Vancouver-based Espro launches updated French press

A local coffee equipment company is hoping to be the next big thing when it comes to serving a fresh cup of joe at restaurants and coffee shops across North America. Vancouver-based Espro will officially launch Espro Press, an updated version of the French press, at the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago this week.

Espro was founded in 2002 by mechanical engineers Bruce Constantine and Chris McLean. The Espro Press has been available online and at international boutiques for about a year, and the small (eight-ounce) coffee brewer retails for around $90.

“In the short year that the Espro Press has been available, it is already helping many Michelin Star and Zagat-rated restaurants serve much better coffee,” Constantine stated in a news release. “We are seeing coffee menus mirror wine lists for the first time, and coffee pairings and coffee flight services that are elevating the concept of tabletop coffee service.”

The difference between the Espro Press and other French presses is in its filtration system—its double-layer filter is finer, thus reducing the amount of coffee grinds that that end up in a cup of coffee. The Espro Press is made of stainless steel and keeps liquid hot for over two hours, while remaining cool to touch on its surface.

For the NRA show, Espro has teamed up with Italian coffee company Illy and Chicago’s Intelligentsia Coffee to demonstrate its product.