My first encounter with the eco-friendliness of the French Press was last fall when it was mentioned in Barbara Flanagan’s book “Smart Home” as one of 98 essentials for scaling back. That’s when it dawned on me that my Bodum Chambord French Press is way more energy-efficient than a traditional drip coffee maker.
My second realization occurred this week when I worked on a system and life-cycle analysis of the French Press for my certificate in sustainable design. It’s amazing how many ecological and ethical consequences a cup of coffee has in regards to coffee production, energy consumption and water supply. I really hope you buy coffee that is fair-trade, organic and shade-grown to prevent deforestation. But back to my Chambord French Press that’s made out of glass and stainless steel. It’s quite ingenious in its simplicity and obviously doesn’t require any paper filters. This summer Bodum will be releasing the BEAN French Press. It has a patented new locking lid system that offers a heat seal and precision pour spout and comes in eight bright colors. The manual brewing system is still the same and certainly a much greener way to enjoy your coffee in the morning than drip brew. And it tastes way better since it keeps more of the coffee's essential oils and flavor. Now you can feed your coffee addiction without the eco-guilt.
Elke, a number of years ago I remember reading that using a French press had some kind of negative health effect, but of course, I can't remember what that was. Do you know anything about it?
Posted by: Lynn | June 26, 2009 at 05:01 PM
Lynn - some studies suggest that due to the lack of a filter a French Press might increase LDL cholesterol. Obviously this also depends on the rest of your life-style. Good insight - thanks!
Posted by: eco-chic design | June 27, 2009 at 07:50 AM