Love how your coffee tastes brewed in a French press? Try using one for making tea, and you will never brew it in a teapot again.

Nothing feels fancier than brewing a cup of fresh, full-bodied coffee in a French press. Do it right and your coffee will come out delicious every time, without having to go to the best café you can find. If you love making your coffee in a French press, have you ever considered doing the same with your tea?

Yes, a French press can help you brew delicious tea. It doesn’t matter what kind of tea you use; it will become your favorite method of brewing.

Making coffee on a French press is quite different from making tea, so it is vital to know the right way to do it, or your tea will come out bitter. If you want to make the most fragrant and exquisite cup of tea using your French Press, keep reading.

Prepping Your French Press for Tea Brewing

If you are planning to use the same French press you use for coffee, you have to give it a thorough cleaning unless you want coffee-flavored tea.

Did you know that baristas and other people who work at coffee houses find it super difficult to get that coffee smell off them? This is because coffee oil is heavily fragrant and tends to stick to things. If your French press has been used for a while to make coffee, the coffee smell is no doubt clinging to it.

So give your French press a deep clean, and after cleaning, try to soak up the remaining moisture with paper towels, which might help you rub off some of the oil clinging to it.

Remember, thorough cleaning is crucial for brewing the perfect tea. If you are a caffeine lover who drinks plenty of tea and coffee regularly, get yourself a designated French press for tea.

Tea Brewing Process

• Start with warming the French press with hot water, just as you might while making coffee. Remove the lid-plunger part and pour some hot water into the glass beaker. Twirl the water around a bit and then discard it.
• Now add tea to your glass beaker. The quantity of tea you add will depend on the capacity of your beaker, how much tea you want to brew, and how strong you want your tea to be. The amount of tea you need to use per type will be provided below.
• Remember that unlike coffee, we do not use boiling water on tea leaves. Boiling water scalds the leaves, breaking them into sediment, which makes your brew murky and bitter. The recommended temperature for brewing is different for different types of teas. This will also be provided below.
• Now put the lid-plunger part back on and leave your tea to steep. Most teas need to be steeped for 3-5 minutes, depending on the type. Steeping your tea for longer than the given time can make your brew taste bitter, tart, and disgusting.
• If you want to make a stronger tea, increase the amount of tea you use and let the steeping time remain the same.
• After steeping, use the plunger, but don’t let it go all the way as it can damage the tea and crush it into sediment that can easily slip through the filter. And definitely don’t do it if you want to reuse the leaves.
• Enjoy your tea warm and fresh.

Steeping Time, Amount, and Water Temperature for Various Tea Types

Camellia sinensis (tea leaves)

The following are dried tea leaves that come from the actual tea plant, the scientific name Camellia sinensis. Therefore, they are the same kind of leaves that come from the same plant but are processed differently.

• Black tea is the most common kind used to make tea, especially milk tea. Black tea is often the least delicate of the types and can handle the highest temperature, up to 212°F. Use one teaspoon of tea per cup (237ml) of hot water. Steep for 3-5 minutes.
• Oolong tea is the closest to black tea, as they are partially oxidized. However, the leaves are not crushed; instead, they are sun-dried. It is a traditional Chinese tea and makes a fragrant brew. Brew with a water temperature of between 180-205°F and steep for 1-4 minutes. Use one teaspoon per cup if the leaves are balled and two tablespoons per cup for loose tea.
• Green tea is made by quick heating and drying to prevent oxidation of the leaves. This makes them healthier but more delicate and prone to damage. Green tea is processed in two ways: the whole version is called sencha, and the powdered version is called matcha. For making sencha in your French press, the recommended temperature of the water used is 170 to 180°F. Steep it for a shorter period, no more than 2-3 minutes. Use one teaspoon per cup.
• White tea is made from young leaves and buds and is probably the most delicate kind of tea to use. Keep the water temperature between 170 to 185°F. Steep up to four minutes or less and use two teaspoons of leaves for a decent cup of tea.
• If you are making iced tea, use twice as much tea per cup or more, as you are going to add ice to it later. This way your beverage won’t be too watery and bland. Follow the recommended steeping time and only add ice after you have poured the tea into your glass. Pair your ice tea with this easy yet delicious and creamy garlic mushroom pasta!
• You can easily make frothy milk tea or matcha using the French press. Use a half cup of water and a half cup of warm milk at the same temperature for black tea. Use the plunger for a minute or two, but never go all the way. This milk tea pairs great with bacon and egg breakfast muffins.
• For matcha, try using only milk and use the plunger until the powder has mixed completely. You should plunge all the way for matcha; in fact, it might not work if you don’t!

Final Thoughts

You can make perfect tea every time using your French press. It not only makes delicious tea but is also fun to use. So, the next time you relax with some tea, try using your French press to brew it!

Published: 2021-07-29 19:28:44