French Press coffee or Pour-Over what is the dfference?
Fresh roasted coffee beans and brews are known to make conversations more interesting, evenings more refreshing and work days more endurable.
However, in your daily schedules of rushing and running to offices or college, you may either prefer the pour-over coffee or French press.
Certainly, one of the best ways of just relaxing is having a cup of coffee. Confused between the two? Don't worry, we have got you covered on both brewing methods!
All you need is some of the best speciality coffee, coffee equipment, and coffee brewing equipment to kick-start the process.
Comparing a French press and a Pour Over
Pour-Over Coffee
Pour Over Coffee - is a type of coffee brewing device that uses full immersion to extract flavour from ground beans. The process involves pouring water over ground beans contained in a filter at a controlled temperature and pressure to produce "coffee". These are the steps to brew a pour-over coffee:
- Step 1- Use a funnel
Most of the time, you just have to put a pour-over funnel that will be installed right at the top of your coffee cup. However, if it is not installed, you can simply add it.
- Step 2- Add coffee grounds and filter
Inside the tunnel, you must add two things: coffee grounds and a coffee filter.
- Step 3- Add hot water
For brewing the coffee, you simply need to pour hot water manually (evenly) over its grounds. Over a few minutes, this will result in the coffee decoction dripping right into your cup.
French Press Coffee
The French press has a very simple and straightforward method of preparation. Although this brewing method has become a trend now, it was invented in Italy back in 1929. Follow the steps and you can get your coffee ready in no time:
- Step 1- Coffee grounds
You need to first add some good French press coffee grounds at the bottom of the French press coffee maker.
- Step 2- Add water
Then pour hot water in proportion to it. This takes about 4-5 minutes to steep.
- Step 3- Use metal lid
In the final step, add a metal filter is fitted to the metal lid. The filter top is pushed down after the steeping is finished.
The ground gets pushed to the bottom, leaving a layer of aromatic, fresh coffee on top! So, a French press is different than a pour-over because it uses pressure to extract flavour from the grounds, while the pour-over relies on gravity and time.
Time for Preparation
A French press is ideal for making a quick batch of fresh and hot coffee. This approach is less hands-on and takes around 6-8 minutes in total comprising of 1 minute for measurement followed by 4-5 minutes for steeping, and finally 5 seconds for the whole press process.
In comparison to it, pour-overs employ the drip method, which consumes more time and necessitates the addition of hot water on a frequent basis. The brewing time for the pour-over coffee may extend from about 8 to 15 minutes.
Taste differences
When you use a French press, the natural oils present in your coffee are brought out, which truly gives you a flavor of the coffee blend.
The steeping procedure which consists of 4-5 minutes, helps in enhancing and giving more flavor to your coffee.
However, pour-overs have been seen to have the exact opposite effect. During the process of brewing your coffee by the drip method, there is no chance of steeping.
This reduces the release of natural oils that may already be present in the coffee, while also decreasing the full taste as well as the coffee’s richness. In fact, even the paper filter employed by you is the key factor behind this. This filter reduces the depth of flavors in your coffee because they tend to absorb all the oils present in the coffee. The pour-over method provides taste; however, it has a relatively clear texture and lesser natural oils.
Quantity requirements
Usually, you will find a normal French press that contains 48 oz and is suitable for 6 people, given one 8 oz cup of coffee each. To make one or two cups of coffee, the French press is the best method to go about it.. This is primarily because you need to change the amounts of the ground as well as the water. On the other hand, pour-overs are your go-to when you need to prepare just one cup by hand. This utilizes large volumes of water, making it for a larger group takes an ample amount of time.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Here is a list of the best aspects of a French press-
- Quick to prepare
A French press pot is very easy to use and has a very simplified procedure that requires very less time and effort from your end.
- Customized element
Every facet of your cup of coffee can be modified, from the grind size to the richness with your favourite coffee grinder.
- Foolproof Process
Preparation of French press coffee has a very foolproof process once you are comfortable with nailing down the adequate water requirements to get the best-tasting coffee. Now, let’s find the advantages of pour-over coffee.
- Smooth feel
Pour-over coffee gives you a smooth, no-texture coffee which is very smooth when you drink it, compared to French press coffee.
- Eliminates grittiness
The resulting brew usually doesn't remain in the grounds, eliminating the grittiness.
- Clean-up process
This brewing method is simple to clean because it just takes a few minutes to prepare. Also, read A guide to essential coffee equipment.
The way to go!
From coffee snobs to college students, well-heeled gourmets to professionals, a cup of coffee is almost everyone’s daily need.
It all boils down to taste, texture, and convenience that determine your choice of coffee.
A French press is a way to go for a bolder, thicker brew. If you want coffee that is a little smoother, you should try brewing pour-over coffee.
It's difficult to pick a winner because both of these brewing techniques provide you with delicious cuppas.
So, try a French press if you are brewing for a crowd or prefer coffee with a rich, creamy mouth feel.
Either way, let your morning coffee make your day! You may check out our shop if you're looking for freshly bag of coffee online, coffee equipment, and see which coffee grinder would suit to your coffee needs.
If you also ever wanted to find the best coffee recipes, we’ve put together our ultimate list of 20 best coffee recipes online!