The Way of the French (Press)...
French Press Coffee
The French Press is a simple way to make a rich delicious cup of coffee. The French Press is a low tech portable coffee brewing method. Let hot water steep over coarsely ground coffee for 3-4 minutes before pressing down the filter and serving. It doesn’t get easier than that. This tutorial will go into grind, water temperature, steep time and fixing common issues when the brew is less than perfect.
1. Dosing The Coffee
The French Press is pretty forgiving and you can have good repeatability, whether you select by weight or by volume. If you are using a Bodum Caffettiera 0.35L, you can safely start off with 10 Grams of coarse ground coffee or about 2 table spoons.
2. Brewing
Pour the coffee powder into the French Press, pour in hot water, and let it steep. If there are coffee grounds clumped at the top or not in contact with the boiled water, stir gently with a plastic or wooden spoon. A chopstick will do the same well. Once done, place the plunger on top of the coffee to minimize loss of heat.
3. Serving
After 4-5 minutes, press down slowly on the plunger. There are guides that suggest brewing time of 6-8 minutes, for a stronger brew. You will have to try these various timings for yourself to determine your best brewing time. The timing used determines strength of the coffee. This is a personal preference.
Pour and enjoy. French Press coffee will have some sediment. To minimize pouring the grit into your mug, I usually leave about 1/2 to 1 inch of coffee in the French Press.
Troubleshooting:
a. Coffee Tastes Weak
Most likely the grind is too coarse or you could let the coffee steep for an additional minute or
2 to increase strength.
What you need:
Scale
Wooden or plastic spoon
Estimated time: 4 to 6 minutes.
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