Beaker (glassware)

The main piece of a French press is a glass beaker. Because the beaker is exposed to high temperatures in a short time, they are subject to thermal shock, This is why beakers for French press coffee makers are made of borosilicate glass, or more recently, of stainless steel.

A beaker is a simple container for stirring, mixing and heating liquids commonly used in many laboratories. Beakers are generally cylindrical in shape, with a flat bottom. Most also have a small spout (or “beak”) to aid pouring as shown in the picture. Beakers are available in a wide range of sizes, from one millilitre up to several litres.

Any receptacle that is used in coffee brewing could be described as a beaker. A good example of this would be the chemex, which is a popular glass pour over  filter coffee maker. Baristas and home brewers would also often make use of a beaker when brewing coffee using other pour over devices such as the Hario V60 or the Kalita Wave. Coffee would typically be brewed into a pre heated glass beaker, in which the coffee is served and subsequently poured into coffee cups. Alternatively, it is also possible to brew directly into a coffee cup, if just brewing a single serving.