This $20 French Press Is the Only Way I'll Make Tea

When I switched from being a steadfast coffee drinker to a steadfast tea drinker in my mid-30s (tldr: I liked coffee; coffee did not like me), there was one coffee-making accoutrement that I brought with me: my favorite French press.

I love something warm in my mug from when I first sit down at my desk in the morning to when I get up for lunch a few hours later. Obviously, constantly pausing to brew individual cups was not going to cut it. Likewise, none of the adorable teapots I’d collected over the years seemed to hold more than one refill. 

I was loath to buy a new tea-making gadget, so I turned to my trusty old Bodum 34-ounce French Press. That was 10 years ago and I haven’t looked back since.

Why Make Tea in a French Press?

Besides already knowing that the Bodum French press would hold exactly the amount of hot beverage I enjoy in a morning (which is about four big mugs), I quickly realized making tea in my French press had a few other advantages.

Firstly, I generally prefer loose leaf tea over tea bags, and a key step when brewing loose leaf is making sure those leaves have plenty of room to swirl while they steep. A French press offers this with room to spare, and sleepily watching my tea leaves bob around in the French press while they steep has become a welcome part of my morning routine.

Second, I love that the plunger’s fine mesh filter–intended for more finely ground coffee grounds–cleanly separates the leaves from the tea so that I’m not forever picking small bits of plant matter from my cup as I sip. The press also gently pushes the leaves to the bottom of the carafe without squeezing, so I don’t end up with an overly tannic (read: bitter) brew.

Finally, I find cleaning the glass carafe and plunger of the French press far easier than any tea strainer I’ve used. It’s easy to scoop the tea leaves from the carafe with a spoon or even my fingers, and the plunger rinses off easily. The plunger can also be easily disassembled into three parts if any bits get stuck between the filter layers.

How I Make Tea in My French Press

To make tea in my French press, I first measure about 1 1/2 tablespoons of loose tea into the carafe (use more or less tea depending on how strong you like it). Then I fill the carafe with just-below-boiling hot water and steep the tea leaves for three to five minutes. 

When the timer goes off, I plunge the tea leaves down and pour myself my first mug. The rest gets poured into a thermos so it stays piping hot until I’m ready for more.