French Press Coffee

I enjoy good coffee . I like a strong cup of my Italian roast coffee dripped for breakfast. Mid-day I enjoy a cup of espresso (usually a double)...either at a coffee shop or home made on my stove top. Recently I have been experimenting with a French press coffee maker I found. I hit the bulls eye first time...made one outstanding cup...and have not been able to hit the bulls eye since. I have tried various approaches and I can't seem to get a consistent cup of coffee with the French press.

Any suggestions are welcome...

I'm not claiming to be Mr. Super Coffee Expert. I can only say how I prepare my coffee, perhaps it contains some useful information for you.

I've been an avid French press user for years and can't even imagine to prepare my coffee in any other way - sometimes the old-fashioned ways of our fathers work the best.

Now, brewing a good cup of coffee with a French press is not too hard but requires attention to details.

The water: It must be hot, but not boiling hot. I boil the water and let it cool down to about 200°F (94°C).

The coffee: I take one measuring spoon of coffee beans per cup and put it into my coffee grinder, a small, very simple electric device with room for a maximum of six measuring spoons and no automatic settings at all. I insert the coffee beans, put the lid on and make sure it stays in its place, press the power switch and move the grinder like a cocktail shaker so as to make certain that the beans are evenly ground. On a scale from 1 (fine like dust, suitable for espresso machines) to 10 (very coarse), the coffee ground should be at 7.

Preparing the coffee is quite easy: after pouring the coffee ground into the French press, I add the hot water, stir the coffee quickly, put the lid with the plunger on (but don't press it down) and wait for four (maximum five) minutes. After that I slowly press the plunger down and pour the coffee into my coffee pot.

I have found that not all coffees are equally suitable for French press brewing, so you will probably want to try out which coffee is best for you.

I wish you success with brewing a good cup.

CaptainGreybeard said:

I'm not claiming to be Mr. Super Coffee Expert. I can only say how I prepare my coffee, perhaps it contains some useful information for you.

I've been an avid French press user for years and can't even imagine to prepare my coffee in any other way - sometimes the old-fashioned ways of our fathers work the best.

Now, brewing a good cup of coffee with a French press is not too hard but requires attention to details.

The water: It must be hot, but not boiling hot. I boil the water and let it cool down to about 200°F (94°C).

The coffee: I take one measuring spoon of coffee beans per cup and put it into my coffee grinder, a small, very simple electric device with room for a maximum of six measuring spoons and no automatic settings at all. I insert the coffee beans, put the lid on and make sure it stays in its place, press the power switch and move the grinder like a cocktail shaker so as to make certain that the beans are evenly ground. On a scale from 1 (fine like dust, suitable for espresso machines) to 10 (very coarse), the coffee ground should be at 7.

Preparing the coffee is quite easy: after pouring the coffee ground into the French press, I add the hot water, stir the coffee quickly, put the lid with the plunger on (but don't press it down) and wait for four (maximum five) minutes. After that I slowly press the plunger down and pour the coffee into my coffee pot.

I have found that not all coffees are equally suitable for French press brewing, so you will probably want to try out which coffee is best for you.

I wish you success with brewing a good cup.

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This morning, purely by mistake, I made the perfect cup of coffee. I heated the container with hot water. Emptied the water and added in a heaping tablespoon of ground coffee, filled the container half full with hot water. I then stroked my cleanly shaven cheeks and chin, admiring the handiwork of my excellent morning shave. Did this for 2 minutes. Then added in the remaining hot water and let that sit for another minute. Then slowly pressed down the plunger. I then stroked my chin and cheeks again (what a great shave this morning) for another 30 seconds while the fine grind settled. Then poured my coffee and enjoyed a really nice cup of coffee. I must use Proraso again tomorrow...I am sure this contributed to my excellent cup of coffee.
btw...I don't grind my own beans...but i do use a coarse ground Sumatra dark roast coffee...and it is quite nice.

I was never able to get a consistently good cup of coffee from my french press. I recently switched from drip to an Aeropress and I'm not looking back. Fresh ground (Porlex hand grinder) espresso beans (one scoop whole beans per cup), 200F water, 1 minute of steeping, press the coffee and enjoy pure smooth coffee bliss.

I have two Bodum presses, grind coffee medium coarse, hot water about 198-200*, if no thermometer, boil water and wait thirty seconds or so. Usually 3.5 minutes to steep then press down plunger and pour coffee.

Too many folks grind their coffee too fine, they use boiling water and they steep for far too long. These are the killers to good French Press.

Enjoy!

I'm a new french press user, so all the info in this thread will be helpful! Thanks, Jeff

Climb14er said:

Too many folks grind their coffee too fine, they use boiling water and they steep for far too long. These are the killers to good French Press.

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That's correct. Pouring boiling water onto the coffee kills the flavour. Grinding the coffee beans too fine makes the coffee bitter as does steeping it too long. Also, if you grind the coffee too fine, all the coffee dust slips through the metal mesh and ends up in your cup. Yuk!

This has got to be the most consistent way of making coffee. You do need to figure out the temperature, grind, and brew time. But you need to do that with any method. Can't give specifics, but the water's between 195F and 204F (though I have gone to 208F, or down to 190 with a thoroughly preheated pot), the grind is about as coarse as a pre-ground can of coffee, and my time is about 4 minutes. If you're not sure, start off between 200 and 204F with a preheated pot.

My general rule is that a finer grind needs less brew time, and possibly a lower temperature. But I grind fairly coarse for this method. Preheat the container until you're sure of how the container will lower the water temperature. I aim for a 4 minute brew, setting the timer to 3 or 3.5 minutes after I pour the water--that time plus the time to pour adds 30-60 seconds to the final brew time. If I'm using the plunger, I fill with half the water, wait for the bloom, stir, then pour in the rest of the water--this keeps the sides clean for the plunger. Different coffees and roasts will prefer different temperatures and brew times. Some folks claim darker roasts want a lower temperature, but that's not been my experience--maybe because I rarely roast very dark. I find some light roasts do better at 190F.

I've actually given up on the press because of the fines in the cup. Still use the container (though any old container will do) but instead of pressing, I dump the stuff through a mesh strainer and then through a paper filter. Fines clog the paper quickly, and I've been caught having to swap to a new filter before finishing. But the fines tend to get caught in the normal grounds, depending on the grind and strainer. The main thing is to separate the water from the grounds quickly to stop the brewing. The only problem is the temperature drops a lot after pouring the coffee through a strainer, then a paper filter in a ceramic bowl, and into the cup, so I try to preheat some of it. It's not a big problem for me because I don't like steaming hot coffee, but this may be the biggest drawback for other people.

I think stovetop espresso (Bialetti) makes the best coffee, but I've never been able to get consistent enough with it.

French press certainly is sensitive to variables, so the only way to get consistent results is with consistent process. Yeah, that sounds anal, but that's how it goes. We use a French press at home and quite enjoy our coffee. Half the fun of a French press is tailoring it to what you enjoy. The other half is enjoying the results.

I actually weigh my coffee and measure my water. I have a small, fairly inexpensive scale that I keep right by the coffee and coffee making gear (I already had the scale for measuring hops when I brew). A simple, 16 oz. measuring cup sits right by it. I measure out the water, dump it in the electric kettle with the temperature settings (the most fabulous Christmas gift from my brother), and fire it up (we go for 190F). I grind the coffee in my Hario Slim hand grinder set to be on the coarse side and dump the ground stuff in press. When the water is ready (usually right about the same time), I dump it in, stir for about 15-20 seconds, pop on the lid, and set the timer on my kitchen hood (any timer will do). When the timer goes off, I slowly push down the plunger, pour, and enjoy.

Your grind, coffee/water ratio, water temperature, stir time, steep time, and all that can vary as you like it, but it's worth finding out what you like. We tend to like lower water temperature and longer steep times, but we also tend to drink darker roasts (City+ or darker). As mentioned above, you might want change things up if you go for lighter roasts.

You'll notice that I did not mention doing any sort of "bloom." I've tried blooming, and I did not see any real difference. That could be due to our longer steeping times or longer stirring time, but I couldn't tell you for certain. In any case, I don't see much difference, so I don't worry about it.

Mrs. TL and I don't mind the fines at all, so we take no extra measures to reduce them.

Your press also can make a difference. We have a Frieling, stainless steel, 23 oz. press. We went with the stainless press because I once broke a glass one. Believe me, that was a catastrophe, the likes of which rarely are seen. So, I splurged. Going on four years, I haven't managed to break this one. The insulation is an added benefit.

This is my press brew method

I use a Bodum press and grind on course with a black and Decker grinder. I put as many grounds in as I feel like depending on the day. I pour in some hot but not boiling water and swirl the press every so often. When the grounds start to sink on their own, the have given their due to the coffee and I press the screen down. Then pour it in a mug for consumption. You'll soon get a good grasp of how much coffee to use based on how you feel.

For me it is 8 o'clock Columbian peaks in bean form, ground as course as my grinder will go, and letting the water come off of boiling temp for a few seconds before I pour it in.

Three and a half minutes later I press it. Very consistent, very easy, and very tasty.

SiBurning said:

I've actually given up on the press because of the fines in the cup. Still use the container (though any old container will do) but instead of pressing, I dump the stuff through a mesh strainer and then through a paper filter.

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I've wrapped the press screen with a coffee filter before pressing. This removes all the sediment. It also removes the oils which in my option makes for a less flavorful cup.

Climb14er said:

I have two Bodum presses, grind coffee medium coarse, hot water about 198-200*, if no thermometer, boil water and wait thirty seconds or so. Usually 3.5 minutes to steep then press down plunger and pour coffee.

Too many folks grind their coffee too fine, they use boiling water and they steep for far too long. These are the killers to good French Press.

Enjoy!

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Agreed. I have a Bodum and a Braun grinder set to "coarse". I get great coffee.

turtle said:

This is my press brew method

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That coffee looks like it would bark at you!

Toothpick said:

That coffee looks like it would bark at you!

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Yep.... My coffee will stand up on a counter with or without a cup around it

turtle said:

Yep.... My coffee will stand up on a counter with or without a cup around it View attachment 665628

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That's how Mrs. TL and I like it, too. We have to be careful about what mugs we keep around. Not all of them can take the sort of coffee we make. Some try to run and hide.

I don't know where I read this originally but I've said it many times since then. Coffee should be Hot as hell, black as pitch, and with an aroma that embraces you like a fine woman.

Alacrity59 said:

I don't know where I read this originally but I've said it many times since then. Coffee should be Hot as hell, black as pitch, and with an aroma that embraces you like a fine woman.

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+1

No cool dishwater for me please.