Originally published at: http://boingboing.net/2017/02/25/this-retro-technique-still.html
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I have always wanted to try a French Press, but didn’t want to buy one and then have it sit in the cupboard due to only using it once or twice.
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Most of the time I use mine to make cold brewed decaf to keep in the fridge at all times, like ice tea (which I also keep in the fridge at all times).
They last forever, especially if you get a stainless steel one, so they’re not a bad investment.
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It may be superior in taste but I’m lazy, especially in the morning. I like the ease of just pushing a button and making myself something to eat while the automatic coffee machine does the work.
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This isn’t “retro,” it’s the “only.”
The only coffee maker you need.
And it works great for tea too.
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I had one. I hated it. The screen let through the tiniest flecks of coffee, which means the last cup had a tablespoon of mud at the bottom. Also, anybody here like washing these things?
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Wouldn’t last a week in my house. I am the Destroyer Of French Presses. If there’s a way to break them, I will.
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Same here. Even with multiple filters, fine sediment gets through. And cleanup is a hassle compared to Aeropress or Chemex.
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I switched to pour-over several years ago, but we still have two French presses in the cabinet. They are used to make margaritas.
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I’m with you. I managed to destroy two of the glass presses before ponying up and buying an indestructable one. Frieling makes a great stainless steel French press - a little spendier, but beats constantly replacing broken ones.
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Get on that comes double-screened. I can use even fine ground coffee in mine without the problem you’re having.
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I’ve owned an Aeropress, Chemex, and Frieling stainless steel French press. (Percolators can go die in a fire.) For 1-2 people, Aeropress all the way,* the Frieling being most useful for 3+ gatherings. The Chemex brews a pleasant, clean cup but it takes multiple brews with the same filter before I stop tasting paper, so I now use it mainly as a decanter when making Asian soup broths.
*ETA: Well, most of the way. The Frieling press still makes incredible coffee, just a little dirtier. How very French.
*ETAA: I see @messana knows what’s up, too. If you like French press, that Frieling is a gem.
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I make a pot with one of these
every morning.
The secret to keeping the coffee grounds out is remembering to use a coarse grind and a tea strainer like this
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I’ve tried french press and pour overs and the biggest difference I’ve ever had was with fresh roasted coffee. A fresh roasted coffee in a cheap drip machine is better than weeks or months old roast using any other method to brew.
In my area, that means either making an extra 45 minute trip (one way) each week or roasting it myself. Not really practical for me most of the time. Pour over with a filter is a nice compromise with store bought coffee though.
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French presses require skill. You can make a great cup if you have the right grind, let it sit for exactly the right amount of time at exactly the right temperature. A french press in the hands of an unskilled person is a public health hazard.
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The best cup of coffee I ever had in my life was made from Mexican beans roasted only eighteen hours prior. I made plenty more cups after that first day, but none matched the perfection of that first one.
Coffee geeks talk about ‘volatile compounds’ in freshly roasted coffee but I had no idea some of them were that volatile.
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I have an Espro French press; it has a double screened basket that also works for making tea and a double wipe silicone rubber gasket. It’s the best French press I’ve seen. My daily quick coffee maker is an Aeropress. I’d heard of them for a couple of years but never saw one until cruising through various stores during Boxing week. Once you get the grind and water temp right (thermometer and listening for the approaching boil), this makes the best coffee I’ve ever had.
Aeropress makes the best coffee. Every other brewing method tastes inferior to me now 
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I would like to learn more about this! Do tell!
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