French Press and Aeropress are two brewing devices that can be used to brew coffee manually and both are equally well suited for coffee aficionados who enjoy controlling all facets of coffee brewing. The French Press has been around since 1921 whereas the Aeropress is a relative new comer, having first made an appearance in the market in 2005.
Many people erroneously believe that both devices make same kind of coffee since both begin the process of brewing by steeping coffee grounds in hot water. However, that is where the similarity between a French Press and the Aeropress ends. Each device uses different sized grounds, filtration methods and steeping time to produce drinks with totally distinct tastes and characteristics.
AeroPress & How It Works
An AeroPress can be thought of as a manual espresso machine-albeit a very simple one! Like an espresso maker, the AeroPress forces small quantities of water through coffee grounds under pressure. Granted the pressure is nothing like that produced in a proper espresso maker, it is there none the less. The delivery of this pressure allows the fast dissolving components that make the coffee taste good get into the cup while those components that give coffee its bitter taste and take longer to dissolve stay behind.
The AeroPress device is only made up of three basic parts. The first one is a cylindrical tube open at both ends. This will eventually be used for brewing the coffee. One end of this cylinder is closed off by screwing on the filter cap which holds the freshly placed filter. Coffee grounds are added to this container and it is then carefully fitted onto mug in which you wish to collect your drink. Next, hot water is added to the chamber and finally the final piece, which resembles a plunger in a syringe, is used to push on the water and coffee ground mixture. Since an AeroPress uses a micro filter, pressure is required to push the coffee through the grounds, and the plunger serves this purpose. All the flavours from the grounds are forced into the mug while the filter traps and collects the grounds, not letting them through into the mug.
Some Aspects of Coffee Made in an AeroPress
The coffee brewed in an AeroPress has a smooth texture with the true flavour of the beans used coming through. Other aspects of coffee made with an AeroPress include:
Since the grounds get totally immersed in the water, there is a faster extraction of flavour at moderate temperature.
The short filtering time of roughly twenty seconds means there is no chance of bitterness like in some other coffee making processes.
The lower water temperature needed in an AeroPress and the short brew time also produce a drink with very little acidity compared to other brewing techniques.
The micro filtered of AeroPress is so free of particles that it can be stored for several days without spoiling. The saved concentrate can be used as the bases of preparing a variety of drinks like espresso, Americano or lattes.
French Press & How It Works
The French Press is a simple device. It is typically made up of a glass carafe, a lid and a filter screen fitted onto a piston. The desired amount of coffee grounds are added to the carafe, moistened and given a stir before adding the remaining water to the vessel. Next, the filter screen is adjusted against the bottom of the lid and the lid is placed on the carafe. In this scenario, the filter is at the top of the water and the piston fully raised; like in a syringe that is fully loaded. Depending on the size of the grounds and personal taste, the grounds are allowed to stay submerged in the water between three to five minutes before plunging. As the plunger is driven down, the screen filter drives the grounds down and traps them at the bottom of the vessel, while the coffee brew seeps through the holes in the filter. It can now be poured into a mug to enjoy.
It is recommended to use coarse grounds in a French Press. The fine grounds tend to escape through the holes and the sides of the filter screen and mix with the brewed coffee. Additionally, they also clog up the filter holes and make cleaning difficult. One issue with French Press is that even when coarse grounds are used, there are always some fine particles present and these tend to escape into the beverage giving coffee made with a French Press a granular texture.
Some Aspects of Coffee Made With French Press
The coffee brewed in a French Press tends to be more viscos with a heavier mouth feel, definitely a much stronger cup of coffee. This is partially due to the finer grounds escaping into the brewed drink. It is frequently described as being bitter. Other aspects of coffee brewed with a French Press include:
Coffee made with a French Press ensures that all the natural flavours end up in the mug This is because no paper filters are used, which are known to trap some naturally occurring oils and prevent them from landing in your cup.
Since the grounds are totally and directly submerged in water, less quantity of grounds are needed to get similar taste in a comparable sized serving.
Since the grounds in a French Press are allowed to steep longer in the water than most other methods of preparation, more caffeine and antioxidants are extracted. Both of these nutrients are associated with a health benefits.
Differences Between French Press & AeroPress
The coffee made in these two devices has more differences than similarities.
- Unlike the AeroPress, there is not pressure employed in a French Press.
- The brewing time is an AeroPress is almost one half that of a French Press
- The ground size used in a French Press is significantly coarser compared to that of AeroPress.
- AeroPress uses paper filter to produce a smoother beverage whereas the French Press only uses metallic filters which produce a more granular drink.
- French Press can brew greater quantities whereas AeroPress can only make a single cup at a time.
- Cleaning an AeroPress is much easier than a French Press, especially if when the fine grinds clog the metallic plunger.
- AeroPress coffee tends to be hotter; the four or five minute brewing time in a French Press cools the water significantly.
Final Word
The AeroPress and the French Press are two different methods of brewing coffee. It impossible to say definitively that one method is better than the other. Each method has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. In the end it boils down to the consumer’s personal preferences in terms of the coffee produced, the aesthetics involved and the procedure they find more agreeable.
Many people enjoy the watching the magic of steeping coffee in a delicate glass carafe. They find the plastic build of an AeroPress to lack style and class. Others believe the light weight, and carefree portability of the AeroPress gives them the freedom to brew fresh coffee wherever they want.
Our take on the subject is why limit yourself by selecting one over the other. Both methods make unique tasting coffee with different characteristics and both should be experienced. Many times the cost of the coffee makers keeps them out of reach of many people. A great benefit of both these coffee making devices is that neither one is very costly. There is no reason why you shouldn’t have both of them.
