Ultimate Guide to Clean Your French Press
Ultimate Guide to Clean Your French Press
You know how cast iron gets coated with the passage of time, produces a beautiful non-stick patina and becomes ever more incredible? However, that's not how the French press-coffee maker works. Any lingering dust or an old oil film is a perfect way to handicap yourself in quest of outstanding coffee.
Fortunately, learning how to scrub the French press is economical protection against losing a perfectly decent cup of coffee! Following are the Five simple steps to give your French Press a new life.
A Step by Step Guide to Clean a French Press
- Vacant The Grounds
A decent French press makes a spectacular cup of coffee, but the beans are not conveniently wrapped in a cloth bottle that you can easily throw away when you're finished.
The best way of disposing of the soil is to dispose it down the sink. Still, almost any plumber strongly discourages this activity, because it can lead to clogged pipes!
Filling the French press with a little water and pouring the water and grounds into a mesh sieve is marginally less convenient, but certainly less likely to clog up the pipes. Rinse the plunger over the sieve and get it through the tubing if you want to insure the least volume of dirt.
When it seems like so much hassle to hammer out the filter, you should cover the filter with a paper towel, but personally I think it is unnecessary. As an additional bonus, you can save them for other purposes, by not flushing the grounds into the toilet! Coffee grounds are compostable, in gardens are helpful and can also be used as a desquamate.
Dismantle your French Press
You need to open your French Press all the way, for proper cleaning. Many French presses can be subdivided into 5 components:
- Pitcher
- Cross-plate
- Mesh filter
- Spiral frame
- Assembling the plunger rod / lid
To disassemble most of the French presses, you need to detach the plunger base from the rod. When the rod is detached from the foundation the base will be lifted easily.
Gently Scrub & Rinse Your French Press
Once the press has been broken down into its component parts, it is time to get cleaning. The easiest way to clean a press is in the dishwasher, unless the press comes along with specific instructions.
If you're in a hurry to clean your press so that you can brew your next carafe ASAP, then you're going to want to use dish soap, sponge or towel, and hot water. While you may be concerned about scraping the plate, when you use hardened steel, most presses are made of borosilicate glass and can comfortably stand up to any scrubber you want!
The mesh filter is the only part that you would want to treat with caution. The edges will sometimes be flipped up and either start fraying or even giving you an accidental break.
Some social media influencers are suggesting that one shouldn't use liquid soap because it can suck up the soap's flavors!!.... sorry ... what? Unless it is clearly specified by the maker, soap is absolutely safe to use for your French press! A good rinse with hot water will remove any remaining soap from your press.
If you have particularly persistent stains, use a paste made with baking soda and dish soap. Let the paste rest for a couple of minutes and clean. The mildly abrasive texture of baking soda helps buff off contaminants when leftover oils are broken down by the dish wash. Rinse with hot water and you will find that much of the stains are extracted quickly.
French Press Assemble
You are practically there! Just align the pieces back together, and voila your Press is ready to use! There is no evident reason that parts are not adjusting back together, but in case you need a reminder:
The cross plate is the plunger assembly at the bottom. Place the mesh screen on top of the cross panel, and then the spiral screen. Thread the plunger rod carefully onto the base of the mounted plunger. Here we are. You just did it!
Allow to Dry
If you're just washing your press and don't plan to use it right away, it's best to allow it to dry entirely before bringing the plunger back into the basin. Otherwise, oxidizing stainless steel can cause you to risk mold or minor discoloration.
Final Verdict
French presses make a perfect cup of coffee so you shouldn't be afraid to use one just because they're a bit more intricating in washing coffee machines than pouring them. Simply disassemble your press, place it in the dishwasher and let the equipment do the job. If you're in a rush, it takes a bit of time but it's not overly onerous. The satisfaction of a tasty cup of coffee certainly worth the effort!
If you want some tips and tricks, just check out our brew guide to make awesome coffee from French presses. Don't hesitate to pick the best type of coffee to make a truly tasty cocktail.