You can use the French press much more often! (Not just for coffee)
We think the cafetière is a particularly beautiful and effective little device. Classic, handy, low-waste, and they even come in gorgeous designs like this copper-colored French press. And besides making incredibly delicious coffee with it (obviously), this rather specific invention comes in handy for so much more!
The system is highly suitable for anything you want to steep in liquid and then ‘strain’, without the hassle of pouring it over. And with the pressure system and its teeny-tiny holes, you can also move air around very effectively. So you can use your cafetière perfectly well for these things too:
Making sangria
Of course, what a brilliant idea! You do need a fairly large cafetière, though, otherwise you’ll make an entire little jug just for yourself. Follow this delicious sangria recipe, and once the fruit has soaked long enough, press it down to prevent all that splashing and mess—and that annoying never-quite-even distribution. You can always spoon the fruit into the glass afterward, if you also like chewing on your drink.
Brewing loose-leaf tea
Loose-leaf tea tastes best, and for optimal flavor and aroma, give the leaves as much room as possible in the water to steep. Stir the tea gently in the hot water, leave it for a few minutes with the lid on but the filter not yet pressed down, and then carefully press the leaves down. That way, you’ll immediately have a few cups of deliciously fragrant tea. Add a matcha cookie, and you’re all set! Do check the ideal brewing-water temperature for your specific tea. It’s often best to let the water sit for at least a minute after boiling before pouring it over the tea, and for delicate varieties such as green sencha, it should be even cooler for the flavor and aromas to come into their own.
‘Whipping’ cream
You’ve probably heard that you can froth milk using a cafetière. You certainly can, and it’s wonderfully delicious with freshly brewed coffee. But you can also whip cream in it! Moving the filter up and down pumps air into the cream, and with a little powdered sugar, you’ll soon have wonderfully soft whipped cream to serve with that little apple pie, for example.
Rehydrating dried mushrooms
Dried mushrooms are little flavor bombs, and once rehydrated, they’re delicious in risotto or with polenta. You should really use the soaking liquid too—it’s so deliciously umami and full of flavor. In the cafetière, you can keep them submerged very easily so no hard edges remain; just take a look at this video!
Read also:
- What you absolutely need to have at home, according to baristas
- The tips for crispy, truly delicious mushrooms and champignons
- Black coffee? You’re probably a dangerous lunatic
Source: Chowhound
