Aeropress vs French Press

Aeropress vs French Press

The Aeropress and the French press (or coffee press) are both popular coffee makers. The brewing gear is completely different. The French press was patented in 1929 and it continues to be widely used over 85 years later. Invented in 2005, the Aeropress is much newer but it’s quickly gaining a loyal following.

If you’re trying to decide between these two coffee makers, first know that both make good coffee and you’ll likely be happy with either. Having said that, there are differences between them that may help you make your choice. Here’s a look at those differences and how we've separated the judging categories.

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Body in the Final Cup

The brewed coffee that the French press and Aeropress produce differ most in body. The body of coffee is the coffee’s mouthfeel, or how it settles on the tongue. Typically King Carlos Coffee roast our single origins to suit filter and pour over brewing styles as a lighter to medium roast and blends to be generally medium to fuller bodied coffees, our award winning in house blend being our most celebrated.

Coffee made with a French press has much more body than brews made with the Aeropress do. This is largely because the French press uses a metal screen as a filter, while the Aeropress relies on a paper filter. The metal filter lets tiny particles through so that they end up in the cup, whilst the paper filter catches these particles.

When particles are allowed into a brewed cup of coffee, they increase the cup’s body because they continue to be extracted. Conversely, brewing techniques that don’t allow particles through the filter result in a cleaner cup.

If you’re able to test out a French press and an Aeropress, you’ll see this difference. Make a cup of coffee with each brew method, and take your time to enjoy each cup. Once you’re done drinking, you’ll notice a thin layer of sediment at the bottom of the cup that held the French press coffee. These are the particles, and you won’t see them in the cup that had the Aeropress brew.

Body in the Final Cup Winner: French Press

Number of Cups of Coffee Made

As far as how many cups of coffee you’re able to brew, it’s a tie between the Aeropress and French press.

French presses come in a variety of sizes, ranging from a single cup to 1.75 litres. There may even be some models that are larger, and there are plenty of choices between these two extremes.

Most Aeropress recipes only produce 1, or perhaps 2, cups of coffee. Nevertheless, there’s an easy way to make coffee for more people with the Aeropress. You can use a recipe that produces a strong espresso-like brew and make a few pressings worth of coffee. Each pressing can be put into to a carafe, and then water can be added to create a pot that has a tasty pseudo-americano.

Number of Cups of Coffee Made Winner: Tied

Durability

The two coffee makers are also tied in the category of how tough they are, although you’ll have to be careful what type of French press you purchase if you’re looking for something that won’t break.

The Aeropress is made of strong, sturdy plastic that won’t break easily when it’s dropped (or smushed into a suitcase). We also stock the Wacaco Nanopresso, a portable version of the Aeropress specifically made for travel and on-the-go coffee.

Many French presses are made from glass, which is obviously much more breakable than the Aeropress’ plastic. There are plenty of plastic and stainless steel French presses on the market, though, and they’re just as durable as the Aeropress.

Durability Winner: Aeropress

Ease of Use

If you’re looking for an easy-to-use coffee maker, the French press is a great choice. It’s not only less complicated than the Aeropress, but it’s easier than almost any other coffee maker. A drip brewer may be the only coffee maker that’s as easy to use, and it’s probably a tie between drip brewers and French presses.

The difference between how easy the French press and Aeropress are to use is reflected in the number of recipes that are available for them. Making coffee with a French press is straightforward and there aren’t many variances. There are lots of recipes, including many intricate ones, for the Aeropress.

 

Ease of Use Winner: French Press

Choosing Between the Aeropress and French Press

The Aeropress and French press are two very different coffee makers, but they’re also two EXCELLENT coffee makers. If you’re looking for body or easy of use, get a French press. If you want something newer, get the Aeropress. If you can’t decide between the two, get either — or both and have fun with each.

Get Great Coffee

Of course, both coffee makers will only make coffee that’s as good as the beans you use. To get freshly roasted coffee, check out our online coffee shop.

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