My French press exploded at a coffee cupping event last Saturday

I was at that monthly cupping at Blue Bottle in Brooklyn and went to press down my French press. The whole thing shattered and sent coffee grounds all over the white tablecloth and three people's notebooks. Has anyone else had a glass carafe just give up on them like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

angelas7823d ago

Wait, how long did you let it steep before pressing? I’ve been using french presses for years and the only time I’ve seen glass crack is when people push down too hard on a full press or use boiling water right out of the kettle. The carafe sits on a metal base but the glass is thin near the rim - if you crank the plunger with stuff still getting through the mesh, that’s a lot of pressure on a weak spot. I’d bet the table was bumpy or you leaned on the handle weird.

kevin21823d ago

You mentioned "boiling water right out of the kettle," and that's the one that gets people every time. I tried to speed things up once with water that was still bubbling and heard a little crack before I even touched the plunger. Just letting it sit for thirty seconds does the trick, but some folks are in a hurry and end up buying a new carafe (or three, like my brother).