By Kenda - March, 11th 2012

I think I may buy a French Coffee Press. I’m addicted to coffee. There, I said it. So what does any addict do? Find new ways to enjoy their favorite vice. My most recent interest was the classic method of a French coffee press. Gourmet coffee lovers will tell you that coffee made using a French press doesn’t move through a filter which means you don’t lose those natural fragrant coffee oils that make your morning java much more tasty. Of course, with the vast number of automatic brewers available (I love my Keurig!) this is more a novelty method now – but it’s still interesting. I found it’s not as difficult as I first thought, so I may try it one day.

How To Make Coffee in a French Press

A French Press, or more simply a coffee press, is often a glass cylinder having a round flat disk and stem inside. You put your fresh coffee grounds inside and the add hot water. The water must not be boiling temperature or else you will scald your coffee grounds, which can change the flavor. 200 degree water is the most effective temperature. If you happen to be using a kettle to heat up your water, take it off the burner before if starts to whistle. Make sure to leave a minimum of one inch of space when filling up your press.

Coffee beans which are ground too small will clog the filter. You will likely be fine with your typical coffee maker coffee grounds however the best practice to enjoy French press coffee is usually to grind the beans yourself. Make an effort to grind the beans to a size slightly larger than coffee maker grounds. This will likely require some practice so you can get more adept with your grinder but it will definitely be worth it. Remember — as soon as coffee beans have been run through a grinder, they ought to be used as soon as possible or saved in an air tight container to ensure they stay fresh longer.

Allow the coffee to steep within the water for approximately 4 minutes. At this point it’s time for the press portion of the process. Position the French press on a non-slip surface area and slowly press the plunger downward. If you press too hard or too fast you’ll have hot water spray out everywhere. This step forces the coffee grounds to the bottom of the container and you will be left with scrumptious fresh brewed coffee within the top section. Now you can pour and enjoy.

The concept of the French press has undergone many updates in recent times. Companies have even included press systems in travel mugs. Providing you have hot water you can create a fresh brewed mug of coffee anyplace. Most of these travel mugs are also insulated which means that your coffee will continue to be warm longer.

I tend to feel that a press is more suited for the already avid coffee consumer; something for those lazy weekend mornings where flavor takes priority over time. Have you ever used a French coffee press? What are your thoughts on them?