Pour Over VS. French Press VS. AeroPress: Which One is Superior?

Nowadays, many people today are showing more interest in learning manual coffee brewing methods. Apart from being a trend, the key reason is that the manual brewing method(s) provides full control over the extraction process.

Pour Over, French Press, and AeroPress are some examples of popular manual brewing methods. All 3 have their own advantages, and we’ll discuss which one is ideal for you!

In this comprehensive guide, we will see a debate of Pour Over VS. French Press VS. AeroPress. Also, we will find out which one would be more suitable for individuals like you. Furthermore, we will answer some FAQs that may give you a clear concept about this whole topic.

So, stick around, and let’s get started…


Pour Over VS. French Press VS. AeroPress Comparison Table

 ConsiderationsPour OverFrench PressAeroPress
Size of GrindMedium-Fine Coarse Medium-Fine
Caffeine163 mg per 8 oz 175 mg per 8 oz 130 mg per 8 oz
TasteWell-Bodied and Smooth Rich and Heavy Clean and Flavorful
Method of BrewingInfusionImmersionImmersion
Brewing Time 3-4 minutes 4 minutes 2 minutes
Brew CapacityOne to Eight cups
(Depending on the Brewer)
8 cups
(Depending on Brewer Size)
 Single-cup at a time


Pour Over Coffee

Pour Over is exactly what its name says. You have to pour a certain amount of hot water through medium-fine size coffee grounds. It’s one of the simplest methods of brewing delicious cups of full-flavored coffee.

Not only is Pour Over brewing affordable but also simplistic, compared to some other brew methods such as drip coffee, espresso, etc. Moreover, you don’t have to spend your valuable countertop space on setting up all the equipment.

There are a bunch of different Pour Over coffee makers available in the market. As we have mentioned, these brewers are affordable, and you don’t even have to spend a hundred dollars to purchase one. Though this method requires some brewing skills, you will end up with a perfectly flavored cup of joe.

In order to brew coffee by following the Pour Over method, you need to gather some equipment. First off, a brewer, paper filters, a burr coffee grinder, freshly roasted beans, a Gooseneck kettle, medium-fine ground coffee, a certain amount of hot water (195°-205° Fahrenheit), and a scale.

Since you have full control over the extraction process, you can adjust any brewing variables to reach your desired tasting pour-over coffee. We have a comprehensive guide on why Pour Over coffee is better, so make sure to check that up.


French Press Coffee

French Press is another manual coffee brewing method that people have been using for quite a while. Like the Pour Over method, you don’t need lots of equipment for brewing. You just need some coarsely ground coffee, some hot water, and a nifty French Press coffeemaker.

The process is pretty straightforward. You have to understand how to operate this brewer. To start the brewing:

  • Add your measured amount of ground coffee, and then pour some hot water
  • Give a gentle stir in order to mix coffee particles with water
  • Place the plunger on the French Press pot and wait for 3-4 minutes
  • Now, press the plunger slowly through the coffee-water mixture to separate the coffee grounds

Some people think that French Press brewers are not perfect for delivering the cleanest cups of coffee. As they use the mesh filter screen for separating coffee grounds, small grounds might get through. Hence, you may feel the presence of a little bit of grit in the coffee.

However, some manufacturers say that their coffee maker is engineered in such a way that they can omit the particles from the final output.

A word of advice, be cautious about the coffee brewing time. Your perfect cup of coffee can go wrong if you exceed the brew time.

Also, the French press is a well-known alternative to the espresso machine. With some other methods, it is one way to make coffee espresso.


AeroPress Coffee

AeroPress is basically a device for making quick cups of coffee. Alan Alder invented this method in 2005. Within a short period, it becomes trendy among coffee connoisseurs. AeroPress coffee brewer is specialized in making standard coffee, espresso-style coffee, French Press-style coffee, etc.

Because of its small size, the AeroPress brewer becomes one of the must-have items for every traveler. You can adjust the grind size for brewing different types of coffee, which makes it versatile. Besides, you can get this compact-sized brewer for 40 bucks.

AeroPress brewing is an immersion method as well. You have to put the ground coffee in the chamber and then pour some hot water into it. After that, place the filter paper inside the basket and let it wet by pouring some water. It will cut off the papery taste of the coffee.

When brewing coffee using an AeroPress, there are basically 2 different methods: the standard method and the inverted method.

In the standard method, you have to place the brewing chamber on a serving vessel. On the other hand, you have to place the plunger under the chamber for the inverted method.

After adding ground coffee and water, you have to flip the whole brewer upside down and place it in a mug. Now press the plunger and enjoy.

The difference between these 2 methods is that you will see direct dripping through the filter right after pouring the hot water into the AeroPress. You won’t see this instant dripping in an inverted method until you press the plunger. In the inverted method, coffee will take longer to extract than in the standard method.

One downside of an AeroPress is you can’t make multiple cups of coffee at a time with this brewer. Lots of folks found this brewer a convenient option for outdoor activities like camping, hiking, etc.


Comparison With Explanation


Pour Over VS. French Press

Both Pour Over and French Press are the two popular methods of making coffee around the world. In the Pour Over coffee-making method, you have to do a bit more work than in French Press. You need to gather quite a few items for brewing with the Pour Over method. On the flip side, if you have only a nifty French Press pot, you don’t actually need anything else.

As the Pour Over coffee maker uses paper filters; hence, so you will get a clean cup of coffee. These paper filters can soak up the oils as well in order to deliver a crisp flavor. On the contrary, the French Press coffeemaker generally uses a screen filter to separate the coffee grounds.

french press vs pour over

This filter is good for separating comparatively large coffee particles. Unless you use a handy French Press maker engineered in such a way that can separate every single particle from the final cup, you won’t expect the cleanest cup. And this will cost a bit more than the average price.

With a Pour Over coffee maker, you need to use a Medium-Fine grind as many coffee drinkers think that this delivers an optimal output. If we talk about the French Press, it’s better to use a coarse grind size. As it’s an immersion brew method, you should keep the size ‘coarse’ in order to avoid over-extraction, which is responsible for bitter-tasting coffee.

Pour Over is an infusion brewing method, whereas French Press is an immersion method. Because of the direct contact of water with coffee grounds, French Press tends to be stronger and more intensely flavorful than Pour Over coffee. For those who seek to clean and smooth-tasting coffee, you can go for Pour Over coffee.


AeroPress VS. French Press

French Press and AeroPress are the two popular manual brewing methods. Both of them use the full immersion process while brewing. However, there’s some clear difference between these two types. In AeroPress, you have to provide manual pressure to force the water through the ground coffee.

aeropress vs french press

On the other hand, with a French Press coffeemaker, you have to push the plunger down to separate the coffee ground. There is no need to use any paper filter in the French Press coffeemaker. Hence you will get a strong and more flavorful coffee.

Like the AeroPress brewer, French Press coffee makers are not versatile to make multiple types of coffee. With AeroPress, you can adjust different grind sizes to prepare various styles of coffee.

You will see a bunch of different types of French Press coffee brewers at this market. Stainless steel, Ceramic, and Glass-made French Press coffeemakers are widely available. So far, there are two types of AeroPress: standard AeroPress and AeroPress Go.

In order to purchase a handy French Press that can deliver clean cups of coffee, you have to spend $50 – $200. For getting a standard AeroPress or AeroPress Go, you have to spend just around $35. AeroPress Go is an all-in-one AeroPress that is great for camping or other outdoor activities.  

French Press coffeemakers can serve several cups of coffee at a time, while AeroPress can only serve a single cup. This means, to make more than one cup of coffee, you have to use this brewer multiple times, one after another.


AeroPress VS. Pour Over

Pour Over and AeroPress are entirely different methods of brewing. AeroPress is an immersion brewing process that is slightly the same as French Press. But there’s a plunger pressing condition on French Press, which is missing in Pour Over. Pour Over is an infusion brewing where you don’t need to pour hot water directly into the brewing chamber like AeroPress or French Press.

aeropress vs pour over

You have to set a filter paper on the funnel-shaped part of a Pour Over coffee maker. After wetting the paper filter, add your freshly ground coffee over the filter paper. Now, pour the water on the ground, and you will see the water drains through the coffee. This hot water will extract the aroma from the coffee.

Some coffee lovers think that Pour Over is more complicated than some other manual processes. You need some skill to brew a perfect cup of Pour Over coffee. However, the output of Pour Over is unquestionably worth it.

Most people use an AeroPress for outdoor activities like camping, backpacking, or even for traveling. You cannot beat an AeroPress when it comes to portability. AeroPress introduced their all-in-one travel brewing companion named AeroPress Go. You can get a serving cup as well with this AeroPress Go.

We have already mentioned the versatility of AeroPress. Though you won’t get exactly Espresso coffee from an AeroPress, it can brew espresso-style coffee within its tiny brewing chamber.

Pour Over coffee usually takes longer to extract the coffee compared to AeroPress. AeroPress is quicker and easy to use in making quality coffee in the comfort of your home. When you intend to purchase a Pour Over coffee maker, you will see lots of options to choose from. On the flip side, you will see only two items while purchasing an AeroPress. That can be a vital point for some people while comparing Aeropress vs pour over.


Alternative Methods Of Making Coffee


Drip Coffee

Drip coffee is a common method of brewing coffee using an automatic coffee maker. It is slightly similar to Pour Over coffee. Some of the drip coffee machines are so handy that they can deliver the same flavored coffee you get from a manual pour-over coffee brewer.

Indeed you have to spend a pretty handsome amount of money to reach that level. Besides, you can’t really beat an automatic drip coffee machine in terms of convenience. As a drip coffee machine is an automatic coffee machine, you will get less control over the brewing than with the Pour Over method.


Cold Brew

Cold Brew is a long process of brewing delicious cups of coffee. You can use a French Press for making Cold Brew Coffee. First, add the needed amount of ground coffee into the beaker, then pour the measured amount of room temperature water into the beaker. After that, place the lid of the French Press but don’t plunge.

Now, grab this filled French Press and let it sit in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours, depending on how light or strong you want the coffee. More brew time means more strong coffee. After that particular period, take the French Press out of the fridge and press the plunger down to separate the coffee grounds. Pour the coffee into a vessel and enjoy.

Because of its sweeter and smoother taste profile with lower acidity, lots of folks are happy to have it.

aeropress vs french press vs pour over


Final Verdict On these 3 Methods

Now you know quite a bit about these three manual brewing methods. So, which method suits more to your condition more?

All 3 brewing methods have their own advantages and disadvantages. Pour Over needs some manual work for brewing. As you have full control over the brewing, you can adjust any brewing variable in order to reach your desired tasting coffee.

Compared to Pour Over, French Press and AeroPress are easier to use, and you don’t actually need to be highly skilled. AeroPress and French Press both follow immersion brewing, while Pour Over is an infusion brewing.

When it comes to portability, AeroPress will win hands down. Because of its compact size and durability, it becomes the number one choice for campers or travelers.

If you are at home and looking to brew strong and rich flavored coffee, you can go for French Press. On the other hand, if you are a bit picky about clean cups of coffee, then Pour Over, or AeroPress could be excellent options for you.


FAQs

What grind size should I use for my Aeropress?

You can use medium-fine or fine size while brewing with an AeroPress. Most coffee geeks think that medium-fine size is more suitable as it’s immersion brewing.

Is Chemex better than a French Press?

The answer to this question varies from person to person. If you want a clean and smooth cup of coffee, you can go for Chemex. On the other hand, If you want to sip a full-bodied and more flavorful cup of coffee, then French Press could be a good option for you.

Can you use a paper filter with a French press?

Yes. You can replace the French Press mesh filter with a paper filter.

Does French press coffee increase cholesterol?

Indeed. Research shows that taking French Press coffee on a regular basis can raise cholesterol levels by six to eight percent.


Final Words

We hope this comprehensive guide will help you in understanding the difference between Pour Over, French Press, and AeroPress. Along with that, we have shared some hacks and tactics that will bring your brewing journey easier. All three methods can serve you good coffee despite their pros and cons. Keep in mind the ease of use, brewing time, and comfort.

If you find this guide helpful, share it with your coffee-lover friends so that they can also learn the advantages and disadvantages of these three types of coffee. If you have any thoughts regarding this guide, feel free to leave them in the coffee section below. We would love to discuss more.

Happy Brewing!

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