The Simplest Way Your French Press Coffee Machine Can Help Make Dinner

For such a simple piece of machinery, there are many things you didn't know your French press could do. Not only does it make a superior cup of java (it's Martha Stewart's go-to gadget for elevated coffee), it's also excellent for making loose leaf tea, infused water, and insanely aromatic and flavorful broth. This may sound strange at first, but considering the French press is made to be heatproof with a built-in strainer, it truly seems tailor-made for making small batches of savory broth.

The process for making French press broth closely resembles how you'd use it to make coffee, except you replace fresh coffee grounds with herbs, spices, and other aromatics. Be sure to lightly crush whole spices such as peppercorns, mustard seed, and cardamom, and microplane or roughly chop astringent ingredients such as garlic, ginger, or shallots. If you're using leafy herbs (think tarragon and oregano), roll them gently between your fingers to release their scent and oils before adding them to the press. These techniques help release more flavor into your broth. After adding your aromatics to the bottom of the French press, fill the glass beaker with preheated water from a kettle (or a drip coffee carafe to keep with the theme). Set the filter and plunger in place, then let all of the flavors infuse for a little less than 10 minutes. At this point, you can press the plunger to separate the solids from the liquid, resulting in a rich, nuanced broth.

Though making broth in your French press is simple enough, there are a few guidelines that can help you avoid major messes and flavor faux pas. First, if you plan to make French press broth often, it may be best to purchase a press dedicated to that purpose. Otherwise, you may have broth that tastes like over-brewed coffee, or coffee that tastes like your last batch of broth. There are lots of additions that give your coffee a flavor boost, but garlic and oregano aren't on that list.

It's also best to avoid making bone broth in your French press, since most chicken and beef bones are much too large for the filtration feature to be effective. However, you can make quick batches of fish stock since shellfish scraps and fish bones are smaller and more flexible. Overly oily or spongy ingredients, such as chicken skin, are also a no-go since the excess fats could easily clog your filter. Premade chicken or beef stock work well if you want your broth to have a rich, meaty flavor.

Once you know what to avoid, feel free to exercise your creativity and experiment with flavors. Dried mushrooms, hot chili flakes, and scallions would be delicious in a Thai-inspired soup. This is also a great method for making spice-forward broths for cooking rice and other grains. Think cumin, cinnamon, and paprika for Moroccan-inspired dishes, or even garlic, ginger, and chopped lemons to battle cold and flu season.