It produces a cup of coffee that is more flavorful, robust, and thick given that you are operating the Press properly during brewing. The enhanced boldness and flavor are due to the fact that the Press uses a fine wire or Nylon mesh filter rather than a paper filter that most drip coffee makers use, which absorbs and traps flavorful coffee oils.
In my opinion, there are two downsides to a French Press. One is that brewing coffee with a French Press is time consuming. If you're the type of person that rushes out of the house every morning for work or school, the French Press is not for you. The second downside, that may be a plus to some people, is that due to the many variables while using a Press and human error, the same tasting cup of coffee from brew to brew is unlikely. To some who may like to experiment, this can be favorable.
Many people alter the variables to fit their taste. Therefore, there is not one tried-and-true method of using a French Press. There are some tolerances that if you do not heed, your French Press will produce nothing but coffee that is bitter/weak and/or coffee containing too much sediment. I'm not an experienced barista. However, from some research and experimentation, I've found the method which works for me and would like to share it.
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| I'm using Barefoot Coffee's "The Heavy". A dark roasted, Central American blend. |
You will need:
- French Press
- Coffee beans (whole, freshly roasted is preferable)
- Scale to weigh coffee beans
- Grinder
- Kettle (electric or stove-top)
- Plastic utensil to stir the coffee
- Timer
- Thermometer (optional)
Step 1: Weigh the coffee
I use a coffee to water ratio of 18g per cup (8oz). This may be on the strong side for some people so you may have to adjust it to suit your taste. I place a stryrofoam cup on an electric scale and then zero the scale. You may use any type of cup, bowl, or plate that you wish to weigh the coffee, just be sure to zero the scale prior to putting the beans in/on it. Pour the coffee beans in the cup until you reach the right amount of coffee for the amount of water that you're using. I usually make 3 cups (24oz) of coffee in the morning. So I'd use 54g of beans.
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| Weighing the coffee beans |
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| Grinding with a Hario Skerton hand mill. |
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| A coarse grind next to a U.S. nickel, for comparison. |
Step 3: Boil the water
Measure out the amount of water that you are going to use and pour it into a kettle. The best water to use is filtered or spring water since tap water will adversely affect the flavor of your brewed coffee. Begin heating up the water.
In the meantime, pour hot water into your empty Press in order to preheat it. This prevents the temperature of the water you're boiling from dropping when you pour it into the Press. Pour the water out completely and dump your coffee grinds into the Press. Shake the Press from side to side so that the grinds settle yielding a relatively flat surface on top:
Step 4: Pour the hot water into the Press
Once the water begins to boil, let it cool down until it reaches about 205° F or about 20-30 seconds off of the boil. Get your timer ready. Pour the water into the Press, being sure to saturate all of the grounds and place the lid on the top of the Press and begin your timer. Then wait one minute until the next step.
Waiting too long to pour the water into the Press will take away from the flavor of the coffee since the water won't be hot enough to extract the flavors from the beans. Pouring in the water too soon will result in you scalding the coffee grounds which also makes the brew less flavorful.
Upon pouring in the water, you may notice a tan foam at the top of the water's surface. This is a good indication of whether your beans are fresh or not. The more the foam, the fresher the beans. If there is little to no foam, your beans were most likely not roasted recently and are not fresh.
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| Fresh roasted beans were used. |
Step 5: Stir the coffee:
After a minute has passed since you placed the lid on top, remove the lid from the Press. Using a plastic (not metal!) utensil such as a spoon, stir the coffee, being sure to break up all of the crust that has formed on the top. Do it as quickly and efficiently as possible, before securing the lid back on top once again. The bottom of the plunger (filter) should making slight contact with the water.
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| Breaking up the crust. |
Step 6: Allow the coffee to brew
Allow the coffee to brew until your timer is at four minutes. While you're waiting, preheat your coffee mug in the same manner as you did the Press - by filling it with hot water. Remove the water shortly before the next step. You can extend your brewing time to five minutes if you like a bolder taste. I recommend starting at four minutes and modify it from there.
Step 7: Steep the coffee
At the four minute mark, steep the coffee by gently applying force directly down on the plunger without using more force in any one direction. You should notice a little resistance while steeping. Do not allow the plunger to tilt, otherwise coffee grounds will get past it and into your coffee. Continue plunging until you push all of the grounds to the bottom of the Press. Keep the steeping time under 15 seconds.
Step 8: Decant your coffee
Serve your coffee as soon as possible! As long as the coffee is still in the Press, it's still brewing. If you plan to save some for later, store it in a Thermos.
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| Pouring the brewed coffee into my preheated mug |
Step 9: Drink and enjoy!
Feel free to give me some feedback! Thanks for reading!
