It happens to all of us. You make the perfect cuppa joe in the morning and then your kid starts crying and before you know it, you sit down to another cold cup of coffee.
How can you avoid this age old problem?
There isn’t necessarily one answer that will solve the problem for everyone, but here are some ideas on how to keep your French Press coffee hot.
Six Hot Ideas
- Double walled carafe (Zojirushi maybe?)
- Double wall or thermal mug (Yeti is a good option)
- USB mug warmer?
- Smart mug (Ember works but it’s pricey)
- Cozy (simples)
- Warm your French Press in Advance (and mug)
Don’t let your coffee sit in the French Press
The number one rule of making French Press coffee is not to let the coffee sit in the French Press after the brewing is complete.
Transfer your finished brew into a thermos, a double walled carafe (Zojirushi) or a thermal mug to keep your extra cups hot while you work on the first one.
A large size double walled or thermal cup (a favorite here is the Yeti), can be a life-saver, keeping your coffee hot for hours after being brewed.
The large size mug accommodates 30oz of coffee, which can be the size of a standard French Press.
When you allow the coffee to sit in the French Press it continues to brew and deeper, bitter flavors begin to develop quickly with over-extraction.
Bitter flavors can quickly overpower any other flavor notes the beans may have had and ruin the perfect coffee experience you worked so hard to create.
Related – Check out the following posts to see my favorite insulated French presses and the largest French presses I’ve experimented with.
Invest in Fancy Coffee Gadgets
While you’ve already invested the best into getting your perfect cup of coffee from your French Press, it can be difficult to think about spending more money on technology to keep that coffee hot.
An inexpensive idea might be to equip your desk or side table with a USB mug warmer, a hot plate to keep your coffee hot.
While it doesn’t offer exact temperature control, it will keep your cuppa hot and ready for sipping long after it’s been forgotten.
If you’re willing to spend a little more to keep your cup at just the right temperature (at the tip of your fingers) a Smart mug (Ember) might be more up your alley.
With this fancy gadget, temperature control is in your hands and your coffee will never be cold again.
The Old Fashioned Way
Before the days of fancy gadgets, you might have had your mom knit you up a cozy for your mug.
What’s a cozy? A little knitted (or crocheted) sweater for your coffee mug.
By insulating the warmth of the mug, you can help keep it hot for a longer period.
Warm Things Up In Advance
Before you start the brewing process, rinse your French Press through with hot water and allow it to sit for a moment before emptying.
This will help to bring the glass to a warmer temperature and prevent heat loss to the cold surface.
The same goes for your mug. Fill it with hot water and allow it to heat up for a moment, emptying it right before you pour your cuppa joe.
And when it comes to brewing your coffee hotter in the french press you would be remiss to forget about brewing into an insulated press pot in the first place as these hold their temperatures better significantly.
But…
Do Insulated French Press Coffee Makers Make Better Coffee Than Glass?
The coffee produced by a glass french press and the coffee produced by a metal (insulated) french press is actually very similar. If you are deciding on which french press is better for you, you should instead look at the benefits and the drawbacks of each version of the french press.
In addition to looking at each french press’s pros and cons, it also may be helpful to look at your lifestyle and brewing habits to make sure you get the french press which is best suited to your needs.
The Glass French Press
The benefits of a glass french press are:
- Classic Appearance
- Visual Brewing Component
- Very Replaceable
- Heat Retention For A Short Time
- For Life Brewer
The drawbacks of a glass french press are:
- They Are Breakable
A glass french press is a worthy choice for anyone who normally brews their coffee in the same location. The glass material its made out of give this brewing machine a classic feel and adds an amount of flare to the brewing process. However, though it adds flare, this glass can also be broken rather easily. The good thing is, since glass french presses are rather popular, replacement carafes can be found very easily.
The glass french press offers less heat retention than the metal french press but still offers enough to be a competitive option. A glass french press can last an entire lifetime.
The Metal (Insulated) French Press
The benefits of a metal french press are:
- Suited For a Traveling Lifestyle
- Durable Materials
- Extreme Heat Retention After Being Preheated
- For Life Brewer
The drawbacks of a metal french press are:
- Preheating
- No Visual Brewing Component
A metal french press is the perfect option for any coffee drinker who experiences a vast amount of travel in their lifestyle. The metal material offers rugged durability that allows the metal french press to be competitive, despite having to be preheated. After preheating, the metal french press overs extreme heat retention.
A metal french press does not offer any visual aspect to the brewing process, and replacement carafe, if needed, can be a little troublesome to find. A metal french press can last an entire lifetime.
But… what happens if your coffee gets too cold anyway?
Can You Reheat French Press Coffee?
A Reheating Overview
Reheating french press coffee is no different than reheating regular coffee. Though, occasionally this may be necessary, if you made too much and didn’t get to drink it while it was warm or the coffee warmed rather quickly, it is never recommended to reheat any type of coffee.
This lack of recommendation mostly comes as a warning, for reheating coffee, especially on the stove, can cause the coffee’s flavor profile to change. This flavor profile changes because heat extracts coffee’s nutrients and oils. This extraction occurs during the brewing process to produce the flavorful cup of coffee you usually consume.
However, a second instance of extraction can remove more of the coffee’s nutrients and oils causing the cup of coffee to become rather “bitter” or “sour.”
Brew Smaller Batches of Coffee
The best way to ensure you never have to reheat any coffee you brew, is to only brew enough for your current consumption. Though, if you do brew more than a cup or two of coffee at a time, a metal or insulated french press may be better suited for your brewing habits.
A metal french press offers extreme heat retention, though the brewing process of a metal french press calls for the preheating of water, for its material is not penetrated easily by heat.
Another way to keep excess french press coffee warm is to transfer the excess coffee into a thermos or other insulated container. Some french press enthusiasts have also reported success wrapping their excess coffee container in a hot towel.
Okay, But What If I Have To Reheat?
If you have left over coffee and feel you need to reheat it, several coffee enthusiasts recommend reheating your coffee in the microwave but I believe the stovetop is the best option.
This may seem like novice advice, though these enthusiasts recommend only reheating the coffee in the microwave for no more than 15 seconds. Using the microwave as a reheating device any longer than this can lead to burnt coffee.
The stove on the other hand, which may seem like a better tool for reheating, can lead to an increased change in the coffee’s flavor profile if the temp is set to high. This change is a product of the stoves high temperatures so make sure to keep it on low and wait a few extra minutes.
Good luck drinking hot coffee today, and happy sipping!
