<p>Speed of the plunger does not affect the flavor.</p>

<p>When coffee is brewed in a french press, the main parameters are (apart from the coffee itself)</p>

<ul>
<li>the temperature of the water</li>
<li>the duration of brewing</li>
<li>the water quality</li>
</ul>

<p>However, speed of plunger may be important in this case: if you push the plunger rapidly, the flow of water push the grounds from the sides of the filter. Thus, the grounds will probably mix with the final cup of coffee. Even worse, the hot water may splash in your hand or face.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-05T18:36:42.663Z
Speed *could* affect pressure, and pressure would affect taste. I wouldn't think someone would rush to press the plunger down as fast as possible and use a lot of pressure. Therefore, I'm willing to bet, in a tested scenario, people who plunge slower probably apply more even pressure on the grounds and get more flavor out of the brew than quickly plunge the brew.
Geo
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-06T07:05:25.583Z
@Geo Maybe you're right. Good point. Thinking technically, as in the aeropress, the plunger produces some pressure. However, I don't think this affects the flavor _that much_ as the pressure never increases significantly. For sure we all know "that much" is not a valid measurement. :) I will try to observe the flavor in the following days.
MTSan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-19T12:53:13.937Z
@MTSan your dedication is appreciated.
Thufir
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-24T20:38:27.743Z
@Geo Reporting... I cannot say that I notice easily observable differences in the flavor lately. However, you should also take into account that I brew these cups in different times and even in different days. So, you may say that I didn't really taste decently. Still, I say that plunger speed does not affect _that much_.
MTSan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-03T23:06:09.017Z
2016-04-03T23:06:09.017Z
MTSan
<p>As @MT_San noted in his answer:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>When coffee is brewed in a french press, the main parameters are (apart from the coffee itself)</p>
<ul>
<li><p>the temperature of the water</p>
</li>
<li><p>the duration of brewing</p>
</li>
<li><p>the water quality</p>
</li>
</ul>
</blockquote>
<p>However, I would argue an important parameter is missing from the above list that directly affects the speed at which the plunger presses down. I'm talking about the <strong>grind size</strong>.</p>
<p>Just as a puck of espresso must be ground and tamped to ensure even extraction, the same applies to the grounds used in the French Press method.</p>
<p>For instance, this <a href="https://bluebottlecoffee.com/preparation-guides/french-press" rel="nofollow noreferrer">guide</a> from Blue Bottle recommends
the following:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If it’s hard to press, that means your grind is too fine; if the plunger thunks immediately down to the pot’s floor, it means your grind is too coarse. The sweet spot, pressure-wise, is <strong>15-20 pounds</strong>.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>While the above &quot;sweet spot&quot; may be subjective (i.e., author's bias, type of beans used, grind level, equipment/Brand, etc.), you can use the above as a benchmark to ensure your grounds are not <em>too</em> fine or <em>too</em> coarse. If one or the other, you're liable to over-extract or under-extract when brewing your coffee, impairing the quality of the beans to truly shine.</p>
<p>Hope this helps! Comments and edits are encouraged.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-04-25T22:10:27.590Z
2016-04-25T22:10:27.590Z
2020-06-18T08:36:22.093Z
N. York
<p>If you slowly press the plunger of a french press down will you get a stronger flavor in contrast to plunging rapidly? Does the speed of plunging affect anything?</p>

<french-press>
Does french press plunger speed affect the taste?
a_a
# Does french press plunger speed affect the taste?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-04-03)

If you slowly press the plunger of a french press down will you get a stronger flavor in contrast to plunging rapidly? Does the speed of plunging affect anything?

**Tags:** french-press


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2016-04-03. Score: 4

Speed of the plunger does not affect the flavor.

When coffee is brewed in a french press, the main parameters are (apart from the coffee itself)

* the temperature of the water
* the duration of brewing
* the water quality

However, speed of plunger may be important in this case: if you push the plunger rapidly, the flow of water push the grounds from the sides of the filter. Thus, the grounds will probably mix with the final cup of coffee. Even worse, the hot water may splash in your hand or face.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: Speed *could* affect pressure, and pressure would affect taste. I wouldn't think someone would rush to press the plunger down as fast as possible and use a lot of pressure. Therefore, I'm willing to bet, in a tested scenario, people who plunge slower probably apply more even pressure on the grounds and get more flavor out of the brew than quickly plunge the brew.  
> **username_1**: @username_2 Maybe you're right. Good point. Thinking technically, as in the aeropress, the plunger produces some pressure. However, I don't think this affects the flavor _that much_ as the pressure never increases significantly. For sure we all know "that much" is not a valid measurement. :) I will try to observe the flavor in the following days.  
> **username_3**: @username_1 your dedication is appreciated.  
> **username_1**: @username_2 Reporting... I cannot say that I notice easily observable differences in the flavor lately. However, you should also take into account that I brew these cups in different times and even in different days. So, you may say that I didn't really taste decently. Still, I say that plunger speed does not affect _that much_.  

---

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-04-25. Score: 3

As @MT\_San noted in his answer:

> When coffee is brewed in a french press, the main parameters are (apart from the coffee itself)
>
> * the temperature of the water
> * the duration of brewing
> * the water quality

However, I would argue an important parameter is missing from the above list that directly affects the speed at which the plunger presses down. I'm talking about the **grind size**.

Just as a puck of espresso must be ground and tamped to ensure even extraction, the same applies to the grounds used in the French Press method.

For instance, this [guide](https://bluebottlecoffee.com/preparation-guides/french-press) from Blue Bottle recommends
the following:

> If it’s hard to press, that means your grind is too fine; if the plunger thunks immediately down to the pot’s floor, it means your grind is too coarse. The sweet spot, pressure-wise, is **15-20 pounds**.

While the above "sweet spot" may be subjective (i.e., author's bias, type of beans used, grind level, equipment/Brand, etc.), you can use the above as a benchmark to ensure your grounds are not *too* fine or *too* coarse. If one or the other, you're liable to over-extract or under-extract when brewing your coffee, impairing the quality of the beans to truly shine.

Hope this helps! Comments and edits are encouraged.


---

