French Press History: The Legend Behind It

The History Of The French Press

In last week coffee equipment review we told you that the French Press history dates back to the late 1800s and that its origin remains a mystery.

Today we will have a look at one of the most popular and most use brewing devices. You might know it as a Cafetiére, Plunger or French press. But the truth is that there have been several patents with different names and from different origins. It is not an unknown brewing method to us, but do we know who invented it? And why is it called French Press? From its origins to the modern days, we will tell you the history behind the origin of this device.

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French Press History – The Legend Behind It

Although it is called French Press, the origin of this brewing system it's still a mystery. Both French and Italian have argued about the origins of the coffee brewer. According to a legend dating back to 1850s, it was a Frenchman on his daily routine, preparing a pot of coffee on an open fire, who first brewed his coffee this way, although it was rather an accident.

This Frenchman was boiling his water when he realized he had forgotten to put the coffee in. But once he added the coffee grounds they stay on the surface of the boiling pot. To save the only portion of coffee he had him, he bought a piece of metal screen from a passing-by Italian merchant. He fit the metal screen over the boiling pot, and he used a stick to press the screen down. Surprisingly the result turned out incredible, which result in the discovery of a new way of brewing coffee.

‍The First Patents

The first design for this style of brewer was patented in 1852 by the Frenchmen Mayer and Delforge. But this was a simpler version of the later designs patented then. The first patent of a French press that resembles what we use today was patented by the Italians Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta in 1929.

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The most popular design was patented in 1958 by the Swiss man Faliero Bondanini. It was known in France by "Chambord", place where it was manufactured. The popularity of the Chambord in France is what also gave the cafetiére its French identity.

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The Birth Of Coffee Culture

They were creations like the previous ones, done by those such as Attilio Calimanon and Faliero Bondanini that really introduced the art of selling coffee machines into the realm of the new breed of distributors. From the mid-1950s to the early 1990s came an exciting new breed of distributors. From coffee machines to craft beer and organic coffee. Consumerism culture had firmly taken hold.

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The Beginning Of Specialty Coffee Brewing

The French Press is a recognized coffee equipment in any family breakfast table. But this incredible coffee equipment can be the starting point for the specialty coffee aficionados. Imagine the French Press as an entry level to coffee brewing. If used properly, this old equipment can produce tasty brews if certain steps are taken care of.

To explain how you can get the most of your french press we leave you with the iconic James Hoffmann.

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