French Press vs Filter Coffee: Difference and Comparison

The French press and filter coffee are renowned for blending the ingredients and giving a smooth texture to the coffee. The French press method for making coffee was introduced by an Italian designer.

The filter coffee has its origin in Germany where a German designer brought this method for making a better version of coffee.

Both of these coffees are prepared with different machines. The French press coffee preparation would be herculean for beginners whereas the filter coffee is quite easy.

Key Takeaways

  1. French press coffee uses a manual plunger to steep coarsely ground coffee beans. In contrast, filter coffee relies on gravity and a paper or metal filter to separate grounds from the brewed liquid.
  2. French press coffee has a richer, bolder flavor and more oils, whereas filter coffee provides a cleaner, smoother taste due to the filtering process.
  3. Both brewing methods require different grind sizes, with the French press needing coarser grounds than filter coffee for optimal extraction.

French Press vs Filter Coffee

French press is a process which involves steeping coarsely ground coffee in hot water for several minutes and then pressing the plunger to separate the brewed coffee from the grounds. Filter coffee is type of coffee which is brewed by pouring hot water over finely ground coffee to aid extraction.

French Press vs Filter Coffee

The French press is a brilliant coffee prepared with the help of the brewing method using the press techniques. The use of roasted coffee enhances the flavors of the French press coffee.

The French press coffee would be ready in just 5 to 10 minutes. In the press coffee method, the coffee beans are soaked in water for around 4 to 6 minutes.

The Filter coffee is not very rich in flavors or taste.  Filter coffee is an exceptionally good choice for people that love to have a coffee with less oil in it.

During the filtration or dripping process, the mineral oils present in the coffee are separated and this would prevent the presence of oil in the filter coffee.

Comparison Table

Parameters of comparisonFrench Press    Filter Coffee
Meaning       Prepared with roasted coffee beans to give strong flavors and nutrient value to the coffee is tagged as French press coffee.The coffee with limited flavors and very few nutrients (mineral oils) prepared with the help of a dripping machine is known as filter coffee.
Techniques             The French press coffee is prepared with the help of the immersion brewing method. The filter coffee is prepared with the help of the flow-through method.
Coffee The French press coffee requires medium roasted coffee beans.The filter coffee requires lightly roasted coffee beans.
Filters     The French press coffee is prepared without filtering the coffee or without the use of filters.         The filter coffee is prepared with the help of the filtering process.
Flavors   The flavors of the French press coffee would be very strong and aromatic.The flavors of the filter coffee would be very mild and less aromatic.

What is French Press?

The first step in the preparation of the press coffee is the steeping of ground coffee beans for a few minutes, then it slowly presses the coffee towards the plunger.

The plunger is responsible for stopping the coffee before it enters the coffee cup.

The coffee makers can control the steeping or brewing time of coffee in the French press coffee makers.

For saving time, people can granulate the coffee beans before putting them in the press machine. People should not fine grind the coffee beans as it would cause the coffee to taste pungent.

The French press coffee would be richer in taste and flavors as compared to the filter coffee as it contains all the properties of coffee due to the brewing process.

The French press coffee would take more time for making a cup of coffee. Therefore, people that love to have their cup of coffee in a short time in the morning may find the French press coffee more time taking.

Drinking the French press coffee frequently would be bad for your health as it may produce bad cholesterol inside your body due to the filtration of oils from the grounds of coffee.

If someone likes to have control over the coffee-making process, then the French press coffee would be a better choice than drip coffee.

french press

What is Filter Coffee?                                                                                                      

The filter coffee is good for fitness freak people. If you are ready to compromise on the taste and flavors, then this coffee is a good option.

The coffee industry is vast and people keep on experimenting with coffee tastes and flavors. The filter coffee is a coffee made with the help of a dripping machine.

The coffee used in the filter coffee should not be highly roasted.

Filter coffee is a good choice for people with heart problems as it would not increase cholesterol levels. The dripping machine is easy to use, and people can make coffee in just 10 to 15 minutes.

The dripping machines don’t give facilities to users to control the brewing time. The drip coffee contains a filter for filtering the coffee before it drops in the coffee cup.

The drip coffee machines can be afforded by everyone with a normal budget as they are not very high priced. Drip coffee could be cleaned without much difficulty and would not make messy coffees.

If you’re not a fancy coffee lover, then the drip coffee machine would produce a good cup of simple coffee for you.

filter coffee 1

Main Differences Between French Press and Filter Coffee

  1. The French press coffee is for the people that love strong coffee. The filter coffee is for people that love simple coffee with mild flavors.
  2. The French press coffee is made without the filtration process. The drip coffee could not be made without the filtration process.
  3. The French press coffee was introduced in 1929. The filter or drip coffee was introduced in 1908.
  4. The usage or programming of the French coffee machine is quite complicated. The usage of the drip coffee machine is easy to understand.
  5. The French press coffee would produce fancy and mineral-rich coffee. The drip coffee machine would produce simple and fat-free coffee.
Difference Between French Press and Filter Coffee
References
  1. https://ifst.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jfpp.12692
  2. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/jf00056a039

Last Updated : 15 July, 2023

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