Francois et Mimi Stainless Steel French Coffee Press

Many thanks to L&K, Inc. for providing the French Coffee Press used in this post.

I’m not a coffee drinker but I have a small glass french press that I use for making herbal tea every morning. My little press holds about 16 ounces of liquid and works well enough for its intended purpose. My new stainless steel french press is bigger, sturdier and much more versatile. I’m on a mission to find as many ways to use a french coffee press as I can.

This French press from Francois et Mimi is a great addition to my kitchen. I’m using it in many new ways. Here’s what I like about it:

• // It’s extremely sturdy.
• // It’s large capacity means I can use it for more things.
• // It’s very easy to clean, the inside is smooth.
• // The double walls mean that the outside does not get too hot, no matter what is inside.

The only thing that I’ve found that I don’t like about it is the finish. It has a shiny stainless steel finish that attracts finger prints. If you  are at all OCD about that kind of thing, get the brushed finish like the one found here: Francois et Mimi Stainless Steel Double Wall French Coffee Press.

14 other french press uses

1. The thing that’s especially great about using my new french press is how big it is. It will hold up to 50 ounces of liquid. I love to make herbal tea using loose leaf tea mixes. There are so many flavors  to choose from, it’s hard to choose. Try some of these ideas from Starwest Botanicals in the bulk tea area. You can often find them locally too. Of course, you can fill the French press with tea bags too and just proceed as usual.

2. Make an herbal infusion for medicinal preparations and soap making by using bulk herbs and spices. My small glass press just doesn’t cut it when I’m making herbal infusions. An herbal infusion is concentrated herbal tea that is made so you can add those qualities to the preparation you are making. When you steep medicinal herbs in a french press (which is perfect because it keeps the herbs covered) you have the perfect vessel for the job.

3. Coffee (and hot cocoa) drinkers will love the ability to add frothy milk to the top of their drinks. Add a bit of warm milk to your french press and gently pump the plunger up and down. The milk will froth up in no time.

4. We enjoy organic quinoa almost daily, but it’s a complete pain to rinse. I’ve begun using my new stainless steel french press to rinse quinoa. The fine mesh in the plunger works perfectly and makes light work of it. Just add dry quinoa to the press, add water to cover, pump it a few times to agitate and pour off the water. Repeat a few times until the water runs clear. You can strain anything in a french press. From draining the liquid off of frozen vegetables to straining broth, this French press is ideal. The stainless steel vessel can handle very thick or bulky items that require force to strain.

5. Infused Oils and Liquor – Again, the fine mesh strainer is key here, as well as the way the top fits on a French press, making it ideal to use while flavors infuse. Find instructions on infusing oil here.

6. Lifehacker has this brilliant idea – Make Whipped Cream in a French Press – I haven’t tried this yet, but it could work in a pinch. The post says it won’t whip the cream to the same consistency as a beater would, but it will work. I wonder if you can take it even further and make butter?!

7. We cook with a lot of freeze dried and dehydrated food as part of our food storage. I’m using my french press to rehydrate dried foods. The general process is to add the food to a bowl and then add enough hot water to cover it for about 15 minutes. Wait until the food plumps up. It’s hard to gauge how much water you need and I always seem to add too much. All you have to do is add dried food to the press, cover it with water and push down the plunger so it is completely covered. Leave for 10 to 15 minutes and then pour off the excess water. Easy Peasy.

8. Emulsifying oil and vinegar for vinaigrettes is a snap in a french press. Vegetarian Times says “An emulsion is simply a blend of two liquids that don’t normally bind together, such as oil and vinegar. In a standard salad dressing blend, the vinegar sinks to the bottom and oil will rise to the top, creating a thin, watery texture. Emulsified dressings, on the other hand, are thick and creamy and really cling to your veggies.” Using the plunger on a french press really does make light work of it. Click through to get recipes on their post.

9. After you have simmered a chicken with veggies and spices you can strain to make chicken stock. The big 50-ounce size, with the ability to handle hot liquids, makes it the perfect tool.

10. Before you strain that chicken stock, add some fresh herbs for 15 minutes and infuse it with fresh herbs too. Yum!

11. Sue from The View From Great Island is making hot chocolate in her french press.  Her tip – she uses actual chocolate, not chocolate powder.

12. According to this post from AJ Coffee Company, they’ve even seen a french press used to juice fresh blueberries during a barista competition. I bet it will work for raspberries, blackberries and strawberries too. Give it a try and don’t be afraid to experiment.

13. You can make a coffee concentrate for enjoying iced coffee. This recipe and instructions from The Coffee Compass will make a concentrated brew, so you’ll probably want to cut it to taste. Plan for some dilution from the ice as well. The ratio is 7 parts water to 1 part coffee. This would work for a concentrated iced herbal tea too.

14. You can also use a french press for mixing drinks with fresh fruit and berries. These recipes from Hard Rock Cafe can be made with or without alcohol. Just substitute fruit juice for a refreshing non-alcoholic beverage.  Tropical Pineapple Press
Ingredients:
3 each Lemon Wedges (cut a lemon into 6ths)
3 each Pineapple Chunks (You can use chunks of canned pineapple for home or cut fresh. Cubes should be about ½ inch by ½ think)
1 oz Mango Puree (Mango juice will also work)
3 oz Bacardi Mango Fusion Rum
7 oz Lemonade
7 oz Lemon-Lime Soda

Directions:
Hard Rock uses a French Coffee press to make this drink, but for making at home you can use a 20 oz glass pitcher or another container. Add fruit and puree to the pitcher, and lightly muddle the fruit in the bottom to release the juices before adding liquid ingredients. Add all remaining ingredients and stir. Fill serving glasses with ice, and pour. The recipe can be made several hours in advance to allow the fruit to better incorporate into the mix.

Share your ideas for using a french coffee press -anything besides making coffee, of course!