop just before you hit the grounds. Also, why not do just metal instead of insulated? With most insulated do to double wall they don’t recommend dishwasher. With a metal one that’s not insulated you could throw it in the dishwasher.
Stop plunging? When it bottoms out, everything I’ve read says when it bottoms out. The insulated one was on sale, and I can’t remember ever seeing a regular metal french press. I have thrown mine in the dishwasher. I usually just rinse it, or quick hand wash it, but I’ve tossed it in the dishwasher plenty.
I’ll echo someone else’s suggestion of trying out James Hoffman’s French press method. I get pretty clean cups while still retaining that oily goodness.
