The first month of 2023 is coming to an end and this time of year we usually reflect on a new habit that we’ve implemented into our lives, and begin making the decision to either keep up with it or leave it behind. For a lot of people, that new habit is a daily pour over coffee routine.

Manually brewing coffee rather than using an auto drip brewer can be a great way to start the morning off slowly, giving yourself space to mentally prepare for the day. But sometimes the steps in pour over coffee can be a little too involved for those of us looking to simplify our morning routine.

This is why I believe the French Press remains one of the most popular brewers for people, despite being one of the oldest documented methods of brewing coffee. It was one of the first brewers I ever bought for myself when I started my journey into coffee, and remains on my shelf as a backup. Despite the nostalgia, I do not think anyone should be buying a French press in 2023.

Why I Do Not recommend a French Press in 2023:

1. Dirty/sludgy cups

This is a deal breaker for me. My ideal cup of coffee is clean and sweet, with balanced acidity and sweetness. Most french presses I’ve had will leave some sediment in the bottom of the cup, which can contribute to lack of clarity and an unpleasant sandy mouthfeel. This is especially a problem when you don’t have a good quality grinder.

2. Plunger screens wear out over time and leads to worse and worse brewer performance.

This can also contribute to reason number one. A worn down screen will allow more particles to get into your cup, leading to worse tasting coffee. You could possibly replace the parts, but the money spent would best be used for better coffee or a different brewer.

3. Glass carafe breaks and is no longer useable.

I can’t tell you how many carafes I’ve broken. At one point I had a graveyard of French Press parts simply because I no longer wanted to buy replacement beakers. No matter how careful you are, having a fragile brewer to mess with first thing in the morning will inevitably lead to broken glass, and undercaffeination.

What I recommend instead:

CLEVER Dripper

Just like the French Press, the Clever dripper is what’s called a full immersion brewer, which means that the coffee grounds steep in the water for the entire brewing process before being strained. This is in contrast to percolation (we like to just say filter coffee…it’s easier and doesn’t sound so much like

1. Use of a paper filter makes a clean cup. Melitta #4 filters are readily available at any grocery store.

2. Clean up is simple because the grounds are retained in the filter, and a simple rinse with warm soapy water is all it needs.

3. Strong plastic so it won’t break as easily as glass brewers.

4. Release valve holds up better than the French Press plunger.

METHODS FOR CLEVER

Fill & Forget

1. Add filter to the brewer and rinse with hot water. This will help preheat the brewer and remove any papery taste from the filter. Make sure to dump the rinse water.

2. Add 25g of coffee or about 3 heaping tablespoons. Add 375g of water or about 13 oz of 200 F water. Set a timer for 3 minutes.

3. Place the Clever on your carafe or mug and enjoy!

Hybrid

1. Add filter to the brewer and rinse with hot water. This will help preheat the brewer and remove any papery taste from the filter. Make sure to dump the rinse water.

2. Add 25g of coffee or about 3 heaping tablespoons. Start your timer and add 75g of 200 F water. Stir gently with a spoon.

3. After 45 seconds has passed, place the Clever on your mug or carafe. Add remaining 300g of water, pouring gently. You should finish pouring by 1:30 seconds and the total drip time should be about 3:00 minutes.

Fast Flow

1. This method is directly from Workshop Coffee in London. We use a typical 1:16 ratio of coffee to water, at 25g coffee and 400g of water. Start by adding and pre-rinsing the filter.

2. Dump the rinse-water and add 400g of water at 210 F.

3. Start your stopwatch. Add medium fine grounds and stir gently with a spoon.

4. Wait 2:30 seconds and then gently stir to break up the crust that’s formed on top of the slurry.

5. Place the brewer onto the carafe or mug. Drawdown time should take and additional 45 to 60 seconds for a total elapsed brew time of 3:15-3:30 seconds.

This method seems to work the best out of the 3 methods at providing an even extraction without clogging the filter. While it seems like kind of a side step from using a French Press, it’s an easy way to 10x your coffee quality without having to buy that fancy matte black kettle on everyones Instagram feed.

I prefer a grind closer to something medium fine like I would for a kalita or auto drip. This usually gives me better acidity and sweetness than I would get from a coarser, french press grind.

If you want to try the Clever Dripper, click here or on the image below. Please let me know if you like it! And if you’ve already got a Clever and have a recipe that you love, leave a comment for me to try it myself.

Happy Brewing!

Ditch the French Press in 2023