There are a ton of ways to make coffee, from Aeropress, to pour-over to vacuum, percolation or Moka Pot and each have their devotees but one of the most common, and also one of the easiest to get wrong (and right) is French press. The tips are on how to make great French press coffee are easy when you know how and will reward you with a superb cup.
History:
A French press is simply a metal or cheesecloth screen fitted to a rod that is pressed into a pot of hot water and coffee grounds. This acts to force the coffee through the water while also separating them from one another.
Who invented the French is something of a hot topic with both France and Italy claiming provenance. The design we most closely recognize as being the modern French press was patented by an Italian around 80 years ago. However, the concept was invented in France in the 1800s.
The grind:
A French press does not do well with a fine grind. In fact, your grind should be somewhere between breadcrumbs and sea-salt in size (see here). If you’re finer than sand you’ve gone too far. Because French press is an immersion brewing technique (where the coffee remains in the water) a coarser grind prevents an over-extraction which can mean bitter coffee.
French press tends to be richer, smoother, and overall more flavorful than most other methods. Unlike finer filter or drip coffees, the metal mesh filter allows the natural oils found in coffee and fine particles to pass through it giving the coffee a thick body.
The water:
Water boils at 212F but using freshly boiled water is not wise with any brewing technique as it will ‘burn’ the coffee and cause bitterness. Using water that is too cool (less than 185 Fahrenheit) will leave your brew under-extracted and too much of the coffee’s natural compounds will stay in the grounds.
The optimal brewing temperature is 200 - 205 degrees Fahrenheit.
Method:
Water-to-coffee ratio should be approximately 15:1. So, for every 15 grams of water there should be 1 gram of coffee.
Place your award-winning specialty coffee grounds (from your favorite coffee subscription) in the bottom of your French press, and pour about a third of the water over the top. Let everything sit for about 30 seconds, then give it a gentle stir. This makes sure all of the grounds are fully saturated with water so you get a flavor-packed brew. It also enables the coffee to ‘bloom’ before adding the rest of the water.
(* When hot water meets coffee grounds, CO2 escapes and expands, creating a ‘bloom’. Once the off-gassing is complete, the grounds are more receptive to absorbing water, resulting in a better extraction of flavors.)
Add the rest of the water and place the lid on your carafe with the plunger pulled up all the way.
To stir or not to stir at the final stage is another hot debate! We confess that on balance we prefer the not-to-stir method but we will happily turn a blind eye to any approach here ;-)
Steep for 4 minutes.
Plunge. If you have a hard time pushing the plunger down then you’ve definitely ground your beans too finely. This can also cause you to have to push so hard that hot coffee can spray out of the carafe.
Drink:
Once you’ve poured yourself a delicious coffee (and are basking in the health benefits) try not to keep any remaining coffee in the carafe. To ensure your second (or third) cup of coffee isn’t bitter it is best to transfer it somewhere like another mug, thermos or thermal carafe. Somewhere away from the original grounds (which will keep steeping and become bitter in taste through over-extraction).
Enjoy!
