French press whipped cream is fun. But does it actually work?

In my four years as editor of the King Arthur blog, one of our most popular posts has been our tribute to the practical magic of Mason jar whipped cream.

It’s easy to understand why! It’s a truly helpful tip — Mason jar whipped cream is a handy way to prepare freshly whipped cream on-the-go if you’re bringing dessert to a holiday party, or to cut down on dishes if you’re making it at home.

But as great as this method is, it’s not perfect: Shaking the jar can take up to two minutes of vigorous jostling, and though that doesn’t sound like very long, after 30 seconds or so your arm might be starting to feel the burn. So our ears perked up when we heard about another quirky whipped cream method that might be even better: making your whipped cream in a French press.

We put it to the test, asking Recipe Editor Kye Ameden to give it a spin. She poured cream into the French press, then pushed the plunger up and down for about 4 minutes, until the cream thickened. The verdict: “It works surprisingly well!” Kye reported. "While it still takes some manual effort to pump the press vigorously, it’s easier than shaking a jar, which honestly sometimes works me up into a sweat.” (Kye is a marathon runner and endurance athlete, so that’s saying a lot.) 

Photography and food styling by Liz Neily

Another benefit of this method? It’s hard to overwhip the cream, something that can easily happen if you’re whipping with a stand mixer, and even by hand or in a Mason jar. But because the plunger of the press has to move through the cream with each pump, it’s hard to keep agitating the mixture past the point of soft peaks — the ideal state.

And just like Mason jar whipped cream, there’s something whimsical about making your whipped cream in the French press. “It’s cute to serve the whipped cream straight from the press with a spoon!” says Kye. “You can put it on the table next to a pie or crisp as a fun serving vessel.”

If you find yourself bringing a holiday pie to Thanksgiving or another celebration this year, pack your French press and some heavy cream, too. When it comes time to serve the pie, slip away and start pumping. You’ll have fresh whipped cream ready to go with minimal effort, and a fun party trick to boot.

Photography and food styling by Liz Neily

Tips for making French press whipped cream

Keep your cream cold: Just like whipped cream made in a bowl, you need to keep your heavy cream cold. When cream is cold the fat is more solid, stable, and capable of holding air bubbles, so it’ll whip faster and more effectively.

Don’t overdo it: This method works best with a small volume of cream relative to the size of the French press. Don’t fill it more than 1/3 full of cream initially. But that said, make sure you have enough cream in the container that the pump reaches all the way down into it.

Use your ears: You can tell the whipped cream is close when you hear a slight sucking sound as you pull up on the pump. After that, take a peek at your whipped cream at intervals to check on its progress, stopping when it reaches your desired consistency. 

Embrace the loss: The one downside to this method is that you will lose a small portion of your whipped cream to the press filter — sadly, it comes with the territory.

You’ve got the whipped cream covered … but what about the pie? Find 15 of our favorite pie recipes, from pumpkin to apple and more.

Cover photo and food styling by Liz Neily.