A Few Surprising Ways I Use the French Press

The Keurig is my go-to for making coffee these days.  The French Press got relegated to the back of the cupboard.  But then, I got inspired, and here are a few surprising ways I use the French press.

With so many of my items hitting the donation bin, one thing I’ve kept is my French press.  Why keep an unused coffee maker in my kitchen cabinet?  Because I use it for other things.

For reference, this is the Bodum model I have.

Rinsing Grains

When I started using basmati, I heard the secret to success (there may be more than one secret with that delicious grain!) was to rinse the rice three times before cooking.

But the holes in my colander are too large and I always lose a good deal of rice.  And my sifter is too small.  And if I rinse it in the pot and try to catch with the lid, I lose about half the rice.

The French press to the rescue. Just put the desired about of rice in the bottom, cover with water and place the plunger on top.  Pour off the water and repeat.

It works like a dream.

Other small grains like couscous and quinoa are just as successful.

Steeping Lose Tea

Do you have one of those doodads for straining lose tea?  And does it work?  I know, neither does mine.  An uncomfortable amount of tea leaves always escape.  And then you have to clean the doodad and make sure it goes back in the drawer before it makes its way into the garbage disposal. 

Place lose tea leaves in the bottom of the pot, add the plunger and pour boiling water over the top.  Let the tea steep and pour yourself a nice cup o’ tea with very few little leaves making their way into your cup.

Frothing Milk

Nothing works like my beloved frother, but if you need to froth a large batch (or make whipped cream), adding warm milk (or cream) to the French press and plunging it for about a minute makes a nice little foam. 

There needs to be enough milk to get above the plunger so if you just need one serving, this may not be the best solution.

Storing Fresh Herbs

Do you know that a glass herb keeper costs $30 on Amazon?  Well, if you have a French press, place water in the bottom, add the plunger part way, place your herbs upright with their stems in the water and close the lid.

Pop the whole thing in the fridge and it keeps herbs beautifully until you’re ready to use them.

Wrap Up

There are many other uses for the French press such as making nut milk, infusing water, draining vegetables, but these are the few surprising ways that work well for me.

Do you have any tips for using household items in new ways?

Thanks for spending some time with me and have a great weekend!