Jul 29 2010
Stainless French Press
Bodum Chambord Hotel 8 Cup Stainless Steel French Press Coffeemaker
The modern kitchen is filled with beautiful brushed stainless steel appliances and marble countertops that shine in the sunlight. This is the kitchen many housewives and homemakers dream of having. The coffee lover who has this kitchen knows that the stainless French press is the ideal accessory to bring this kitchen together.
The stainless French press is the modern version of an age-old coffee maker. The first French press is thought to have been invented in France in the mid 1800’s; however, it wasn’t until the early 1900’s that a patent was granted to an Italian designer by the name of Attilio Calimani. Over the years there would be design alterations but the basic premise remained the same, brew one or two cups of coffee without electricity and without leaving coarse coffee grounds in the bottom of the cup.
The French press is able to accomplish both of these with simple design and elegant service. Before the French press the early days of coffee brewing were simply ground coffee added to hot water and either poured through some type of material such as cheesecloth or poured directly into a cup grounds and all, not a tasty option to be sure.
The design of the French press, then and now, is such that the coffee grounds are not trapped in a filter that prevents all of the flavors from reaching the coffee but allows the coffee grounds to come in direct contact with the water and stay in contact with the water even through the pouring process. In a drip coffee maker the coffee leaves the filter and the coffee grounds behind. This literally means leaving some of the flavor behind.
The plunger on a French press contains a filter on the end and the stainless French press pots have stainless steel filters like the rest of the brewer. The filter does not contain paper but is designed to prevent the coarse coffee particles from passing through when the coffee is poured. This prevents the sediment of the coffee from pouring over into the coffee cup and making the coffee bitter in the end.
It was only natural that brewing coffee progressed from leaving the coffee grounds behind in the cups to filtering them out with different types of brewing systems. Although the French press is a very old brewing method, the coffee it makes is so superb that it has been able to withstand the invention of more sophisticated brewing methods and even grow in popularity. The stainless French press is proof positive of the agelessness of this coffee maker. A modern twist on an old fashioned coffee brewer creates the perfect kitchen combination, great coffee in a beautiful décor.
-Sharon Chapman