If you are a traditionalist on making your tea, see the best ways to make a cup of tea, here. But here is some interesting usage information on what else you can use your French press for.
Food and Wine Magazine says:
Maybe you knew that your French press made tea, not just hot coffee and cold brew. I didn’t until like everyone else, I was suddenly spending a lot of time at home staring at the objects taking up space in my cabinets and on my counter. I felt all shmancy when I switched from bagged tea to loose leaf, but that comes with its own annoyance. Tea balls are uniformly wretched, muslin bags a waste, and if you don’t have a mesh insert for your teapot it’s a royal pain in the keister to clean. If you’re already in possession of a French press (I swear by my now-discontinued Bodum Young), you’re accustomed to the fuss level and the method. Put your grounds or leaves — or even aromatics, peels, and herbs — into the vessel, pour appropriately heated water in, plunge the filter down when you’re ready to stop steeping.
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It’s a great method for making a crap-ton of tea at once and even if it doesn’t stay blazing hot for a long time, pour the cooled tea over ice just to feel something. I am not suggesting any of this to deprive you of the ritual and activity of making tea cup by cup to pass the time but rather to streamline your life a little if that’s at all helpful.
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Oh and the aromatics, peels, and herbs: Yes, that’s broth, which is also lovely to sip. Nothing’s stopping you from plundering your cabinets for whatever is there and that you feel you can spare and treating it as a beverage flavoring. Star anise, nutmeg, cinnamon sticks, peppercorns, cardamom pods, toasted cumin and caraway seeds, dill seeds — anything that’s large enough to be suppressed by the French press’s plunger is fair game. If you’ve never considered some of these as fodder for beverages before, it’s only because society has failed you with the limitations of its imagination.
Why stop at water? Understandably, that may be the only liquid to which you usually have free-flowing access, but should you have juice, ginger ale, lemonade, or some other beverage to spare, heat it up and steep it — where’s the harm? The worst that can happen is a somewhat unpalatable beverage and in the grand scheme of the world right now, that ranks pretty low. SOURCE>>>>
Additional uses for a French Press:
1. Make Whipped Cream
Who doesn’t love whipped cream? No one we wanna know! (Okay, we’re sure you’re a wonderful person deep down . . . )
Anyways, apparently you can use a French Press to make the tasty dessert topping. Although the right consistency can be hard to reach, it is totally doable.
Just fill the French Press halfway with heavy cream and pump the lever up and down quickly, whipping the cream. In about 5 minutes, peaks should form, and voìla! Dessert just got even better.
2. Steep and Drain Soup Stocks
You’ll still need to simmer the stock, but you can use a French Press to steep and drain your stock once that’s done. Bonus tip: adding a few herbs to the carafe beforehand will infuse your stock with a richer flavor.
3. Juice Berries
Throwing a cocktail party and need a few mixers? Or maybe you just like fresh squeezed fruit juice? Either way, your French Press can be your juicer! Place your berry (or berries) of choice in the French Press, slowly press the plunger down to extract the juice, then strain into a pitcher.
4. Make Cold Brew
Lovers of cold brew coffee, rejoice! You can easily make it in the comfort of your own home using only your French Press. We have a guide on how to make cold brew with your French Press—it’s super easy, it just requires patience. 🙂
5. Froth Milk
For those of you who like a little froth on your espresso or cappuccino, the French Press is your BFF. Just add milk of your choice (even almond milk!) or half and half to the carafe and pump the strainer until a nice froth forms.
6. Rinse Grains
Quinoa fanatics—no more rogue kernels down the drain! Pour your quinoa (or other grain of choice) into the French Press, gently shaking and swirling to ensure all grains are washed, and strain. Press the plunger down, holding the grains in place, and drain the water. Boom: now you have strained and clean grains for your feast!
7. Re-hydrate Dried Foods
If you like buying dried vegetables for noodle dishes or stir-fry, this is a perfect way to re-hydrate them. Simply add the desired amount of dried vegetables to the carafe and pour water over them until completely covered. Gently press the plunger down to hold the vegetables in place and drain the water.
8. Drink Mixer
If you don’t own a cocktail mixer, you can use your French Press to mix your drinks! Add the ingredients of your favorite mixed drink to the carafe, close the container, and pump the strainer up and down to mix. If you like pulp, take the top off when pouring; if you’re looking for a cleaner pour, keep the strainer on.
9. Creamer Container
Say you’re hosting a brunch party—where coffee is of course an essential component—and don’t have a fancy little pitcher for creamer. Naturally, you want your brunch to be classy; a carton of milk on the table just won’t do.
You see where this is going. Your trusty French Press is here to save the day! Add spices (we love cinnamon) or flavor enhancers (like vanilla extract) to the carafe and pour hot milk (or half and half) over them. Let the creamer steep for a few minutes and it will be a stellar addition to your guests’ coffee.
10. Brew and Steep Loose Leaf Tea
Coffee and tea are not mutually exclusive! To get in touch with your tea side, simply put your favorite loose leaf tea in the bottom of the carafe and pour hot water over it; let tea steep to your preference and strain, pushing the plunger down slowly to extract maximum flavor from the tea leaves. Pour and enjoy!
11. Make Chai Tea
Grab the cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and ginger from your spice cabinet—if any of the spices are whole, grind with a mortar and pestle (or the bottom of a glass/pan) first. Add water to one saucepan and coconut milk (or any kind of milk) to another saucepan and divide your spices between them evenly. Bring the water to a boil and the milk to a gentle simmer.
Add loose leaf black tea to the French Press and pour the water mixture over it; cover and steep for 5 minutes before adding the coconut milk mixture to steep a few more minutes. Pump the strainer a few times to froth the milk and you’ll have the perfect cup of chai at your fingertips! Check out the full recipe from Bessie Bakes here.
12. Infuse Oils and Other Liquids
If you’re a fan of flavored olive oil, your world is about to expand. Add spices and herbs to your French Press, then add oil. Occasionally press down on the strainer while the mixture is steeping to imbue your flavored oil with maximum flavor.
When the oil has reached the desired strength, press the strainer down to keep your oil clear, and pour it into its container.
13. Strain Fresh Vegetables
Can’t ever seem to get the water completely drained from your vegetables after washing them? Depending on which kind, you can use your French Press to drain and strain freshly washed vegetables. Just add said vegetables to the carafe and press the plunger down gently to extract all the excess water.
14. Keep Herbs Fresh
Your French Press is an ideal vase for fresh herbs like basil, rosemary, parsley, etc. So, if you have an herb garden or love to buy fresh herbs, this is a perfect way to store them. Add about an inch of water—just enough to cover the herb stems—to the bottom of the carafe and arrange your herbs in the top.
15. Add Hops to Beer
Bet you didn’t know one of the best uses for your French Press would involve making beer better! If you’re a hops junkie, add some to the carafe and pour your beer over them. Chill in refrigerator for 10-15 minutes (or to your taste preference), then push the plunger down—holding the hops in place—and pour your beer into a chilled glass. Enjoy your custom, brewery-quality beer! SOURCE>>>>