The INSIDER Summary:
- A coffee expert says a French press is the best way to make a cup of coffee at home.
- This is because the French press allows the coffee to come into contact with water, and it puts the coffee and water under pressure.
- Pressure helps extract coffee's full flavor.
- If you like espressos and Americanos, try an AeroPress, which also uses pressure.
Drip, pour over, French press — there are a seemingly infinite number of coffee-making methods out there.
Which makes you wonder, what method is going to give you the best cup of Joe?
According to Thomas Hartocollis, co-founder of coffee shop Roasting Plant, the answer is a French press.
Hartocollis says the two most important aspects of a French press are water and pressure.
"The French press for a home cup of coffee will make the best cup of coffee because you're allowing the coffee to come into contact with the water," Hartocollis says.
"It steeps for usually four to five minutes, and then the pressure of the plunger in a French press extracts flavor from the coffee, and that pressure is really important to get the full flavor profile of the coffee into the water."
In other words, a French press allows you to enjoy a coffee's full flavor.
If you're more of an espresso or Americano drinker, Hartocollis recommends an AeroPress, which he describes as a "manual espresso machine."
Like a French press, an AeroPress uses a plunger, which applies pressure to the coffee. The higher the pressure you apply to your coffee (and water), the more flavor you'll end up with in your cup.
So if you're happy with a good old cup of coffee, go with a French press. If espressos and Americanos are more your style, go for the AeroPress.
