A French press, also known as a press pot, coffee press, coffee plunger or cafetière, is a simple filterless coffee brewing device, probably invented in France in the 1850s, but first patented by Attilio Calimani in 1931.

Nomenclature

The French press goes by various names around the world. In New Zealand, Australia and South Africa the whole apparatus is known as a coffee plunger and coffee brewed in it as plunger coffee. Its French name is cafetière à piston. In French it is also known by its brand names, notably a Bodum or a melior, from an old brand of this type. In the UK, the

Netherlands, and Ireland the device is known as a cafetière, the French word for a coffee maker or pot.

Design

A French press consists of a narrow cylindrical beaker usually made of glass or clear plastic, equipped with a lid and a "plunger", made of metal or plastic, which fits tightly in the cylinder and which has a fine wire or nylon mesh acting as a filter. The simplicity of the mechanism and its potential for attractive after-dinner presentation have led to a variety of more-or-less aesthetic designs.

Coffee is brewed by placing the coffee and water together, leaving to brew for a few minutes, then depressing the plunger to trap the coffee grounds at the bottom of the beaker. The French press is a filterless brewing method; some compounds in unfiltered coffee are thought to lead to an increase in cholesterol.

Preparation

A French press requires coffee of a coarser grind than does a drip brew coffee filter, as finer grounds will seep through the press filter and into the coffee.

Because the coffee grounds remain in direct contact with the brewing water and the grounds are filtered from the water via a mesh instead of a paper filter, coffee brewed with the French press captures more of the coffee's flavour and essential oils, which would become trapped in a traditional drip brew machine's paper filters. French pressed coffee is usually stronger and thicker and has more sediment than drip-brewed coffee. Because the used grounds remain in the drink after brewing, French pressed coffee left to stand can become bitter. "A typical 8-cup French press is considered expired after 20 minutes."

Variations
French presses are more portable and self contained than other coffee makers. Travel mug versions exist which are made of tough plastic instead of the more common glass, and have a sealed lid with a closable drinking hole. Some versions are marketed to hikers and backpackers not wishing to carry a heavy metal percolator or a filter using drip brew.

A French press can also be used in place of a tea infuser to brew loose tea.