In a perfect world, there’d be no drip-brewed coffee and percolators would have all been turned to scrap!  We have much better ways to produce the perfect cup of coffee.

Here’s one:  the French Press.  Outside of espresso, this is my favorite way to prepare coffee.  So, in this post, I’ll give you the basics on how to french press coffee.

Wayne's 24 oz French Press Pot

You’ll want to purchase a French Press pot.  You can get these at most kitchen supply stores and various places online.  Two suggestions on your press pot.  1) Don’t go for the new stainless steel thermal carafe types.  They are designed to keep the coffee hot, which is nice, but because the pressed grounds stay in the bottom, the steeping of the coffee actually continues as the pot sits in between cups, resulting in increasingly over-extracted coffee grounds.  2) The filter screen is the key.  While almost all the glass pots will work, a good, clean screen is a necessity.

So, with your pot in hand, here are 8 keys to the perfect French Press:

1. As is the case with any brewing method, you must have properly roasted, fresh coffee beans.  Contact us to see the selection of coffees we use at our events and how you can get them at your home or office.
2. The grind is important.  Grind the beans as coarse and evenly as you can.
3. Pure water.  Not distilled water, but fresh, purified drinking water.
4. The ratio of coffee to water:  If you’re using volume measurements, measure 2 tablespoons of ground coffee for every 6 ounces of water.  If you have a scale, 10.5 grams (.4 oz) of coffee per 6 ounces of water.
5. Water temperature.  Magic number = 205 degrees Fahrenheit.  So, an easy way to get this is boil your water, then allow it to come off a boil (225 degrees) for 10 seconds.  Will be pretty close every time!
6. Steeping the coffee.  With your coffee grounds in the pot, pour just enough of the hot water to saturate the grounds.  [Tip: Assuming your heating your water in a pot on the stove top, simply use a ladle to pour in this initial saturating amount.] For 20 – 30 seconds, the coffee will “bloom,” or release its natural gasses.  This gives you an easy way to check if your coffee is fresh – does the coffee expand during this step?  After blooming, pour in the remaining water (just coming off a boil) and stir the grounds.
7. Back away from the press pot!  Don’t touch, stir, shake or otherwise mess with the brewing magic for at least 3 minutes.  With some trials, you’ll find your sweet spot for steeping time – somewhere between 3 and 4 minutes depending on your taste.
8. Give it one more stir and immediately begin pressing the plunger down.  Press slowly and evenly for 15 – 20 seconds.  Remember, as your pressing, this is part of the steeping time, so factor this in as your finding your perfect brewing time.

A final tip: if you’re brewing more than one cup, immediately pour all the coffee into a thermal carafe.  This is a great way to keep your perfectly brewed coffee hot and serve a cup at a time.

Hope you’ll try press pot coffee soon – make a cup for you and a friend!