Most coffee connoisseurs prefer coffee made in a French press to coffee made in drip coffee makers. This brewing method allows you to control the temperature of the coffee and the brewing time better than any other brewing method. Volatile oils, which are often trapped in paper filters, remain present in French press coffee, allowing for a superior cup of coffee. French press coffee makers have three main parts: a pot, a stand and a plunger with an attached lid. The plunger has several smaller parts: a metal filter, a metal crosspiece and a metal spring disk. These parts can be disassembled to allow for more thorough cleanings between uses. Reassembly is quite an easy task.
Slide the pot into its stand. The pot should slide easily into the stand.
Place the mesh filter on top of the metal cross piece. The mesh filter has a hole in the middle that fits over the screw on the top of the metal cross piece.
Lay the spring disk on top of the filter. The metal rings on the exterior of the spring disk should face up. Now you should have a "sandwich" with the mesh filter in the middle.
Insert the end of the plunger into the screw on top of the metal cross piece.
Turn the plunger in a clockwise direction to screw it into the metal cross piece.