French Press vs Pour-Over: Which Do You Prefer?

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Recently, over the past few years, manual brewing methods have become popular in the coffee world. Busy professionals, stay-at-home parents, and students all alike are choosing methods such as French press and pour-over. Coffee stations and home cafes are becoming increasingly more common. As such, because these manual methods are becoming more popular and trendy, people are setting aside their old coffee machines. 

If you are looking to start making coffee manually, this guide is meant to help you pick your brewing method!

French Press vs Pour-Over: Which Brewing Method Is Best for You?

Both the French press and the pour-over coffee methods involve boiling water with a stovetop or electric kettle. Then, you pour the hot water over the coffee grounds. Other than that, they are quite different! While they have similarities, the differences in brewing methods affect the flavor of the coffee. Below, we will explain the difference between the two!

The French Press

French press coffee has been used by baristas and coffee drinkers all over the world for generations. Ironically, though named the ‘French Press,’ it was invented in 1929 in Italy. 

The French press method is very simple. It has three components–the carafe, the plunger, and the filter. To make the coffee, you place coffee grounds into the bottom of the carafe. Then, you pour hot water over the grounds. Next, you let it steep for a set amount of time before pushing down the plunger separating the coffee grounds from the brewed coffee. The filter then keeps the coffee grounds at the bottom when you pour the freshly brewed coffee out of the carafe! 

Typically, for every 8 ounces cup of brewed coffee, you will need two tablespoons of coffee grounds. To control the strength and richness of the coffee, alter the amount of time the grounds are steeped.

French press coffee is thicker than coffee made through the coffee machine or pour-over method. The rich taste stems from the oils drawn from the coffee during the brewing process. This process is perfect for those who prefer a strong, rich, and deep-flavored brew.

The Pour-Over Method

To make pour-over coffee, you place a filter and coffee into a cone-shaped coffee dripper. Then, you slowly pour hot water over the coffee grounds. Typically, you pour the coffee over the grounds in a circular manner so that the water covers all the coffee grounds in the cone. Finally, the water will drip through the coffee into the carafe below.

The resulting coffee brew is light and smooth. While pour-over coffee is not as strong as the french press, it has less oil and grit that linger on the tongue. 

The smooth pour-over coffee does not have an intense flavor–while this is perfect for those who prefer a lighter coffee, it will not taste delicious for those who like a strong brewed coffee. The lack of intensity is due to the quick drip through method instead of the immersion method.  

French Press vs Pour-Over: What Brewing Method Should You Choose? 

In conclusion, either version is great for a coffee lover. On one hand, my husband and I prefer the pour-over method because of the flavor profile and lack of oiliness. On the other hand, some of my friends and family prefer the French press coffee method because of the strength of coffee and the extra hit of caffeine. Thankfully, with both methods, it takes very little time to make. Not only that, but the French press and pour-over methods are also extremely easy to learn. 

Finally, the tools needed for these methods are more affordable than the expensive coffee machine option. While you will need a machine or frother to make cafe drinks such as an espresso, latte, or cappuccino, you do not need a fancy machine for a delicious regular cup of coffee! 

We Hope You Enjoyed Learning About French Press vs Pour-Over!

In the end, we hope you enjoyed learning about French press vs pour-over coffee. If so, let us know in the comment section below. Also, we would love to hear about which of the two you prefer!  

If you would like to read more about cooking, you can find further recipes on our blog. We listed some of our favorite Carving A Journey beverage recipes below! For reference, many recipes are influenced by our blended Korean and Southern heritage. 

Carving A Journey Korean Drink Recipes:

• Strawberry Matcha Latte
• Cold Brew Iced Coffee
• Dalgona Coffee (Korean Whipped Coffee)
• Soju Caipirinha (A Korean Take on Brazil’s National Drink)
• Korean Strawberry Milk Recipe
• Brown Sugar Iced Latte (Korean Burnt Sugar Latte); And
• Korean Banana Flavored Milk

If you have any questions or comments, you can also email us at [email protected].

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