Aeropress and French press are both immersion coffee brewing methods, which are similar but have key differences. The main differences are that the Aeropress uses paper filters, whereas the French press uses a stainless-steel filter. Aeropress quickly makes one cup of coffee at a time in 1-2 minutes, whereas a French press makes several cups in 4 minutes.
We will look at the key differences between these two coffee presses, the pros and cons, the flavors, convenience and method.
What Is the Difference Between Aeropress and French Press?
- Aeropress uses paper filters, whereas French press uses a metal filter.
- Aeropress makes one cup of coffee at a time, whereas French press makes several cups at once.
- Aeropress brews quickly in 1-2 minutes, whereas French press steeps for around 4 minutes.
- Aeropress uses finely ground coffee, whereas French press uses coarse grounds.
What is the French Press Design?
The classic design of a French press consists of a glass beaker, a steel cover with a moveable plunger, and a mesh stainless steel circle filter.
How Does a French Press Work?
French presses immerse coffee grounds in hot water and steep for several minutes. This allows the water to extract the oils, aromas and flavors from the coffee, leading to a rich, robust taste. The plunger is then slowly pushed to the bottom to filter the grounds from the water through the mesh.
How Is Coffee Made in a French Press?
- Place 2 tablespoons of grounds (per cup) into your press.
- Boil a cup of water and leave to sit for 30 seconds.
- Pour enough water to cover the grounds.
- Leave to bloom for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the remaining water and stir.
- Leave to steep for around 4 minutes.
- Press plunger down.
What Is the Aeropress Design?
The Aeropress looks like a plastic plunger. It is made of two cylinders, a smaller one with a flexible airtight seal that fits inside the larger cylinder. It comes with handy accessories; a coffee scoop to measure grounds, a funnel to neatly place coffee grounds inside, a paddle to stir the grounds, and paper filters to place in the cap.
How Does an Aeropress Work?
An Aeropress immerses coffee grounds in hot water in a similar way to the French press. The key difference is that the brew time is a lot shorter as there is pressure behind it. The coffee is quickly steeped and then is plunged out through a paper filter. This leads to a smoother, less bitter cup of coffee.
How Is Coffee Made in an Aeropress?
Aeropress coffee can be made in two ways, the traditional method and the inverted method.
The traditional method:
- Place Aeropress on top of mug.
- Insert a paper filter into the plastic cap and rinse with water.
- Add coffee grounds into filter.
- Pour hot water to cover grounds, wait 10 seconds, then pour remaining water.
- Place plunger on chamber and pull up slightly to create pressure seal.
- Steep for around 1 minute, then slowly press down plunger to bottom.
The inverted method:
- Put the plunger into the large cylinder – the Aeropress will be flipped.
- Remove the filter from the top.
- Add coffee grounds and hot water and stir.
- Let grounds steep for 1-2 minutes.
- Rinse filter with hot water and place back in.
- Put your mug upside-down on top.
- Flip the Aeropress to the right way round and push the plunger.
Which Press Is Better – Aeropress or French Press?
These presses have key differences and here we compare them in more detail.
Method
| Aeropress | French Press |
| Steeps coffee for a couple of minutes before filtering through paper. | Steeps coffee in hot water for several minutes before separating through mesh. |
Time
| Aeropress | French Press |
| Steeps coffee for 1-2 minutes. | Steeps grounds in water for between 3 and 6 minutes, at an average of 4 minutes. |
Filter
| Aeropress | French Press |
| Paper – as they are disposable are not eco-friendly. If bleached cannot be recycled or composted. | Stainless steel, in-built, permanent and reusable. |
Flavor
| Aeropress | French Press |
| Smooth, less acidic or bitter. | Rich, heavy, robust. |
Grounds
| Aeropress | French Press |
| Grounds should be fine due to the short time they have contact with the water, similar to an espresso, and the paper filter catches them. | Grounds must be coarse and midsize so they do not become over-extracted during the long steeping time or get through the mesh filter and cause sediment. |
| 3 or 4 tablespoons, or 2 Aeropress scoops, are needed per cup. | Around 2 tablespoons of grounds are needed per cup. |
Roast
| Aeropress | French Press |
| You can use any type of beans in an Aeropress but due to the short steeping time dark roast would give an ideal flavor, like an espresso machine. | French presses are versatile and can use any type of roast or bean, as long as they are coarsely ground. |
Size
| Aeropress | French Press |
| Aeropress can only make one cup of coffee at a time and holds around 250ml. | French presses can make several cups at once, up to a litre of coffee at a time. |
Convenience
| Aeropress | French Press |
| Requires little cleaning as the grounds are disposed of in the paper filter and the coffee deposits straight into your mug. | French presses are tricky to clean as loose grounds can become stuck in the filter and the beaker also needs to be cleaned as well as your mug. |
| You can use finer, pre-ground coffee and just push down plunger. | French presses require more effort as beans usually need to be ground at home, the steep is timed and plunged manually. |
| The Aeropress is portable, made from BPA-free plastic and is durable to take with you outdoors or travelling. | French press is best suited to the kitchen as it is made of delicate glass and metal. |
Price
| Aeropress | French Press |
| Aeropresses start at around $30. | French presses are very cheap at around $10 and suit most budgets, though you can purchase high-end, pricier ones. |
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.