A French press often brews a better cup of coffee than a traditional coffeemaker. But the pile of wet grounds stuck to the bottom of the device requires a messy clean-up.
Enter the Simpli — a new, redesigned French press machine.
A normal French press uses a plunger with a disc-shaped filter at the bottom. But the filter on Simpli's plunger is designed to attach to a metal container at the bottom, trapping the grounds inside. When you pull the plunger out of the carafe, the connected canister comes with it so that you can easily get rid of the waste.
Unlike other French presses, the Simpli's silicone-lined filter ensures the grounds can't escape. Normally, you'd have to use coarse-ground coffee so that the grounds don't pass through the plunger's filter. But the Simpli's canister lets you tailor the texture of the grounds to your taste, which can also make the brewing process faster.
The Simpli makes the same amount of coffee (two to three cups) as a traditional 34-ounce French press, its inventor, Jennifer Morse, tells Tech Insider. The carafe is made of borosilicate glass, which she says is stronger and more heat resistant than regular glass.
These improvements have made the device popular online — Simpli's Kickstarter has blown past its $25,000 goal, raising over $130,000. The team is selling early-bird Simplis through the campaign for $69, although it will later retail for $80.
To make three cups with a medium grind, you first add two-and-a-half tablespoons of coffee into the stainless steel canister. You can also line the canister with a Simpli paper filter for even less mess.
Then you place the canister at the bottom of the carafe, pour in the boiling water, and let it sit for three minutes before pushing the plunger down. After you pour the coffee, you remove the plunger and canister — which are now attached — and either dump the grounds straight into the trash (or compost) or throw away the paper filter.
"Your sink and plumbing will thank you," Morse says.
