The French press, also known as a press pot, is a 19th century French invention that brews an above-average cup of coffee, if you use the right beans. It is more flavorful than the speedy and convenient drip American coffee maker and is just shy of the robust flavors of espresso.
Its French name is cafetière à piston, but is more commonly known by its brand names, such as Bodum or melior, or simply a cafetière.
The personalization of a morning cup of coffee is part of the fun of using a French press and can be anywhere between 2-5 minutes of steeping, before the plunger is slowly pushed while not allowing any of the grains to pass. A very coarse grind is recommended, which is a 1/10 on our grinder.
We like Zabar’s French-Italian roast for use in our French pressed coffee.
We find it has the right balance for this sort of use.
Making coffee in a French press coffee press is not complicated, and is more flavorful and aromatic than those having gone through an American paper filter and drip machine. You can also use it to make tea, in a pinch.
A conical burr grinder is recommended over a blade grinder because it gives a more consistent grind. I believe you cannot have it too course, so crank the grinder to the coarsest setting.
Heat the water just short of boiling, either on the stove or (heaven forbid, in the microwave if you are that pressed for time). Use the best filtered water available (to eliminate chlorine and hard water tastes), but bottled is unnecessary in most places.
Place the coffee grounds into the coffee press. I like it strong, the French way, so we use 4 heaping tablespoons of coarsely ground coffee per 8 oz of water, but adjust to your liking.
Gently pour your water into the coffee press, vigorously to fully mix with the grounds, leaving an inch or two at the top of the press to reduce spilling. If you pour vigorously and in a round about fashion, stirring should not be necessary.
Place the lid and plunger unit with the filter raised to the top (your stem should be sticking all the way up through the top of the lid). Allow the coffee to brew, or steep, for 2 to 5 minutes. The longer the brewing time, the stronger the coffee, we find 4 minutes right.
When your coffee is done steeping, slowly and gently press down on the plunger in an even, slow manner, being sure the plunger is straight and grounds are not passing up the side. This should take 30-60 seconds, it is a very slow pressing action.
French pressed coffee is usually stronger and thicker and has more sediment than drip-brewed coffee. Serve immediately and remove any excess to a serving pot, as it will bitter with age in the pot still attached to the grounds.
Let it set for a minute or more in the cup or serving pot, to allow the sediment to settle to the bottom.
