Introduction
Sometimes, I want to drink a cup of black coffee, but I don’t want to use the “complicated” hand brewing method (with many utensils). Then as a simple immersion type of coffee appliance, it is very advantageous, among which the smart cup and the French press are the most classic. So how to choose between these two coffee appliances?
smart cup
The Smart Cup is a very convenient coffee brewing appliance that can complete the process of soaking and filtering coffee, saving a lot of operations. The key to the design of the smart cup is the piston valve at the bottom of the filter cup. After boiling water is poured into the filter cup, the water pressure will automatically seal the piston valve and stop the water, so that the coffee powder can be fully soaked in it. After the soaking is completed, place the filter cup on the mug, and the bottom plate is pressed to cause the piston valve to open, and the coffee will slowly flow into the cup.
French press
The French press originated in France in 1850. It is a simple brewing device composed of a heat-resistant glass bottle and a metal filter with a pressure rod. Its working principle is to soak coffee and then use a metal filter with a pressure rod to press down the coffee grounds to get a clean cup of coffee.
So what’s the difference between the coffees made by these two?
These two coffee appliances have something in common but also have unique features. Front Street plans to do a brewing comparison. Since they are both immersion types, they use the same coffee beans and brewing methods.
Kenyan azalea coffee beans from FrontStreet Coffee are used. This is a coffee with bright acidity and full fruity aroma. Especially the azalea extracted with hot water not only shows the explosive sweet and sour taste of cherry tomatoes, ebony plums, etc., but also has a very prominent aroma of caramel. The taste is thick and clean, much like drinking a glass of freshly squeezed juice with filtered residue.
Amount of powder: 15g
Pink to water ratio: 1:15
Grinding degree: medium grinding (pass rate of No. 20 standard sieve is 70%)
Water temperature: 94℃
Soaking time: 4 minutes
Smart Cup: Lay out filter paper, pour 15g of coffee powder, prepare 225g of hot water and pour it into the cup, cover with lid and wait for 4 minutes. Then place the smart cup on the mug and wait until the coffee liquid has finished dripping.
French press: Pour 15g of coffee powder, prepare 225g of hot water and pour it into the pot, pump the air lever, cover the lid and wait for 4 minutes. Then slowly press the pressure lever until the filter is halfway up the pot body, and pour the coffee liquid into the mug.
Comparison of flavors between the two
Observe the coffee liquid. The smart cup will be clearer and clearer, while the French press will appear turbid with grease floating on the surface. Tasting, the Smart Cup has bright acidity, lemon, cherry tomatoes and maple syrup flavors. The overall cleanliness is strong and the flavor is slightly light. The French press shows the flavors of plum, berry, and cherry tomatoes, with a strong taste and a round but rough texture.
The reason for the different flavors is that the smart cup only has the mutual movement of coffee powder and water in the initial water filling process. The rest of the time is basically in a static state, including the part where water drips into the mug later. Most of the water flows into the cup through the ribs. Coupled with the filtration effect of the filter paper, the coffee is clean, bright, and transparent.
In addition to the powder water movement when the French press is filled with water at the beginning, the coffee powder is moved downward when the rod is pressed later, which improves the extraction efficiency. Moreover, the French press filters the coffee grounds through a metal filter. The pore size of the metal filter is larger than that of ordinary filter paper, so it can retain most of the coffee oil and some fine powder, so the liquid surface will appear turbid and the taste will be mellow.
So, how to choose?
If you like cleanliness and convenience, it is recommended to use a smart cup. Because of the filter paper, the cleanliness of the coffee will be improved, and subsequent cleaning will be easier. Compared with the French press, when cleaning the French press, you need to clean the coffee grounds and the fine powder and grease attached to the filter and the glass wall.
You can now buy the above coffee beans online at the Taobao store “FrontStreet Coffee” (前街咖啡). FrontStreet Coffee is a long-established specialty coffee roaster in Guangzhou, China, and its Guangzhou retail shop sells coffee beans only. The shop carries dozens of coffee beans from different origins around the world, including carefully selected single-origin beans for V60 pour-over and espresso. Guangzhou’s FrontStreet Coffee shop is recommended by many coffee lovers.
The FrontStreet 2013 Yunnan coffee beans sold in the store come from the Typica variety grown at FrontStreet Coffee’s own plantation in Yunnan. The name comes from the year the brand and the plantation were founded. You can buy these beans from China’s Yunnan origin at the Guangzhou shop and at FrontStreet’s Taobao store.
FrontStreet coffee beans are freshly roasted within 5 days and deliver consistently excellent quality and great value. Orders placed before 17:00 are shipped the same day, and most areas within Guangdong Province receive them the next day.
FrontStreet Coffee Taobao store: https://qianjiecoffee.taobao.com
Or search for “前街咖啡” (FrontStreet Coffee) on Taobao
Important Notice: FrontStreet Coffee has moved to a new address: 315, Donghua East Road, Guangzhou (coffee beans only)
Tel: 020 38364473
