History

• Conceiving the idea of pressed coffee goes to the French sometime in the late 1800's, but it was the Milanese Attilio Calimani that registered the first patent for an "apparatus for the preparation of infusions of coffee" in 1929. Never ones to pass up a good cup of Joe, the Italians refined Calimani's design many times to reach the single-chambered French press pot used today.
  
  

Identification

• Look for the sealed plunger when you're shopping for a French press coffee pot. That's the one part that sets the French press apart from other specialty coffee makers, such as latte and espresso machines. Most French press coffee pots today are made of glass and are easily distinguished from their poor automatic drip cousins.
  
  

Function

• The French press coffee pot is a simple design in which the freshly ground coffee beans are placed in the bottom of the chamber. Boiling water is poured over the grounds, and it is left to steep for a few minutes. Then use the plunger (which has a fine mesh filter inside) to press the grounds to the bottom of the pot.
  
  

Types

• The most common French press coffee pot is the eight cup glass version, because the coffee made with the French press is best when consumed within about twenty minutes. Other styles available are smaller serving sizes as well as travel mugs, camping versions and a (perish the thought!) microwave model.
  
  

Benefits

• Because the essential oils of the coffee bean aren't trapped in a traditional coffee pot filter and the coffee grounds are in direct contact with the brewing water, French press coffee retains a heavier flavor, with more sediment in the final product. This also gives the coffee a higher caffeine level- which may or may not be a benefit, depending on the drinker.