French Press to brew tea. pros and cons?

[Blackbeard's Delight]

I noticed in many tea related threads people mentioning here and there that they brew loose-leaf tea in a french press. It's usually a one-off post and no one comments further on it.

I am curious, what do the wise tea people here think about using a french press? It appears to work as I have seen comments about it numerous times. But it doesn't seem too common as there isn't much written about it. I understand it's not in the great tea tradition with clay pots, gawains and such (No doubt I will get into all that eventually!). But on the functionally part of it, I am curious. I am just starting out with tea (a month with bagged stuff and wanting to move on to loose leaf fairly soon). I enjoy greens and oolongs mostly.

Do you brew in a french press? How do you like it?

Did you try it and not like it? Why not?

I'd love to hear some discussion on it. I see french presses in pretty much every store I go in and they tend to be reasonably priced; yet good tea gear is hard to find, and usually pricey. I'd like to get some experience before I dive in to a ritzy japanese hand made import or whatnot.

Thanks in advance for the wisdom!

 

[SiBurning]

It's overkill for tea if you're using the relatively full leaves we prefer around here. You get just as good results by pouring through a small strainer.

Now if you're using those nasty small particles like you get in a tea bag... closer to the size of particles of ground coffee... perhaps it'd be more useful.

 

[Gammon]

Someone bought me one for Christmas one year, so I tried it.

It worked great. BUT, the tea would knock me over. There was probably more caffeine in that than a 30 gallon drum of coffee. Not pleasant. The worst part was that I didn't realise it was the tea giving me the headache, nausea, and black-outs, so I kept using it.

 

[MSstrahan]

Too much work to clean it.

 

[Gammon]

I should add the tea I was using was loose Long Ching green tea.

 

[Kazeryu]

The only problem I can see is that then you need a pitcher to pour the tea into. Unless you really like oversteeped tea, I guess.

On second thought, cleanup also sounds annoying compared to the alternatives. But I'm sure it would brew just fine... but then, so does a sippy cup.

 

[Commander Quan]

What if you used it backwards? Pushed the plunger halfway down, added the leaves, pushed the plunger all the way to the bottom, and then when you were done steeping pulled them up and removed?

I have a basket I use to make one cup at a time but the idea above sounds like a good one. I'm a genius.

 

[SmoovD]

What if you used it backwards? Pushed the plunger halfway down, added the leaves, pushed the plunger all the way to the bottom, and then when you were done steeping pulled them up and removed?

I have a basket I use to make one cup at a time but the idea above sounds like a good one. I'm a genius.

Brilliant!

 

[Kazeryu]

What if you used it backwards? Pushed the plunger halfway down, added the leaves, pushed the plunger all the way to the bottom, and then when you were done steeping pulled them up and removed?

I have a basket I use to make one cup at a time but the idea above sounds like a good one. I'm a genius.

Sounds reasonable. I'll stick to my teapot with strainer, though.

 

[Luc]

I bought one in case I needed a backup to make coffee... SWMBO uses it to make tea and she likes it.

 

[StillShaving]

Functionality wise it works fine, but I think once people get into drinking tea regularly they desire some special purpose gear. To either enhance the overall experience, or to just more closely match the brewing vessel size to how they are drinking, be it one cup at a time, tea for two, or a dinner party.

 

[AjaxLepinski]

French Press's are great but, if you're only having one cup, this is easier to clean:
http://www.fantes.com/tea-infusers.html

 

[Sunflake]

Haven't tried tea but the coffee tasted way better in the FP. The other thing I noticed using the FP was the oils in the coffee beans stays in the coffee. Never noticed the oil in the drip coffee maker, I think the paper filter soaks up the oils.

 

[Drybonz]

The main problem I found with a French press for tea is that, unless you pour your infusion all at once, your second cup is going to be way too strong and bitter because the tea leaves have been sitting at the bottom of the water while you drank the first cup. If you are planning to make just enough for one cup, might as well just use an infusion basket in your cup... it's going to be a lot easier anyway.

 

[Blackbeard's Delight]

Good to know the French Press will work ok for tea if needed. I ended up picking up the Teavana "perfect tea maker" though, the one you brew the tea and put it on top of your mug to drain out. It works great, so I don't necessarily need to get a French Press now for brewing. But I am wondering if it may be worth getting one anyhow in case I want to make tea for a guest or two, since this one only brews one cup at a time. Heck, since the wife and I switched to tea and packed away the coffee maker in the basement, I may want to have a french press on the off chance a cup of coffee is needed!

 

[Gammon]

Maybe this has been asked and if so I apologise, but have you tried just leaving the leaves in the cup?

 

[Blackbeard's Delight]

Maybe this has been asked and if so I apologise, but have you tried just leaving the leaves in the cup?

No one has asked, and I have read that is one of the ultra traditional chinese methods of steeping. I'll no doubt try it at some point. I had been using tea bags until yesterday, and I wanted to figure out what gear I can get for loose leaf tea so I could snatch it all up at once. I ended up going to Teavana and picking up some Oolong and their "perfect tea maker" that you place over the mug to drain out the tea into your cup. I'm sure the more I know what I am doing I'll go down that road of seeking traditional methods and techniques, like different clay teapots for each tea blend, etc.

I used to think I knew something about tea. But the more I know, the more I realize how much there is to learn!

 

[Gammon]

I first had tea when I was in Ningbo about ten years ago. I've been drinking it ever since. There it was always served with the leaves in the cup, so I didn't really think anything of it. They have fancy cups with strainers built in but I never saw anyone actually use one. I have a couple, and I never use the strainer. The trick is to strain the tea with your teeth.

 

[aguynamedjoe]

I tried FPs, but with whites and greens anything more than 5-6 mins of steeping ended up making it way too bitter for my tastes. I love, love, love strong drinks (give me my espresso black, please) but tea gets bitter fast, there are only a few types I've found that get stronger and not bitter with longer steeping (herbals-rooibos, hibiscus - and some blacks) times. Unless you're pouring the entire FP out after the suggested steeping time into a new container, my experience says it can end up getting bitter, rather than stronger, and just not nearly as tasty...

 

[Joe_Karp]

My take; I've been using a Bodum press for 20+ years. The formula is simple: measure two heaping teaspoons of your favorite (mine's Yunnan Gold) tea into the beaker. Pour 190 degree water freshly boiled over the leaves. Wait until it's got the colour you want. Press and pour the brewed tea into a mug to enjoy it immediately, and pour off the rest into a thermos. I will frequently refill the press with water to fill the thermos to the full point, and then go about my day. Making tea for the most part is a simple process and does not require much thought. While my Mum used sugar and cream in the traditional way, I prefer mine straight as is.