French Press, coffee with a plunger

The French Press is a system for brewing coffee that relies on a cylindrical pot equipped with a plunger that, by pressing down on the combination of hot water and coffee powder, separates the beverage from the powder. The system was probably invented in France around the mid-19th century, however, it was patented by Attilio Calimani

in 1931.

The French Press system is quite widespread in the world and, depending on the various countries where it is used, it takes on different names: in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa it is known as plunger coffee, in France as cafetière à piston, In Britain and the Netherlands, on the other hand, it is called by a Frenchism, namely cafetière.

The secret to making excellent coffee with the French Press system is to have the least number of particles suspended in the liquid, and therefore it is recommended to choose a medium grind. If the coffee is cloudy, you can then grind it a little coarser, while if the coffee turns out to be ground too finely you risk clogging the filter and creating too much pressure in the cylinder, making it difficult for the plunger to descend.

Here is how to brew French Press coffee:

- Place the pot on a flat, dry surface
- Hold the handle firmly and pull out the plunger
- Put one tablespoon of coffee (7-8 grams) per 200 ml of water into the pot.
- Pour hot (not boiling) water into the pot.
- Insert the plunger again and immediately, but slowly and gently press down (both for best results and to keep the liquid from splashing out)
- After each use, wash the pot with water and a mild detergent, then dry thoroughly
- N.B. Normally French Press pots can withstand maximum temperatures in the 90s. Caution: never heat the coffee by placing the pot inside a microwave oven