The French press, also known as a cafetière or coffee plunger, is one of the most popular manual immersion methods. Coarsely ground coffee is steeped in hot water for 4 minutes or longer, then a plunger is used to press down the grounds and pour the brewed coffee. French press coffee has a robust, oily texture and intense flavor profile full of sediment that makes it through the mesh filter. The lack of a paper filter results in a greater concentration of coffee oils and compounds that give the French press its signature mouthfeel and kick.