French Press versus Pour Over Coffee

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hammerdrop99

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I get up well before the wife and want a cup of coffee right away. I have a coffee maker that can make one cup at a time, but hate the fuss of operating it because it is having glitches and I have to slap it to get it going, LOL. I don't like pod coffee, it's just too weak. So, I plan on going to french press or pour over. I like my coffee strong and think french press will be better.

What say you?
 
I use a FP at work.
Ten bucks (ish) at walmart, it's simple. ONLY issue I have, and this may be a deterrent for you, is the limit of it. I have a double walled tumbler at work that's about 40oz, and my FP doesnt hold enough to fill it up. This morning I had to do 1.5 to fill er up and get me through the first 2 hours of work.
Other than that, andthe cleanup is messy, I love it and use it weekly.
 
French Press is messy but, you have more control over strength. Pour over gives you much the same product as your standard "Mr. Coffee" type drip coffee maker.

And yes, there is an art to each.
 
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Do a big batch of cold brew weekly and store the concentrate in the fridge. Make it as strong as you want it, just heat in the microwave for a couple of minutes and you're ready to go.

I keep my concentrate in a 1/2 gallon milk glass container, fits in there nicely and very sturdy.
 
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DaveInCLT said:
Do a big batch of cold brew weekly and store the concentrate in the fridge. Make it as strong as you want it, just heat in the microwave for a couple of minutes and you're ready to go.

I keep my concentrate in a 1/2 gallon milk glass container, fits in there nicely and very sturdy.
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See I have a cold brew press, which you can also use like a giant French press.
 
I use a french press daily. Use good fresh beans, coarsly ground just before brewing, filtered water, brew 3-4 minutes, no longer. Experiment a few times to find the right strength and you will have your perfect cup
 
Either French press or stove top percolator will make good coffee, much better than pods or even standard drip.
 
I bought a single-cup filter holder for camping and wind up using it for occasional cups (usually do a drip pot in the AM).

Secret to taste for me has been to use fresh ground 80% FR beans and several table spoons of coffee & chicory to darken it up (for the pot). If I make a single cup during the day, I just use coffee & chicory. Really robust flavor!

So pour-over has been workin' for me.
 
Would not recommend a French press to those who drink a lot of coffee. It can raise your cholesterol due to all the oil and lack of paper filter.

This isn’t really an either or conversation and has more to do with the beans and how they are roasted and the capability of your grinder to produce an even result for your brew method.You can get a different flavor depending on the method used, roast level and grind. It takes practice and some trial and error to get the most out of your beans.

If you want hot/black/caffeine none of the above really matters to you.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I am leaning to the FP for the control to get a strong brew. I have a good grinder and do use whole bean already. I am retired and only drink about two cups a day. As for cleanup, that is what I already spend most of my day doing, so one more mess won't matter. Been using mostly Peet's Major Dickinson beans. Any other good supermarket whole beans to try?
 
Percolator. You can make 8 cups as strong or as weak as you want and it reheats in the percolator just fine the next day. I make a full perc Friday evening and finish it off Sunday morning, just flipping the burner back on to heat it up.
 
hammerdrop99 said:
Thanks for all the replies. I am leaning to the FP for the control to get a strong brew. I have a good grinder and do use whole bean already. I am retired and only drink about two cups a day. As for cleanup, that is what I already spend most of my day doing, so one more mess won't matter. Been using mostly Peet's Major Dickinson beans. Any other good supermarket whole beans to try?
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I use a FP daily. If you have a Jader Toes around, we really like #17 & #2. I’ll now try #1 on the list.
www.thrillist.com

Trader Joe’s Coffees, Ranked by Coffee Snobs

Out of the 30 coffees we tried from Trader Joe's, which is the best? We drank them all to find out.
www.thrillist.com www.thrillist.com
 
When using a French Press, I prefer:

Hand cranked burr grinder.
Water heated a bit below the normal boiling point e.g. around 200 degrees (Fahrenheit). We have a electric heater that has four or five presets for various teas. Of course, the simple thing to do is just boil the water and then grind the beans. By the time that's done, the water temperature has dropped a bit.
 
We've been doing french press for a long time. Finally settled on this one:
Amazon product ASIN B00005YY9X
ETA: My wife has a smaller french press that makes one cup, but I like the larger, insulated one. Should be perfect for your two-cup routine.
 
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hammerdrop99 said:
Any other good supermarket whole beans to try?
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Counter Culture's Big Trouble is my go-to for french press. CC is based in Durham, NC but has expanded sales nationwide, so you may find it in SC. Otherwise, I'd look for some local roasters.
 
MrBitey said:
We've been doing french press for a long time. Finally settled on this one:
Amazon product ASIN B00005YY9X
ETA: My wife has a smaller french press that makes one cup, but I like the larger, insulated one. Should be perfect for your two-cup routine.
Click to expand...
I already have a decent grinder, Capresso Infinity. Not as good as the Baratza, but does a pretty good job.
 
I do pour-over coffee, and make a big mug for myself every morning using whole beans I fresh-grind especially finely right before putting in the pour-over. I find the taste to be rich, plenty thick and potent enough for my tastes, while still being pleasantly smooth. The whole process takes about 10-15 minutes but it's well worth doing IMO.
 
Many years ago I made pour over coffee using Chemex, and it was good. From what I read on the coffee forums, pour over has come a long way and many of my friends prefer it to french press. But the modern pour over process is almost like lab work -- something I don't savor at 6am.
www.seriouseats.com

How to Make the Best Pourover Coffee at Home

A step-by-step guide to making the perfect pourover coffee.
www.seriouseats.com www.seriouseats.com
 
I have a FP, pour over and percolator. Percolator is my favorite which we usually only use when camping. FP is good stuff. Pour over is good but the weakest. I like Black Rifle AK47 myself.
 
get an aero press.
pour some hot water over fine grounds, give it a couple stirs, press the coffee out.
take off the strainer/cap and pop the filter/grounds into the trash.
The hardest part about my morning coffee is getting the water hot.
 
DrScaryGuy said:
get an aero press.
pour some hot water over fine grounds, give it a couple stirs, press the coffee out.
take off the strainer/cap and pop the filter/grounds into the trash.
The hardest part about my morning coffee is getting the water hot.
Click to expand...
A lot of guys at work use the aero press and swear by it. It helps that we have 200F water on tap in the kitchen.

If I were going down the pour over rabbit hole, I'd probably get this:
fellowproducts.com

Stagg EKG Electric Kettle

Stagg EKG Electric Kettle is your countertop companion for a ridiculously good cup of coffee. Featuring: gooseneck spout, LCD Display, and more. Shop Now!
fellowproducts.com fellowproducts.com
 
I recently got a French press. I only drink a cup or two of coffee in the morning. It is not as quick and easy as dropping a K cup in the Keurig but, it makes a good cup of coffee. It even looks good when pouring it into the cup.
 
we're looking at cleaning up some clutter. I use a French press & are drip for me bride.
Does a percolator produce coffee that tastes and has the feel of a French press?
If so, is there a stainless electric kettle/percolator thats a winner? I don't want plastic or aluminum in my coffee.
 
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Get Off My Lawn said:
Does a percolator produce coffee that tastes and has the feel of a French press?
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It's been a while since I've had percolated coffee, but from what I remember, yes, I believe they are pretty similar. In a French press the coffee grounds steep in the water like tea, where with a percolator they get washed up over and through the grind repeatedly. Both provide prolonged contact between the beans and the water and neither uses a paper filter so you still get a lot of the oils.

I don't know if anyone makes an electric one anymore. The one I have is a camp stove type that will also work on a regular stove. I haven't seen an electric one since my parents had a Corning Ware one back in the 80s.
 
I am coffee-holic use to have all kind of coffee brewing. Used Super-Automatic espresso machines for a long time.., then switched to Nespresso capsules (not pods). my favorite is "Firenze Arpeggio"
 
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We just got a Jura ENA 4 at the office. My caffeine intake has doubled!
 
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I’m eyeballin’ this contraption

FCC-2

Introducing the ultimate multi-beverage brewing experience. The Cuisinart® Programmable 5 Cup Percolator & Electric Kettle uses innovative technology to brew up to 5 perfect cups of coffee or heat water for tea in one compact unit. A magnetic drive system circulates water from the bottom up to...
www.cuisinart.com www.cuisinart.com
It’ll have a steeper learning curve than pressing a button, but I can choose the temp, how long it circulates, and it’s a stainless mesh so I can use finer grounds.
It’ll also take less counter-space than a drip and French press.

Has anyone done business with these folks? I haven’t found any reviews on line.
https://www.goodhomekit.com/ ?
 
After a week using the French press, I'm a fan. I've figured out how much coffee, how much water to use. The coffee has a "fresher" taste.
 
I switched from a French press to a ChemEx. Coffee is far less acidic and tastes better. As with a French press, you are limited on volume. And you do have to dial in the beans/water ratio. I also use that electric kettle posted above with the gooseneck. They say water temp matters too. I get it to 200, pour enough to wet the grinds so it fluffs and releases CO2, then finish the pour reel shine when the cone runs out.
 
Get Off My Lawn said:
I’m eyeballin’ this contraption

FCC-2

Introducing the ultimate multi-beverage brewing experience. The Cuisinart® Programmable 5 Cup Percolator & Electric Kettle uses innovative technology to brew up to 5 perfect cups of coffee or heat water for tea in one compact unit. A magnetic drive system circulates water from the bottom up to...
www.cuisinart.com www.cuisinart.com
It’ll have a steeper learning curve than pressing a button, but I can choose the temp, how long it circulates, and it’s a stainless mesh so I can use finer grounds.
It’ll also take less counter-space than a drip and French press.

Has anyone done business with these folks? I haven’t found any reviews on line.
https://www.goodhomekit.com/ ?
Click to expand...
We got it. My wife's immediate response, "This is so much better than my drip, or your French press." It's really good.
You can really time it in with grind choice, temp, time of flow over/ percolate, and boldness.

Why do all the coffee makers lie? They say 5 cups, yet it measures 3.5 cups. So far the smaller size for two is the only downside.
I bought from them, $90 is the best price I found.
www.goodhomekit.com

Cuisinart Programmable 5-Cup Percolator & Electric Kettle FCC-2 - Good Home Kitchen

Cuisinart Programmable 5-Cup Percolator & Electric Kettle FCC-2. Model #FCC-2
www.goodhomekit.com

$130 at Amazon
Amazon product ASIN B09RBF6FCG
 
We have a french press but it's a pain for me, I prefer the one cup option on our brewer. I use that while I'm prepping for a pot.

For camping, I use 2 of the 5 cup Maxwell House filter bags in a coffee pot over a fire or camp stove.
 
We're going full-tilt snobbery this Christmas. Got one of these:
https://www.delonghi.com/en-us/manual-espresso-machine-ecp3420/p/ECP3420

223708


Got a fancy burr grinder to go with it. We've had a cheap-o blender-type grinder that is limited capacity and doesn't not evenly grind large quantities.

It's going to be difficult to not raise my pinky and grow a hipster beard while drinking my new liquid gold after Christmas (I'm not allowed to set it up til then).
 
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If you really want to dive deeper into coffee, look up James Hoffman on YouTube. A great resource with guides for many different brewing methods.

I'll admit coffee is one of the things I'm a snob/nerd about. I've roasted my own beans for years now. I have a French press, moka pot, aeropress, and a V60 (pour over). A V60 produces the best tasting coffee in my opinion. You do lose some of the oiliness/texture of a French press if you really like that. A V60 is also a lot easier to clean up.
 
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