How to Use French Press

The French press, also called a press pot, is a 19th century French creation that brews an awesome cup of coffee. It bridges the gap between the pace and convenience of a drip coffee maker and the strong flavors of espresso.

If you like full-bodied and flavorful coffee, a French press should be your go-to brewing approach. A French press is a manual coffee maker using a cylindrical carafe, a plunger and a built-in filter which percolates the java. It uses just-boiled water to intense coarse grinds for approximately four minutes.

This strategy is much more gentle than drip coffee-making or stovetop brewing methods which heat the water really warm and sometimes scald the beans. Having a French press, coffee also does not sit on a warming plate after brewing so it does not continue to"cook" and turn sour.

How does a French press coffee maker work?

A French press makes coffee by immersing ground coffee in warm water and then separating the grounds from the coffee by pressing down the filter. Water must be at about 200ºF to maximize flavor extraction.

How to Use a French Press Coffee Maker

1. Use water that's slightly cooler than boiling.

Bring water to a boil, then wait for a minute or two. Or cool the water using a shot of cool or cold water.

Use fresh water that has not yet been boiled before for the very best taste. The reason why is that the water we consume (from the tap or bottle) has been aerated and has dissolved gases which make the water taste better. Boiling removes the leaves and gases a"flat" taste. (I'm not 100% sure of this and am usually too lazy to empty the electric kettle of previously-boiled water. However, this advice has been handed down for generations, is frequently quoted by tea and coffee connoisseurs, and the explanation seems reasonable.)

Hint: Put a little bit of hot water in the empty French press to heat it up. You are going to get a hotter closing cup.

2. Grind your own coffee beans.

Freshly ground coffee is easily 10 times better than pre-ground coffee. Even non-connoisseurs will immediately notice the substantial difference in odor, taste and overall awesomeness of the cup of coffee.

Hint: For the best taste, freshly ground coffee is more important than having perfectly sized grounds. Therefore, if the cost of a burr grinder is prohibitive, opt to buy whole beans and grind at home with a inexpensive blade grinder versus purchasing secondhand java. (See also: Greatest Coffee Grinders)

3. Use a rough grind.

You want uniform big bits so the grinds don't slip through the mesh filter. But the grind should not be so big that you can't extract the majority of the goodness, which makes for weak bland coffee.

Tip: Adjust the strength of your brew by adjusting your grind size. I like my coffee strong, so I aim to get a finer grind that is just big enough to the net.

4.Use 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for each 1 cup of water.

The rule of thumb is for every single 8 ounce water (1 cup), use 2 tbsp coffee. (I like it more powerful, so I will go 2.5 or 3 tablespoons for every cup of water.) If you would like to get very nerdy about measurements, take a look at this graph of coffee to water ratios in The Black Bear Micro Roastery.

5. Pour, stir, cover.

Pour water evenly above grounds and stir to make sure the hot water gets to each bit. Stir to make sure every one of the grounds are immersed in the water and also to help with the extraction of the yummy oils and chemicals.

Tips:

A chopstick is great for stirring. Stay away from using a metal spoon as it causes microcracks in the glass of the French press and raises the chance it will shatter.

When you cover the French press for steeping, don't let the filter touch the brew to prevent warming it longer than necessary.

6. Steep for 4 minutes.

Four minutes is the standard number that gets thrown about. To get a stronger brew, steep for as much as 10 minutes. For the little 3-4 cup (12-16 oz) French presses, you can eliminate two minutes of steeping.

Some folks really like the no steep time method. Here is the process recommended by French press maker Illy. This creates a not as bitter cup of java. To get the same kick as a more steep but without the additional bitterness, you can use more ground coffee.

Try these variations and see which you like best:

Extra dim: Steep 10 minutes.

Standard: Steep 4 minutes.

Short steep:: Steep for 30-60 seconds.

No steep: Plunge immediately after stirring.

7. Press down on the plunger calmly and gradually.

Maintain the plunger directly back, or else reasons will slip through the faces of the filter. Press down slowly -- only using the weight of your hand and arm for strain to minimize stirring up the dust or forcing miniature milling through the mesh filter.

8. Pour and Revel in!

I'll leave a little bit of water in the French press to minimize the coffee dust in the cup. Despite my crappy blade grinderI receive a pretty sludge-free cup of java.

Mmm... dark, delicious coffee.

Wash the French presson.

Clean the media pot well. It makes a difference in flavor because droplets of oil in the coffee can go rancid also ruin the cup.

  

Tiamo coffee equipment is corrosion resistant.