DAE think the pour-over vs French press debate is overblown?

Met a barista in Portland last month who said French press is just muddy pour-over and now I can't un-taste the grit, but my buddy swears the oil makes it better - who's actually right here?

2 comments

2 Comments

jade2211d ago

Ethiopian Yirgacheffe is actually more of a pour-over bean since its floral notes get lost in the French press muddiness... but you're right that they're different drinks entirely, just not really comparable.

theawest1d ago

Wait, your barista friend actually said French press is just "muddy pour-over"? That's wild to me, like saying a steak is just a burnt burger. I mean, yeah, French press has that silt at the bottom (the grit you're talking about), but that's part of the whole experience, you know? The oils and body you get from a French press are totally different from the clean, tea-like clarity of a pour-over. I've made both side by side with the same beans (a nice Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, if that matters) and they're basically two different drinks. Your buddy's not wrong about the oils making it better, but it's also just a different kind of coffee for a different mood.