If you’re a coffee-lover, you must have tried different techniques to brew your mug, right? A hot, flavorful sip touching your lips and slowly tickling your tastebuds with its essence is an ultimate mood lifter. French press and espresso are two widely used brewing methods, and together they rule coffee shops all around the globe. Both the methods are super easy and give a delicious taste, but what makes them different?
Answers to all your question are here!
Let’s dive deep and understand different aspects of the french press and espresso coffee.
What is a French press coffee?
If you’re someone who likes their coffee strong, brewing a mug of french press coffee should be your thing. Apart from its awesome taste and minimal efforts, it is one of the cheapest brewing methods, and you get a good amount of coffee that you can stock up in your refrigerator for further use.
French press coffee requires a coarser grind that gives the actual coffee taste to your cuppa. The French press method needs low maintenance, is super easy to clean, and allows you to customize your beverage as per your preference.
French press brewing method:
Brewing a hot mug of french press coffee is all about steeping the coarse coffee grounds in hot water and then pressing them out for a smooth beverage. Two things essential for french press coffee are water temperature and coffee grounds. If you get these two things right, no one can stop you from crafting a perfect french press coffee.
Here’s a quick guide to brewing french press coffee:
1. Measure coffee beans:
Taking the right amount of coffee beans is crucial for french press coffee. If you plan to brew coffee in bulk, go for 1/2 a cup of coffee beans. If you’re still confused about what should be the ideal amount, refer to the amount mentioned in your coffee packet for more clarity.
2. Grind:
Grind the desired amount using a french press grinder and ensure you don’t make it powdery. Keep it coarse and rough for the ultimate taste.
3. Transfer it to a french press:
After examining the coffee, now it’s time that you transfer the coffee grounds to the french press and get going.
4. Heat up the water:
Here’s the deal. If you boil the water at the right temperature, you’re good to go. Take a kettle and heat 2 cups of water. Heat the water at 195°F, and once it reaches the desired temperature, switch off the heat for 1 minute to get the ideal water for your coffee.
5. Add the water to the coffee:
Now that you’ve got your water, pour it into the coffee and let it steep.
6. Stir stir stir:
Stir the solution up and down strenuously.
7. Let it rest:
Once done with all the procedures, let the coffee beans steep and extract flavors for you. Keep it undisturbed for a good 5-10 minutes.
8. It’s the time:
After steeping your coffee and giving it enough time to brew, remove the coffee granules from the water. POur the drink into a clean, nice cup, experiment with different flavors, and voila! your french press coffee is ready.
What is Espresso?
Espresso needs to push hot water, almost boiling temperature through a filter that holds the ground coffee. The pressure of the water determines the taste of the beverage and ensures harnessing the flavor of the coffee in a different way than other coffee brewing techniques.
Espresso coffee requires finely ground coffee and steaming hot water to get the actual feel of an espresso coffee. Espresso is generally used for lattes and cappuccinos and allows you to make different drinks keeping espresso as a central ingredient.
Also read: Best Espresso Beans in the market.
Espresso is highly caffeinated and flavorful in taste. It is for people who love their coffee strong and bold. Though espresso needs you to just hit the button of the machine and follow the instructions, getting an espresso machine is quite expensive.
Espresso machines require high maintenance, and sometimes it really gets tedious to clean up and keep the system tidy.
Now that we’ve got a fair idea about both the brewing techniques, let’s compare both of them on different parameters:
Brewing time:
French press coffee requires a minimum of 6-10 minutes to prepare whereas, an espresso shot needs only 30 seconds to come out of the machine to fill you with its taste and aroma. So, if you’re looking to have a quick cup of coffee, espresso is something that you should go for.
Maintenance:
If we compare both the methods, cleaning a french press coffee maker is easy and handy. Since espresso requires a machine, such as Nespresso, cleaning and maintaining them can be challenging at times. If you don’t feel like investing in a coffee machine and you’re okay without any fancy pieces of equipment, you can go for french press coffee.
Quantity:
A French press can make you a sufficient amount of coffee that you can stock up for your next coffee craving. Whereas, if you want to go for espresso, you can only get one shot at a time. Planning to host a coffee session with your friends? Go for french press coffee!
Cost
The equipment needed for french press coffee is pocket friendly. It can give you fresh coffee for years with minimal investments. An espresso machine requires a lot of maintenance and is expensive. So if you don’t want to pinch your pocket, brewing your coffee french press way is your solution.
The Bottom Line:
Both the procedures provide you with a strong, bold, and exquisite taste of coffee but, it totally depends on you to choose your brewing method. It’s you who can analyze all the factors and choose what fits you. If you’re someone who wants to have mixed coffee drinks often, espresso is your go-to option, but if you crave a classic regular coffee, nothing can beat a hot mug of french press.
No matter the method, coffee is meant to enjoy. So grab your mug, pour in some water, brew your coffee and enjoy.
