You guys. French press coffee is so good. It's frothy, smooth, rich, bold... it's just absolutely crazy delicious. And today I want to share with you how I make this amazing beverage every single morning.
Your Coffee Chemistry Set
A French press, which is also called a coffee press or cafetiere, is typically a glass cylinder (though sometimes metal or plastic) with a lid containing a wire mesh plunger. The look of my French press reminds me of the beakers we used to use in chemistry class. Which is interesting, because brewing great coffee is exactly that: SCIENCE.
Get Your Grounds Right
The first element in a good cup o' French press joe is to use quality coffee beans. I buy my beans at a little locally owned coffee house in my neighborhood. This shop, run by a family who lives down my street (shout out to the Cudas!), always has a fresh supply of Michigan roasted beans on hand. I let them know that I'm using the coffee in my French press and they grind them up for me into large, coarse grounds.
Your grounds should be coarse like gravel. The purpose of this is so that the grounds don't slip through the wire mesh screen of the plunger. If you buy your coffee at a store with a do-it-yourself grind machine, look at the settings; you should see an option for "coarse" or it might even be labeled "French press". If you grind your own at home, as I sometimes do, pulse the beans until the grounds look like those in the photo above.
Measure, Modify, Repeat
The amount of coffee you use in your French press will vary according to your taste preference. You'll also find yourself tweaking the amount you use with each different brand or type of beans that you buy. It might take you a few pots before you find that perfect coffee-to-water-to-brew-time ratio, but don't give up! Calibrating the perfect brew is worth it.
When experimenting with your French press you want to establish a couple of constants. These will be your starting points each time you introduce a new brand or type of bean into the mix. My constants are the size of my scooper, levels of water, temperature, stirring and brew time.
Scooper Size: I always use the scooper that came with my press. It holds 7 grams of grounds and to keep it consistent, I always start off with level scoops.
Water Level: I divide the cylinder into thirds and use one level scoop of coffee per each third of the cylinder. To be a little more clear, if I'm filling the entire press with water, I use three level scoops of coffee. If I only fill the press 2/3 of the way, then two scoops are used and 1/3 full equals one scoop.
Temperature: I boil water using my tea kettle and once it whistles, I begin to slowly pour the water over the grounds. This process is called wetting the grounds.
Stirring: After the desired amount of water is added, I stir the mixture for just a few seconds using the handle of a wooden cooking utensil. That's how you get the beautiful froth on top.
And here's the science: Just like in chem class, pouring the solvent (the boiling water) over the solute (the coffee grounds) creates a solution (water mixed with grounds). The resulting chemical reaction is how we get that delicious cup of coffee - those coffee grounds are made up of cells full of carbon dioxide and releasing that carbon dioxide gas is an important part of the process.
Brew Time: I always start with a brew time of six minutes. You may also hear me refer to the brew time as "the longest and most agonizing wait time of my entire life".
Make Adjustments as You Go
Once I make a pot following the constants I've set into place, I may decide to adjust my measurements after I've tasted the coffee. If the java was too strong, I'll use less grounds or add more water. If it was too weak, I'll use more grounds and maybe less water. I may also increase or decrease the amount of time I allow my coffee to brew as well. Like I said, when switching to a new brand or type of bean, it may take a few pots and a little bit of tweaking to get your cup just right.
Take the Plunge
Once your coffee has brewed, it's time to put the "press" in French press! As you press the plunger down, all of the delicious coffee will flow up through the wire mesh filter and the grounds will be pushed to the bottom. But take this step slow! It has been found that pressing the plunger down too quickly can "agitate" the grounds and cause them to release bitter flavors into your brew. Which, of course, is unacceptable.
Drink Up!
You are now ready to to drink your amazing cup of liquid awesomeness. Keep in mind that this is not "let it sit around and drink it later" coffee. French press coffee is at its absolute best when consumed immediately. I know that a lot of people like to make a full pot of coffee and then drink on it all day. But if you try to do this with your pressed coffee, you'll be disappointed (because it will be gross). So if you only plan to drink one cup that morning, just make enough for one cup. And then when you want more later in the afternoon, make it fresh. Your taste buds will thank you.
Myth: French Press Coffee is Expensive and Time Consuming
You certainly can spend a lot of money on a French press. I've seen some that were hundreds of dollars. But luckily, the majority of French presses are created equal - I mean there's really not a whole lot to them. I spent $20.00 on mine and am incredibly happy with it. You also do not have to spend a fortune on beans either. Between my husband and I, we consume about a 1/4 pound of coffee a week. The coffee that I purchase from that little shop is $12.00 a pound. So that's $3.00 bucks a week we're spending on coffee, which certainly ain't breaking the bank.
And French press coffee is only time consuming if you stand around and do nothing while you wait for the whole process to be complete. Which is ridiculous; I mean who has standing around time in the morning? I have worked all of the steps of coffee-making into my morning routine. I set the tea kettle on the stove and go get dressed while it heats to a boil. After I pour the water over the grounds, I set the timer on my phone and run back to spend that 6 minute brew time doing my hair. Then once it's brewed, I pour my cup and it's back in front of the mirror we go, because I certainly did not finish my hair in 6 minutes. And that perfect cup of coffee travels around the house with me for the remainder of the morning; sip, get ready, repeat. I'd take it in the shower with me if soap suds didn't taste so terrible.
LEAVE ME A COMMENT!
I want to hear from YOU about your thoughts on French press coffee!
Do you have a press and love to use it at home? What advice can you share with us?
Have any other questions about where to buy or how to use a French press? Ask away!
xoxo,
That Busy Girl
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I'll admit. This sounds tedious to me but I'm sure once you get it down to a science like you have it would be a breeze. Great post. I want to try this. My hubby loves French pressed coffee. I think he'd be shocked if I made this one morning!
ReplyDeleteAt first it seemed so fussy. I was used to the regular coffee pot, press the button and go! But the cup of coffee that you get from a French press is just unbeatable, so I made it work in my life! But if there's no time on your regular weekday morning, maybe just reserve it for weekends OR when company comes - serve a French press pot alongside some dessert and your guests will be so impressed!
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