Long ago, a Frenchman stumbled upon a coffee-brewing miracle that sparked the legend of the French Press. Picture this: a forgetful Frenchman in the 1850s, boiling water for his coffee on an open fire. Oops! He forgot to add the coffee grounds! In a desperate attempt to salvage his coffee, he grabbed a metal screen from an Italian merchant, pressed it over the boiling pot, and voilà – the French Press was born!
Fast forward to 1852 when Frenchmen Mayer and Delforge patented the first design, though it was simpler than what we use today. It wasn't until 1929 that Italians Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta patented a version resembling the modern French Press. But the real game-changer came in 1958, courtesy of Swiss innovator Faliero Bondanini, who patented the Chambord design.
Chambord became a French sensation, and Danish company Bodum later acquired its rights, leading to legal disputes. This marked the birth of coffee culture, with distributors like Calimani and Bondanini shaping the landscape from the mid-1950s to the early 1990s.
The French Press gained different names across Europe, with Chambord leading the charge. In 1991, Bodum acquired Martin S.A., keeping the Chambord design alive and making it one of the most recognized home-brewing coffee devices.
In the 1960s, a competitor emerged – La Cafetière, produced by Household Articles Ltd. under Louis James de Viel Castel. When Bodum bought Martin S.A. in 1991, de Viel Castel lost his right to distribute in France. The Chambord and La Cafetière competed as the leading French Press brewers, pushing the boundaries of quality.
Enter a world where coffee magic happens at home, thanks to the legends of the French Press – a tale filled with accidents, patents, and the quest for the perfect cup.
