How to use a French Press?

**Homercidal** · 01-31-2012, 01:54 PM

Ok, I enjoy coffee to a certain degree. It's "fine" out of my little 4 cup drip machine. I wanted to try something different so I asked for, and got, a french press for Christmas.

I've used it once or maybe twice. Not sure what I'm doing.

I thought the point was to actually press the coffee. It seems, according to the instructions, that it doesn't actually squeeze the grounds. Just steeps the coffee and filters it from (mostly) going into your cup.

Without the pressure of pressing the grounds, it seems an awful lot like just steeping coffee in hot water... O.o

**drkaeppel** · 01-31-2012, 02:00 PM

First of all, the filter/plunger isnt used to actually squeeze the grounds. Its just to push them to the bottom. I try to grind my coffee large enough so the plunger doesn't get stuck, but fine enough so that the coffee is still nice and dark. The weight of your hand should be enough pressure to move the plunger. They can be easy to bend or break depending on how well yours is built

I love my french press. It seems to produce a richer brew than an autodrip. Paper filters soak up all the good oils from the coffee, but a french press leaves it all in there.

bernerbrau · 01-31-2012, 02:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homercidal

Without the pressure of pressing the grounds, it seems an awful lot like just steeping coffee in hot water... O.o

It is. But you're making coffee, not espresso.

Do a coarse grind (just enough to crack every bean, no more), add boiling water, stir, wait 4 minutes, press and serve. I promise it will taste good.

**motobrewer** · 01-31-2012, 02:04 PM

yes, you are just steeping coffee in water.

the only problem with them is that i must drink too slow - by the time I pour the second cup, its not very hot anymore.

**drkaeppel** · 01-31-2012, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by motobrewer

yes, you are just steeping coffee in water.

the only problem with them is that i must drink too slow - by the time I pour the second cup, its not very hot anymore.

You should get one of these: http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=frieling+press&tag=googhydr-20&index=garden&hvadid=7135579659&ref=pd_sl_5auow8ys8y_b

Frieling makes them with double-wall stainless steel. Mine will keep coffee piping hot for 2-3 hours easily.

**Homercidal** · 01-31-2012, 02:29 PM

Ok. I'll try again. Honestly I don't know if I could really tell the difference between the press and my coffee maker. I was expecting a somewhat more full bodied and roasty flavor.

One problem is that my grinder is actually a blade chopper. I'll try chopping with larger grounds and pay attention to the amounts of water and coffee.

Misplaced_Canuck · 01-31-2012, 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Homercidal

Ok. I'll try again. Honestly I don't know if I could really tell the difference between the press and my coffee maker. I was expecting a somewhat more full bodied and roasty flavor.

One problem is that my grinder is actually a blade chopper. I'll try chopping with larger grounds and pay attention to the amounts of water and coffee.

Pulse your coffee mill until the grounds look like milled barley grain (small bits but no flour).

Use the press's piston to slowly press the grounds. It usually takes me 1 minute or 2 to press the grounds to the bottom.

I use French roast or Espresso roast, and I use about 15g (grams) per large coffee mug. In a standard press, that's about 30g for two large mugs.

MC

**Wayne1** · 01-31-2012, 03:17 PM

If you don't care for your French Press for coffee, use it for beer!

There was an article in the latest Zymurgy mag (gadgets issue) where it shows adding hops in the French Press, waiting a couple of minutes to infuse some flavor and aroma and then pushing in the plunger and pouring.

A couple of places here in Colorado are offering this to their customers.

Bull and Bush had quite an article about in the Westword.

Bull & Bush offering tableside whole-hop infusions

Crazy Mountain brewing has been doing this in Edwards for a couple of years.

I bought a French Press just to do the hop infusion. I really like. It adds the fresh hop flavor that quickly fades away from bottled beers.

**69Bronc** · 01-31-2012, 03:24 PM

I am an oddball when it comes to the French Press. I love mine. But, I grind the tar out of my coffee before putting it in. The other thing that I like is that I can really load the coffee in so that I can get a really strong cup. Can't do that with my coffee pot - the basket only holds so much!

Curtis2010 · 01-31-2012, 04:02 PM

All good advice....my 2c below:

I use french presses a lot both at home and when running sailing charters/cruising.

Here is how I brew coffee using one: add coffee to taste, add water just below boiling, insert press, depress till grinds are just below the surface of water, let steep for 5-10 minutes, slowly depress press until it hits bottom.

I own several double walled stainless steel presses by Thermos/Nissan -- great product. You can buy this on on amazon, just search for "Thermos Nissan 34-Ounce Vacuum Insulated Stainless-Steel Gourmet Coffee Press". The stainless is good quality and does not rust. Not just the body is stainless, but all metal parts are stainless too. No parts have rusted over a period of several years despite regular rinsing out with salt water.

I don't like the glass presses because they are fragile...had one shatter explosively once while pressing...hot water and grind everywhere (lessons learned: don't make your grind too fine because it will clog the screen and don't use a cracked glass press!).

Also since this product is double walled it holds the temp pretty well.

We typically use the press to make coffee and then pour into an insulated carafe so that we can make more coffee while the first batch is being consumed. It is very important not to run out of coffee in the early AM ! You can just pitch more coffee in on top of the old grinds for the second batch...this cuts down on clean up effort and conserves a little coffee since you don't need quite as much for the second batch.

Re water temp: I find that using water just below boiling makes for a better cup of coffee (at least for my taste). Boiling water tends to make the brew a bit more bitter.

The quality of coffee you use of course also makes a big difference regardless what you use to brew it. Fortunately we live in a region of great coffees (Central America) so have access to lots of good stuff. Just brewed a blended mix this AM of 3 parts Welches to 1 part Dieseldorff Expresso (ground coarse). These coffees are from Copan, Honduras and Coban, Guatemala respectively. They work quite well together with the Dieseldorff Expresso giving the Welches a little extra kick. It was a good morning...great blended coffee combined with the nice hoppy smell of the IPA I just brewed chugging away in the fermentor....yum. (...and then the genset quit running....oh well...just another F'ing day in paradise!)

I have also used a press in brewing beer...to salvage an accidentally under-hopped beer. Used boiling water and hops to make a "hop tea" in the press and then added to the wort (which had already been added to fermentor before I discovered the error). Worked OK, but produced a minor grassy/astringent taste.