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It is often said that “A gentleman is always ready to serve coffee at a moment’s notice” it’s not much of a problem if you know how to brew French press coffee. The main reason for the survival of the French press is its simplicity in design and the easiness of using it.
And today, we are going to discuss the best way and several pro tips for making French press coffee.
However, we must also insist that the taste of the coffee depends a lot on the device being used to brew it. The mesh’s size and mechanism define whether some coffee grounds will pass through and make the coffee bitter tasting.
If you are planning to upgrade or buy a new coffee press, then definitely check out our article on the best French Press coffee makers reviews.
Using a coffee press is quite simple, which is why its main competitor is the drip-feed coffee maker. However, a drip-feed coffee maker generally uses a paper filter (if not customized) as compared to the coffee press, which absorbs some of the natural flavors of coffee.
If you are newly introduced to a coffee press, you must be wondering what a coffee press is and how it differs from other coffee brewing methods. We will provide you with a short but useful brief about what a coffee press is and how it differs from other brewing methods.
What is a Coffee Press?
A coffee press is a simple manual device to brew coffee easily from coarse coffee grounds. The coffee brewed using this method is generally strong and has more flavors as the coffee oils get well dissolved into it.
Generally, all the coffee press devices consist of four basic parts, and they are as given below:
- Carafe: This part holds the warm water or the brewed coffee and is also the place to operate the plunger. These are generally either made up of stainless steel (High-Quality Devices), Borosilicate Glass (Mid Range Devices), or sometimes Plastic (Cheap Products: Not recommended). It is totally dependent on you which one you would choose depending on the budget and frequency of use. However, they have been mentioned in the decreasing order of their quality.
- Plunger & Filter Screen: The plunger and filter screen do the job as described; it is used to filter the coffee grounds from the brew. Some of the best devices we reviewed have a double or triple filter. This ensures that no coffee grounds pass through into the brew and hence doesn’t make the coffee bitter.
- Handle Frame: The handle frame helps hold the device while brewing the coffee. These parts are generally made up of heat-insulating materials, and some have a rubberized finish for good grip.
- Top Lid: The top lid serves two purposes. Firstly it helps cover the top and keep the coffee warm during the brewing process. Secondly, it acts as a support for the plunger to work by keeping the plunger rod guided through the center hole.
How to Use a French Press Coffee Maker?
Here are the exact listed steps to brew coffee using a French Press coffee maker:
Step 1: Heat the required amount of water to 185 to 190 degrees F, and also remove the plunger along with the mesh filter.
Step 2: Measure the coffee using a teaspoon, the rule of thumb is one teaspoon of coffee for 1 cup of coffee. Also, make sure the coffee is coarsely grounded so that it does not pass through the filter screen easily.
Step 3: Once the water reaches the desired temperature, pour the water and start stirring till the coffee is mixed evenly.
Step 4: Now place the top lid along with the plunger and let the coffee sit for 4-5 minutes.
Step 5: Once the time is up, gently dip the plunger and extract the coffee.
Step 6: Now you are all ready to serve the coffee. You should immediately serve the coffee to prevent it from getting bitter. If you want to store the coffee, transfer it to a thermos.
Step 7: Clean the coffee press and store it properly.
How Can I Improve the Quality of Coffee Brewed Using a French Press?
Brewing coffee with a French press is an incredibly simple and rewarding process. There are, however, a few steps you can take to make sure your brew is the best it can be.
1. Grind Your Own Coffee Beans
What you start with is just as important as how you brew it. Buy whole beans and grind them fresh each time you make coffee. You will get a much richer flavor when you grind coffee beans than pre-ground coffee.
A coarse or even grind size will produce the best results. To achieve the desired consistency, use a burr grinder and grind your beans right before you brew.
Ground coffee will begin to lose flavor after a few minutes, so try to brew immediately.
2. Boil Fresh Water
The coffee that we drink is 99% water, so it is essential that you use clean, fresh water. Hot tap water will do in a pinch, but freshly boiled water will give your brew more flavor and body. Make sure not to overboil the water, as this can cause off flavors.
3. Bloom the Coffee
Once you have added the ground coffee to your French press carafe, “bloom” it by adding a small amount of hot water and stirring. This will kick start the brewing process and help to release CO2 and create a richer flavor.
4. Don’t Over-Brew
Once the bloom is complete, fill the French press with hot water and plunge. Let the coffee steep for four minutes, and then plunge slowly to separate the coffee grounds from the liquid.
Over brewing will create a bitter, unpleasant flavor, so be sure to keep an eye on the clock.
Other pro tips for making that perfect French Press Coffee:
- Double Walled: If your budget permits, definitely go for a double-walled brewer, as it will minimize the heat loss during the brewing and hence will keep the taste of the coffee fresh.
- Consumption Time: The coffee brewed using this method should be consumed immediately as the taste tends to deteriorate with time. The best thing to do is to consume it within 10 minutes. In any case, if you want to store the coffee, make sure to pour it out of the brewer and store it in a separate thermos. Else it will get bitter with time.
- Measurement: The general rule of thumb is to use a teaspoon of coffee for a small cup. However, if you want to go for a full carafe, you should add eight teaspoons for a 32-ounce pot.
- Coffee Texture: It is always a requirement to get coarse ground coffee for a French Press coffee maker. If you get finely grounded coffee, the particles will pass through the wire mesh and will make the coffee bitter in taste.
- Protect Yourself: The wall of the pot gets extremely hot once you pour the water; make sure to touch the handle carefully while brewing the coffee, or else you might burn yourself.
- Heat-insulated Spoon: While stirring the coffee, make sure to use a heat-insulated spoon. If you are using a metal spoon, it will get heated up in an instant and will burn your fingers.
- Cleaning The Brewer: After you have enjoyed the coffee, make sure to clean the brewer immediately, as the wire mesh can be a breeding ground for germs and bacteria if left out for a long time.
- Dishwasher Safe: In case you are using a dishwasher, make sure your device is dishwasher safe. Otherwise, it might damage both the coffee press and the dishwasher machine. You should be able to find more info about it in the documents supplied along with the brewer.
Final Words
Whether you are a professional barista or an amateur coffee enthusiast, you will love the flavor and aroma of freshly brewed coffee using a French Press. Try it out today and experience the rich flavor of a perfectly brewed cup of coffee! Enjoy!