SterlingPro French Coffee Press --8 Cup/4 Mug Review

If you've ever had a smidgen of curiosity of what coffee is and how it's made, you would have heard that the French Press is one of the best ways to make your coffee... and the simplest.

I agree.

And if you haven't heard of the French Press (сafetière à piston), it's essentially a pot/beaker that holds the grounds and (close to boiling) water inside to steep. When a certain amount of time has passed, a specialized cap with a plunger built-in pushes the grounds to the bottom, leaving the coffee on the top while the grounds stay below the plunger. That's the simple explanation and there is a little more than just that for making coffee, but this is not a "How To Make French Press Coffee" article.

If you want to learn more, check out these links:

https://www.craftcoffee.com/how-to-make-coffee/french-press-brew-guide

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/07/how-to-make-better-french-press-coffee-tips-technique-grind-timing.html

http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-perfectly-robust-french-press-coffee-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-113601

The specific French Press I shall be reviewing today is the SterlingPro French Coffee Press (8cup/4mugs/1liter/34oz). Take note, they measure cups in 4oz rather than the normal 6oz. Using 6oz cup sizes; this pot will contain ~5.667 cups.

Initial impressions of the press was that it was really nice to look at. The mixture of glass, black plastic and chrome leads to a very sleek and well-crafted pot that will look nice on any counter-top or table.

Credit: Amazon

In addition to the dashingly good looks, it has a quality feel to it. It's not some light plastic cup and plunger, but a piece of well-designed glass and metal construct that's built to last. In addition, if the beaker or screen does break, you can purchase replacement beakers and screens. It has some weight, but it will tip over with some force, so watch out for that. Due to its glass nature, be careful about accidental droppage.

What sets this specific French Press is the double screen that this plunger sports instead of a single one. This literally guarantees that no large grinds (note: large) get into the coffee once it has been plunged. I noted large because of two reasons:

1) Really small grinds called "fines" will still be present, it's impossible to stop these
2) Grinds that are really small (like espresso grinds will still leak through the filter

Using the press was very easy. After getting a tutorial on YouTube and a few other sites to cement the process, it went very smoothly. I have a bit to learn on how to get the right water ratios, grinds and steeping time down. However, the device works just like it should.

So, if you're interested in boosting the quality of your coffee or just wanting to learn something new without breaking the bank, this is definitely your choice. With very little in terms of faults, it can be a great addition to the kitchen.

Personal Rating: ***** - GREAT!

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