The French press, a classic brewing method, has proved to be a reliable way to brew tasty coffee for dozens of years. Many of us have a place in our hearts for the French press, as it was the first brewing method we ever mastered as coffee lovers.
Then, there’s the Aeropress: a modern take on coffee brewing that takes a whole new approach to the way coffee can be brewed at home. It makes a killing cup of coffee and, since it’s so versatile, you can experiment with a lot of different recipes.
A coffee lover’s favorite pastime is comparing coffees. But today, we’re doing something even more fun than that: we’re going to pitch one brewing method against the other in order to find out which is best.
Before going into the pros and cons of each, let’s get a little background on these two brewing methods for better context:
The French Press
This classic coffee maker has been around since the 1920s. At the time, it completely revolutionized the world of coffee drinkers, as there weren’t any real home coffee brewing devices. The best it could get for home drinkers was a cone cloth that held coffee grounds and worked as a filter. It was a makeshift pour over method.
The way the French press works is entirely by steeping. The main body works as a container for coffee grounds and water. They steep there for around three minutes, and then a filter keeps the grounds in said container while you pour clean, brewed coffee.
There’s a lot to be said about the name. French press; sounds like the second word would have more protagonism in the whole process, but it doesn’t, really. It’s also called a “plunger”, but they also aren’t a lot of plunging involved. It’s just a mechanism that’s attached to a filter to keep the grounds at the bottom.
The Aeropress
In many respects, the Aeropress is the complete opposite of the French press. It was invented almost a whole century later and it is about as modern as you can get without involving electricity. It was invented in 2004 by Alan Adler and it has since then become wildly popular, going on to start in many worldwide competitions.
Yet one could also say that they are very much alike. They were also invented as a necessity to make good coffee at home; while the French press was a response to cloth-filtered coffee, the Aeropress was a response to the absence of ways to make espresso at home. They both revolutionized coffee in their own way and brought home a cheap way to make good coffee without having to own expensive equipment.
The Aeropress relies on both pressure and steeping. While there is some steeping involved (about a third that of the French press), pressure is where most of the power lies on. The result is a coffee that feels like an espresso but also has its own distinct, unique flavor profile thanks to the steeping and the use of paper filters.
So, the Aeropress takes a hint from the French press, as well as from espresso makers and pour overs: the steeping, the pressure, and the use of paper filters.
Aeropress vs French Press: Pros and Cons
It can be hard to gauge the benefits of something. Let’s go with a tried-and-true method: the pros and cons list.
Aeropress
Pros
- It’s inexpensive. Out of all coffee makers, it’s one of the most inexpensive ones.
- It’s durable. Unlike French presses, which are usually made out of mostly glass, this is a special type of plastic-like material that never breaks.
- It’s portable. You can take it apart, which makes it super easy to carry around in your backpack. And because it’s durable, you don’t have to worry about being careful with it because it won’t break.
- You can experiment a lot. There are no set rules as to how to use the Aeropress. One of the most exciting things about it is that every barista has their own recipe. You can use any type of grind size, water quantity, etc.
- It’s cool. Let’s face it: the Aeropress is cool. Because of its minimalistic nature, it is cool without even trying to look cool. You can tell there is no real marketing or design that’s gone into trying to make it look more attractive—it’s just how it is.
Cons
- It’s hard to clean. Particularly the rubber seal, which accumulates coffee oils and, if not cleaned properly, will start to stick way too much, making it difficult to press down on the plunger.
- It requires you to press down with force, which can lead to broken cups if you’re not careful. It is really easy for novices who don’t yet have an idea of how much force they need to apply to cause an accident because of this.
French Press
Pros
- Timeless. The design of the French press is just timeless. You can find them made out of glass, wooden; they always manage to look sophisticated and classy. They easily form part of the landscape of your kitchen, and they make it better.
- Easy to use. The French press might just be the easiest to use out of all brewing methods, which earns it a lot of points.
- It effortlessly makes good coffee. There aren’t so many variables as there can be with other methods and you simply need to keep a timer after pouring the water in. There aren’t several steps, like with the Aeropress, so it’s easier to make good coffee without following a strict recipe.
Cons
- It’s fragile. If you have a French press, chances are it’s made of glass. That means that they break easily, and it’s quite a common occurrence. Stainless steel French presses are available, but they just look strange.
- They’re not very versatile. Aside from the regular French press coffee, you can make a cup of cold brew—and that’s about it.
- It’s not easy to find a good one. Because it’s so ubiquitous, there are cheaply made models available everywhere in mass quantities. With the Aeropress, it’s just one, and it’s of the highest quality.