The coffee French press is on the agenda today. So grab your stainless steel French press or one of your many Bodum coffee makers that I know you have and let’s get brewing đ I’ve written about the coffee French press and why everyone should indulged in French press coffee before. For a brief recap, French press coffee includes all the wonderful oils that really give any type of roasted coffee bean its full and nuanced flavor profile. So I certainly advise that everyone try any new espresso coffee beans or 100 Kona coffee beans or any new coffee that you’re trying for the first time as a French pressed coffee. You’ll marvel at the complexities that the little coffee bean delights your taste buds with.
So some of you who are here might be wondering what a coffee French press is. So let me give you a quick overview of what a French press coffee maker is and how it works. The image to the left is of the Bodum Chambord 3 cup coffee press which is available at Amazon by clicking here. I chose this image as it shows all of the parts without having to show them all individually. The French press coffee pot is perhaps one of the simplest ways of enjoying coffee, and also one of its purest ways of enjoying the delicious coffee bean. You can see in the image that a coffee press is made up of glass beaker cradled in a plastic frame, or in this case a metal frame. Into this beaker fits a lid with plunger mechanism. The plunger mechanism has a cylindrical filter that fits snugly within the glass beaker and separates the coffee beans from the hot water.
Making French press coffee is easy. You need some coffee beans, a French press pot or plunger as they call it across the pond and some hot water. The coffee grind for French press coffee should be set at the coarsest that you can possibly. Have a look at my home page here at Coffee Sensei and you’ll have an idea. You can also think of kosher salt if that helps. I add about 1 tablespoon of ground coffee for every 8 ounces of hot water. Sometimes I’ll add more, sometimes I’ll add less, depending on how strong I like my coffee. More coffee makes a stronger cup of coffee.
Then boil water with a kettle or in a pot on the stove or in a pot over the campfire and then add it to the coffee French press and leave around 2 inches of room at the top. Add the French press coffee maker lid and plunger mechanism but don’t push the plunger down just yet. Let the plunger and filter rest on the top level of the liquid, while the lid is firmly in place. Let the coffee brew for around 4 minutes and then slowly push the plunger all the way down to the bottom. You know have yourself a very delicious French press full of coffee. How to make coffee with a French press is not all that difficult. But the flavors are delicious.
I always recommend that folks try any new coffee beans in a French press pot to fully appreciate the flavors that can be found in each new coffee you’re going to try. The French press coffee maker is available in a bunch of sizes and styles so that you can find one for your needs. Heading to Amazon you can find the 3 cup coffee press, 8 cup coffee press, a thermal coffee press, coffee press cup or travel coffee press for when you’re on the run. I have a stainless coffee press that is insulated and serves about 4 cups of coffee as well as a 1 cup French press which I use as my travel coffee press. They might cost a bit up front, though they are by no means expensive, but there is hardly anything that can go wrong with them, so a coffee French press will truly last you a lifetime.