FRENCH PRESS VS PERCOLATOR -Overview
If you’re looking for a simple way to make coffee, you can’t get back to basics much more than the coffee pot or French press. You don’t need any special equipment. And the brewers themselves are cheaper than most. Each method has its followers and detractors, but which one is best for you? You will get french Press vs Percolator ins & outs.
According to the National Coffee Association, more than 54 percent of the American population drinks a cup of coffee each day. While Java enthusiasts can hear about their affinity towards the coffee bean, the biggest schism in the coffee world is in the way the grounds are brewed. Both the percolator and French press require fresh coffee grounds and quality water, but the end result differs
We’ve put together some facts and features to help you compare these two old-fashioned favorites.
Percolator
There is something about the coffee pot that conjures up images of fire pits and old log cabins. And in fact, it is an ancient way of making coffee. First invented in the late 1800s, it was a vast improvement over previous methods, essentially boiling soil in water.
To Buy- PERCOLATOR
The design of the current models remains essentially the same. At the base, it has a water chamber, which also contains the brewed coffee. We all keep the coffee grounds in a metal basket that has been perforated to allow the water to flow through. As the water at the bottom heats up, the pressure built up pushes the water up a pipe in the center of the brewer and falls onto the coffee grounds.
That is why you can see this method known as gravity percolation.
Taste
This Percolator coffee maker machine turned into electric in the 1920s and remained popular until drip coffee machines captured the hearts of the nation in the 1970s. And it is easy to see why. The difference between percolator and drip coffee makers is not just ease of use, but taste as well.
There is often the misconception that manual brewers are the same as Moka pots. However, they are different brewing methods. You brew coffee in a Moka only once, while the coffeemaker sends the water through the coffee grounds several times. This is the secret of its strong infusion, but the reason why it has a reputation for bitter and bad-tasting coffee. If you are curious about this Italian coffee maker, we have also compared the French press to the Moka coffee maker.
Pros
- Extra Large Capacity Models Available
- Great for camping
- No additional equipment is required
Cons
- Range models require monitoring
- Coffee burns easily
- French press
Fench Press
The French press is arguably as old as the coffee pot, but it never went out of style in the same way. Its continued popularity is not only due to the ease of use but also to the full-flavored coffee it creates.
To Buy –FRENCH PRESS
Like the coffee maker, the design of the French press hasn’t changed much since its inception. It basically consists of an infusion chamber and a plunger with an attached mesh filter. The most famous design has a glass prep chamber, but stainless steel is also popular. You will also find that some more expensive models have a double-walled beaker to help retain heat while the coffee brews.
This creates a total immersion infusion. When the coffee grounds are in constant contact with hot water, it is the brewing process rather than making coffee with something like a pour-over pot.
Pros
- It produces a rich and full-bodied coffee.
- Consistent brewing results
- Easy to clean
Cons
- Requires a separate kettle
- Coffee may contain sediment
Coffee maker vs French press:
The showdown
If you’re someone who has always looked in horror at a coffee maker, you might not think there’s a lot of competition when it comes to making coffee with the French press versus the coffee maker. But bear with us; there are some cases in which humble profit has its utility.
Easy to use
This coffee maker using the system is easy. This coffee makes slightly depends on whether you opt for an electric model or one of the classic versions of the stove. The manufacturer had changed its design little since its invention and lacks modern technology to make it easier to use.
Using a coffee pot is relatively easy – just add the coffee and water and let it sit. But getting the right prep time and temperature can be tricky. You need the water hot enough that it reaches the pressure necessary to allow the steam to rise, but not so hot that it burns a minimum of flavor from the beans.
Electric models take the guesswork out of the length of the brew cycle, as well as eliminating the need to keep an eye on the machine while it brews. When the coffee is ready, most will switch to “keep warm” mode.
Simplicity
The French press has a simplicity of use that is hard to match. It requires the least practice time of all manual coffee brewing methods, except perhaps cold brewing.
So taking some attention to detail with variables like a coffee grind, temperature, and time to get your ideal cup of coffee. But getting a coffee out of this coffee maker is just a matter of adding ground and hot water and letting it sit.
The only thing that can go wrong here is letting it sit too long, which will give it a bitter, overdrawn infusion.
Cleaning both brew techniques, unfortunately, means dealing with a load of wet ground coffee. The French press only requires rinsing the glass chamber and mesh filter for its brewer. For a coffee maker, you will need to ensure that the brew tube and filter basket are kept free of grain or debris, which may require a little extra attention.
Winner: Tie. Yes, it is one of the easiest hand brewers to use. But an electric coffee maker makes the whole process automatic.
How? ‘Or’ What
According to Place Sally, a food connoisseur’s website, a French press is used for brewing coffee. You place the coffee grounds in a glass container, add hot water and let the mixture steep for 3 to 5 minutes. Lower the top of a device to strain the coffee grounds of the coffee drink
The Percolator: How? ‘Or’ What
A percolator is made up of three sections of a steel container. You pour the water in the lower section, place the coffee grounds in the middle section-stir them, and the coffee rises in the third section. You can place the percolator on a stove for five minutes.
Benefits of the French press
The advantages of the French press include a strong aroma of coffee and dense concentration. More natural oils from coffee beans are retained in the final drink. The caffeine content is very high for coffee made from a French press.
Benefits for a percolator
Coffee made from a percolator is incredibly strong, robust, hot, and sometimes more bitter than other methods of brewing coffee. A percolator is easy to use and efficient, and the result is consistent.
Disadvantages to a French press
One possible downside is that the grounds can get into the coffee if the strainer is old and little used. Additionally, if the mixing time is shorter or longer than three to five minutes, the coffee may be too weak or too strong.
Disadvantages of a percolator
Some coffee drinkers like the bitter taste of percolator coffee, while others don’t. If the percolator is left on the stove for more than five minutes, the coffee and percolator may burn
Versatility
Let’s face it, the coffee maker is not known for its subtlety. In fact, what most fans of the brewery love are the overwhelming force of the coffee it creates. It has the electric version offering little room for adjustments, beyond the grind and the amount of coffee you use.
In theory
You have full control over a stove version, but in practice, this is not the case. While you can raise or lower the heat source, there is no way to measure this to the point where you can accurately repeat the process. So you can use it to heat water if you don’t have a separate kettle because the coffee maker offers some versatility is that.
Adjusting the variables at almost every step of the brewing process gives you versatility in the resulting cup of coffee by using French Press.
It is a total immersion brewing method, which means you have full control of how much contact your coffee has with the water.
The water to coffee ratio, grind size, water temperature, and steeping time can be easily measured and adjusted. However, you can’t go too fine with the size of the grind or you’ll end up with a bite of muddy coffee.
The coffee maker itself can be used as a steeping container for your cold beer. This is a method not requiring a brewer. But it does require straining, which is where the French press mesh filter comes in handy. You can even make espresso-style coffee by using a method known as double brewing.
Winner:
French Press. The coffee maker pulls this round out without a hitch. If you are able to adjust your brew every step of the way means countless variations in the way you brew your coffee.
Portability
Since the late 1800s, the brewing technique has been around the stovetop coffeemaker that is not dependent on electricity. These brewers were created to be used with any heat source available and durable enough to survive years of use. An aluminum coffee pot won’t last as long as a stainless steel one, but it’s light enough for travel.
Just avoid any ceramic or glass coffee pot for the obvious breakage hazards.
The average French press isn’t big or heavy. But it’s not particularly useful if you want to make coffee on the go. The main problem is that you will need a kettle or another way to heat the water. While some are available in stainless steel, most French presses come with a glass brewing chamber that is not ideal for storing in your backpack. If you’re determined to take one on the road, we’ve written a guide to the best French printers.
Winner:
Percolator. The fact that you can place this coffee maker directly over the fire makes it an easy choice when it comes to French press versus camping coffee maker.
Preparation time
The time from the bean to getting that fresh cup of coffee in hand will again depend on whether you have a stove or an electric coffee maker. For the first stovetop brew, 10 minutes is often recommended, but once you become familiar with the coffeemaker, you may want to reduce this to 6-8 minutes.
Electric coffee makers tend to be much faster, and many advertise a brew cycle of fewer than 5 minutes. It also depends on your demand because brewing 20 cups in an urn-type coffee maker will obviously take longer than a single cup on the stove.
Using a French press will take about 5 minutes from start to finish. Unlike a coffee pot, you will need time to bring the water to a boil first. Once you’ve added the water to the soil, you need to let it sit for 4 minutes, although this is one of the variables you can play with.
Winner:
French Press.If you go for the electric coffee maker, but the stovetop version makes it twice as long.
Flavor
What you are probably most interested in knowing is whether coffee makers make good coffee. After all, the brewing method gets a bad rap for bitter and tasteless coffee. But fans of brewed coffee knowing how a coffee maker works will help you avoid serious mistakes.
Bitter notes in coffee are fine if balanced properly.
So, brewing coffee with a coffee maker creates rich, strong coffee, filling your kitchen with that classic aroma that’s hard to resist.
The French press is also known for producing a full-bodied brew, but not as strong as a coffee pot. The lack of a paper filter means that the natural oils from the coffee beans pass into the cup, resulting in a full flavor infusion with a rich mouthfeel.
Winner: French Press. Bold may be beautiful, but the more nuanced flavor you get from French press coffee takes the prize.
The verdict
Based purely on our love of good coffee, we are going to go with the French press here. Many coffee drinkers will object to this, and to be fair, there are times when the coffeemaker will prove more useful. This is what you are looking for in a coffee maker.
Use an electric coffee maker if:
- You need to brew large batches of coffee.
- You want a cleaner cup of coffee
- You like a very strong concoctio
Use a French press if:
- You want a coffee with a lot of flavors
- You need a faster prep time
- You want easier cleaning
Frequent questions
Your coffeemaker may be making weak coffee for a number of reasons. The first is that the water does not get hot enough to circulate through the ground several times. Another reason could be that you are using the wrong grind size or too much coffee, both of which are also preventing the water from circulating properly.
The best beans for the French press are medium to dark roasted, with a coarse grind. Despite the name, the French roast is not specifically designed for this brewer, but it works well.