Everything will break down; eventually, you are here to see if you can replace different parts of your French press to use it again.
You have loved every minute of your French press, and you don’t want to throw it out after the filter got crooked. You can fix your French press!
Most of the time, when something isn’t right with your French press, you will need to replace your filter.
I will tell you how to do so a bit further down. I will also give you some tips on what to do when the French press’s most common brewing mistakes show up.
Which parts does a French press have, and how to assemble them?
The French press has two main parts—the first one being: the lid, plunger, and filter.
And then there is the beaker with its base and handle.
Whenever you are cleaning, you will have noticed that the beaker will slide out of its base. Did you know that it’s supposed to do that? This is because you will be able to clean it easier and to make it shine all around.
You will also be able to loosen the screw of the lid, and you will be able to clean this separately. Just screw it back in place after you are done thoroughly cleaning it.
What to do when your french press has no resistance
If you’ve done a little research on how to make coffee with a French press, you must’ve found out that pressing down on the plunger should take around 30 seconds.
If you haven’t made coffee with the French press before, I suggest clicking here to learn how to do so. It’s really fun to do.
When you start pressing down on your French press, the plunger has no resistance. It is almost as if you are just sieving water. You reach the French press’s bottom in a matter of seconds.
This is what happened and how to fix it.
When grinding your coffee beans for the right consistency, you want to make sure you are not grinding the beans too coarse. This will result in a fast plunging down. If you want to know how to get the perfect grind size for your French press, then click here.
This is happening because you have ground your beans too coarse. The water in the beaker will run through the ground coffee beans too fast. This way, the plunger can just get to the bottom of the beaker easily.
So, how do you fix this? When you think you have the coffee beans’ right consistency, check if it is just a little coarser than sea salt. When you’ve done this, brew the coffee again and find out of you’ve got a good grind size going.
Why does it take so much pressure to plunge down on my French press?
When you are making your French press coffee in the morning, and the plunger just doesn’t want to get down, your grind size is too fine.
Now, what exactly happens when the plunger doesn’t want to get down to the bottom? When making French press coffee, you want to keep in mind that the water has to get through a sieve.
When your coffee grind is too fine, it will block all the holes in the plunger’s mesh. You are basically forcing the water through the little mesh sieve.
If you’ve been pressing on your plunger so hard and it kind of broke down on you, read along as we will explain how often your French press filter needs to be replaced.
How often should you replace your French press filter?
If you are questioning if you need to replace your filter, you probably should. It depends on how often you use your French press, how old it is, and if the brewer’s quality is good.
The French press filter is most likely made for many uses; after these uses, the filter will slowly fall apart. You can usually see when you need to change the filter of your French press when you get one of the following problems:
- You get a lot of slush in your coffee.
- The edges of the filter have given up on you, and you can see bends in the filter.
When searching for a new French press filter, you want to make sure the filter is of the same brand and/ or the same size as your old filter. I have written a few measurements down here to get a general idea of which size you will need to order yourself.
I use the Bialetti French press 8 cups version, the size of the filter measures 9.5cm.
You can also change filters in advance before it fully breaks down on you. If your filter has given up on you for the first time, try remembering when you bought your French press.
Was it one year and a few weeks ago? Try refreshing your filter in advance every year. Doing it like this will result in an excellent cup of coffee every time you make coffee using your French press!
What size is your French press beaker?
Do you have all kinds of problems with the beaker of your french press? You are in the right place. I’ll explain what size your beaker has so that you can buy a new one.
I personally use a Bialetti French press, which is awesome. Most of the time, I’ll switch between this brewer or a pour over method for my morning coffee.
I would be lying if I said that I didn’t have any problems with my French press because I don’t use it very often. Fortunately, it has yet to break down on me.
But I know some of you aren’t so fortunate, and you have run in some trouble while brewing your morning coffee. This is why I measured the beaker of my Bialetti French press. It measures; 18cm. This is the 8 cup variant of the Bialetti line.
Even if you have a lesser quality French press at home, these measurements are most commonly used for these as well.
I do suggest double-checking the measurements of the beaker you are about to buy. So you won’t be disappointed once it arrives and it doesn’t fit properly.
So there you have it, you are now ready to order a new beaker. If you want to know which one to get, I’ll be making a suggestion that will most likely meet your requirements.
You can click here to buy a new French press beaker. This beaker is most often used in the French press.
Conclusion
Summing up, you will now have enough information to start replacing your French press with fresh parts. This will give you a few months or even years until you will need to say goodbye to your beloved brewer and buy a brand new one.
By replacing parts of your favorite coffee brewer, you keep it fresh and clean. Once the filter starts to loosen up, coffee grounds will stick in there and leave a bitter taste to your coffee.
If you’d like to learn more about the French press and how to brew coffee with it, I suggest checking out the links below.
If you know any more ways to fix a French press or if you got any questions regarding coffee, then let me know by commenting below or contacting me directly by pressing the “Contact Me” button at the top!
