While there are many coffee brewing methods, chances are that you have stumbled across AeroPress and French Press. At first sight, both of these methods seem identical. However, I have found some differences between the two after thorough research. And, I want to share this information with you.
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AeroPress vs French Press:
The Important Things To Consider:
- Design
- Brewing method
- Brewing time
- Taste
- And, cups of coffee prepared
Wondering which method suits you best? I am going to help you determine which one better fits in your taste preferences and unique circumstances by elaborating on their differences.
Manual coffee brewing basics:
Brewing coffee manually with either AeroPress or French Press at your home or even at the office is quite popular these days. One common explanation of this rising popularity is due to the controlled endeavor you can exercise while making a great cup of coffee.
Certain factors such as temperature, the pressure exerted, quantity and quality of the ground coffee, and volume of water can be changed in manual brewing. As such, it resembles an expresso with improved flavors as compared to the conventional coffee machines.
AeroPress and French Press are the two popular brewing devices, and both of them make use of immersion as a brewing method. It takes some time to have the desirable result from these techniques.
The difference in their design:
AeroPress – At first glance, the AeroPress doesn’t seem to impress much. It looks like a large plastic syringe. The device consists of two parts. One, a filter brewing chamber to hold fresh ground coffee. The filter could be made of paper or metal mesh. Another, a plunger chamber that allows to pressure push through the warm water. This way, the coffee gets extracted.
French Press – The device looks simple like that of AeroPress. It has a container that can be made of different materials, a top, and a plunger. Unlike Aeropress, this device is available in different sizes right from a single cup and above. French Press is less manageable than AeroPress because it doesn’t separate coffee grounds better than AeroPress.
The difference in brewing method:
AeroPress – When it comes to altering a few factors that impact the taste of your coffee, Aeropress is quite impressive. With AeroPress, for example, the exerted pressure on the coffee and water is greater than the French Press. This way, you can have a great cup of coffee that almost resembles an espresso.
French Press – With French Press, there is little to no pressure exerted on your coffee. All you need to do is pour the ground coffee to the container, add some water, and do nothing but wait. Apply pressure on the plunger after four minutes to help settle the grounds. The waiting time can impact the taste of the coffee.
The difference in brewing time:
AeroPress – The brewing time for AeroPress is much shorter than French Press. That means AeroPress is the best choice for a person who has little time to spend and want a cup of coffee as fast as possible. With Aeropress, you can make a delicious cup of coffee in about 2 minutes, or less.
French Press – Things are a bit different for French Press when it is about brewing time. When you compare it with AeroPress, you may feel that the French Press takes forever to brew. The brewing time could be around 4 minutes. It is good to go with the French Press if you have enough time to relax with friends.
The difference in taste:
AeroPress – In AeroPress, paper filters are shipped with the device. These filters tend to produce coffee that is brighter, crisper, and cleaner than French Press. But, the micro-ground and natural oils that give off loads of flavor and aroma, aren’t allowed into the cup. Although many people like this lighter version, if you want to have a richer taste the French Press is better.
French Press – The metal mesh present in French Press produces coffee with full flavor and full body. Micro coffee grounds and natural oils aren’t held back by the mesh filter. As such, it creates a feeling of fullness and improves the flavor. These two things result in a rounded, robust flavor.
The difference in the amount of coffee made:
It is very crucial to know how many cups of coffee you want to make in a single round. As of now, AeroPress can make a single cup of coffee. And, depending on the size of the coffee you have, you can get around four cups of delicious coffee from French Press.
Also, there are large French Press devices available on stores that can churn out many cups of coffee in one shot. In short, AeroPress can make a single cup in a given time and the French Press makes many cups depending on the amount of ground coffee you have at hand.
Which coffee brewer is easy to clean?
In fact, both AeroPress and French Press can be cleaned with ease and you won’t need to have extra knowledge. Both of them have a few parts that you can take apart easily for cleaning. When the cleaning is over, put back the components.
AeroPress – You can discard the coffee grounds by pressing the rubber seal present inside the brewing chamber into the trash, or a compost bin. Rinse out thoroughly, and you are ready for the next cup. That’s why AeroPress is preferred more while you are traveling or camping, apart from being light weighted.
French Press – A French Press made of glass may appear to be classier and hygienic than the plastic version. But, it doesn’t mean you may face trouble while cleaning. After you are done with brewing, take off the top, discard the plunger, and dispose of the leftovers in the compost bin. Take water to rinse it and let dry.
Closing thoughts:
Have you tried manual brewing with either AeroPress or French Press? If no, try them both because they aren’t expensive. Also, it is worth experiencing the differences while comparing the two. It may take some time to get used to manual brewing devices, but it is worthy of your effort and time.