The Best Way To Make French Press Coffee
As important as a kitchen is to a house. We all know the most single important thing we can make in a kitchen is the morning coffee. This article is all about the best way to make French press coffee.
With so many different ways to make coffee, its easy to get lost for the best way to make coffee. A simple hot delicious cup of French press coffee in the morning can get you through the worst of the day.
If you get your morning coffee right it is a simple pleasure you can enjoy at the start of the day.
Why make French press coffee
In the coffee empire, after making drip coffee. French press coffee is one of the less expensive and one of the easiest to make.
If the French press coffee maker is big enough you can brew enough coffee for at least 6 – 8 cups. Which makes it a great way to offer a nice cup of coffee to friends at the end of a night
However, there are some subtle tricks to making that perfect cup of coffee.
How French press coffee is made
It’s simply a process, by steeping the coffee grounds in hot water and then pressing the grounds out, you are left with a brewed coffee.
Tip: Do not let the coffee sit directly on the grounds for extended periods of time as the coffee can turn bitter and you will taste more oiliness.
The tools for making great French press coffee
It took me a little while to find the best way to make French press coffee. Not that there is anything wrong with trial and error, which I did plenty of.
The one single thing that makes a difference is the coffee grinds. You have two options here, you can buy your own French press coffee grinds and grind them. Or buy the coffee grinds already ground up.
To be honest, I do both, I buy my favourite brand, but also sneak some with my own coffee grinder.
I love my little coffee grinder the :
OXO Brew conical burr coffee grinder
- Its made from durable 40 mil stainless steel conical burrs. Which create uniform grounds
- 15 nifty settings (plus Micro settings) so you can adjust your grind to suit your taste
- One-touch start timer. Also with built-in memory so it keeps your last setting
- Hopper holds up to 0. 75 pounds of Coffee beans
- Grounds container accommodates up to 110 grams (enough for 12 cups).
I find its a simple model to use, which produces the perfect grind for my French press.
For a prepacked option, I love the Stone Street coffee with a coarse ground. Its a perfect Colombian dark roast grind
I like to keep two options on hand. I impress people by grinding my own grinds, with the other, I just make a really quick simple cup of French press for myself.
How to stuff up the French press coffee
I said it above trial and error is not a bad thing. I’ve learnt there are two areas that can absolutely stuff up French press coffee
Water Temperature
It is critical to get the temperature of the water right. If its boiling water that you pour over the ground you can scorch the grounds. While pouring tepid water will not fully extract the flavour and texture of the coffee.
Tip – I use an electric jug as it has the perfect setting for boiling water for coffee. Or take the water off the boil and let it sit for a minute before pouring. That way it’s not 100% hot.
Badly Ground coffee
If you over grind your beans you can end up with too much grit. Which in turns can make the coffee muddy.
The ground coffee is best fixed with a decent grinder.
There are two types of coffee bean grinders on the market.
Blade grinder
These units are designed with a blade in the centre of the grinder which looks like a propeller. They are very similar to a food blender blader.
Burr grinder
Just like the bad boy above. These units are designed with two revolving abrasive surfaces (known as burrs). The coffee is ground between them a few beans at a time. Burr grinders are integral for the best way to make French press coffee
For a perfect cup of French press coffee, you want to have evenly sized grains of coffee. The beans should be relatively big. As smaller grains will go through the filter, and end up causing sediment in your cup.
As well you don’t want to over-extract the bean taste, as it can make your coffee bitter tasting.
Burr grinders beat blade grinders for making the perfect sized bean grind for French press.
If you are just wanting to buy pre-ground French press coffee. Commercial grinders tend to know the difference so you should be safe. Just pick a flavour you think you might like and stick to it.
Technical ways to make the best French press
I have a friend that tells me all the best ways to make coffee. I keep calling him a coffee snob. As much as I cherish a decent cup of coffee in the morning, I really don’t get that scientific about it.
I don’t weigh my grind, to the grams or measure how much water I pour into the millimetre. I tend to go with what I think will make a strong coffee, I’m somewhat relaxed.
However, if you want to get scientific in making your French press, then go for it. More power to you.
A basic guide to the best way to make French press coffee
I want to share a basic chart for ratio for water and coffee grind making the best French press coffee.
Tip – Measure coffee beans before grinding.
Use this guide for making an average 4 cup serving. Which will equate to about 32 ounces?
- 1 serving — 1 cup water (8 fluid ounces) — 2 tablespoons coffee beans
- 2 servings — 2 cups water (16 fluid ounces) — 1/4 cup coffee beans
- 4 servings — 4 cups water (32 fluid ounces) — 1/2 cup coffee beans
- 8 servings — 8 cups water (64 fluid ounces) — 1 cup coffee beans
French press coffee recipe
Ingredients
1/2 cup freshly roasted coffee beans- 4 cups cold water
1/2 cup freshly roasted coffee beansEQUIPMENT
- Burr grinder (see above)
- French press should hold at least 32 ounces
- Electric kettle OR a stove-top kettle
- Instant-read thermometer (don’t get too picky here)
- Long spoon for stirring
INSTRUCTIONS
- Measure the coffee beans – Measure out the 1/2 cup coffee beans. (Adjust as per the guide above)
- Grind the coffee beans. – Grind the beans on the coarsest setting in a burr grinder.
- Heat the water to boiling, then cool for 1 minute – Heat 4 cups cold water in a stove-top or electric kettle to boiling, then take off the heat for about 1 full minute before making the coffee. Water for French press coffee should be heated to 195°F. If you really want to get technical use the thermometer to test.
- Add the water to the French press – Pour the water into the French press.
- Stir the brew – Stir vigorously, using an up and down motion.
- Steep for 4 minutes – Let steep for 4 minutes to produce a robust brew
- Plunge the press – When the timer goes off, immediately press the plunger all the way to the bottom. Drink the coffee immediately.
RECIPE NOTES
Warming the French press – You can use hot boiling water to pour into the French press to cleanse and rinse it out, before making it. It is a great way to warm the canister first.
Use a carafe – We pointed it out previously. Do not let it sit in the French press for long, it will turn bitter. You can pour it into a thermal carafe to keep it hot, or simply pour it into the coffee cups and drink it.
