No, that wasn’t a mistake in the title. I used an American Press to make this delicious, velvety smooth, refined sugar free Iced Honey Vanilla Latte, NOT a French Press. In fact, I have a “donate” pile in the top of my garage where I put things I no longer want. Immediately after using my new American Press, I marched my old French press right up to that pile and left it there. We had a good run, but it’s time for me to move on. Seriously, American Press- take all my money. Just take it. This product is extremely well-made, as is the coffee it brews.
Don’t worry- if you don’t have an American Press you can still make this delicious Honey Vanilla Latte (just use any strong brewed coffee- see recipe below). But since I was so impressed by this product, I’d like to tell you a little more about it and why I love it so much. Buy the American Press Here! Unlike a French Press, in which the grounds get pushed to the bottom of the carafe, the grounds stay contained in a neat little pod that’s easy to empty and rinse out in the American Press. You’re left with a concentrated, slightly wet heap of coffee grounds rather than the drenched sludge found at the bottom of a French Press. You can easily toss it in the trash, or if you have a garden, empty it into your compost or at the base of one of your plants for a boost of nitrogen. Just fill the pod with coffee grounds (or, tea!), add hot water to the carafe, and after waiting for a minute or so (“pre-infusing”), press down slowly to finish brewing your coffee.
French Press coffee can be delicious when it’s made right. But usually, you end up with a mouthful of gritty residue toward the bottom of your cup. That’s because the fine mesh sieve in a French Press can allow some of the grounds to sneak through. In the American Press, the grounds are contained in a pod with two mesh areas, surrounded by an airtight lining that doesn’t allow any grounds through. Plus, you use a medium to coarse ground in the American Press, which helps keep the grounds where they should be (NOT in your coffee). Buy the American Press Here! Smooth, smooth, smooth, and oh so tasty. The coffee came out lighter colored than I thought it would, but it still maintained a bold flavor. It’s not acidic, and is the best cup of black coffee I’ve had (read more about switching to black coffee here).
You can just tell. It has a nice weight to it when you hold it or press down on the pod. It is simple, which is part of the reason why it’s easy to clean- there are no nooks and crannies for stuff to hide out. The double-walled carafe ensures it stays cool enough to handle while keeping your coffee piping hot. Pressing down on the pod is so fun and satisfying- I just let the weight of my hands guide it slowly down. It’s kind of hard to press, but it’s supposed to be, since it should be pressed down very slowly.
There’s not much to say here- this is one of the simplest recipes ever. And it’s so much healthier, not to mention cheaper, than buying a “fancy” latte from your favorite coffee shop. The key here is a honey vanilla simple syrup, made in advance with honey, hot water, and vanilla extract. Just add some of the syrup to brewed coffee (preferably from an American Press), and top with ice and whole milk. Have I convinced you? Great! You can buy the American Press here. Recipe for this iced honey vanilla latte below:-)
