Clean it after every brew
- Take it apart. Separate the plunger and filter from the carafe. The NCA says to take the filter apart and wash it.
- Empty the grounds. Scrape them into a compost bin or the trash; see below.
- Wash every part. Warm water and dish soap, with a bottle brush for the carafe. Check your press's care label before using a dishwasher, because we found no single rule for all presses.
- Dry and reassemble. A damp press stays damp, so let it dry first.
What to do with the grounds
| Option | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Compost bin or pile | EPA's home composting page lists coffee grounds and paper filters as nitrogen-rich 'greens'. |
| Worm bin | EPA says worms can be fed coffee grounds and paper filters. |
| Down the sink | EPA's septic guidance says not to put coffee grounds down the drain. We found no EPA source on sewer plumbing, so the safe habit is to bin or compost them. |
Where our sources stop
The only maker-neutral cleaning source we have for the press itself is the NCA brewing page, so this advice is single-source. We found no source for soak times, for removing mould, or for which presses are dishwasher safe, so we give none. Cleaning matters for taste: the NCA also says coffee left in a press keeps brewing and turns bitter, so pour it out after the steep. See French press ratio for the brew itself.