My French Press Procedure

For Christmas, I got Tackle a 17 oz Bodum Brazil French Press - the same pot I use on a daily basis in my office. I also gifted him some Biggby coffee, arguably my favorite coffee.

However, I suppose I left out a few essential items, as well as instructions. Granted, the instructions would produce coffee the way I like it, but having consumed much joe with Tackle, I think I have a good idea of his tastes.

I think the most important aspect of a great cup of coffee is the coffee itself. That means good, fresh beans. In a perfect world, I'd use whole beans, grind them immediately before combining with water, and that would be that. However, since I do most of my brewing at work, grinding daily is out of the question. Also, I don't have a burr grinder, nor the purse to get one, and I really think that's the only way to grind beans for French Press coffee. Therefore, I leave it to the experts and buy coarse-ground coffee from quality suppliers -- Fairway or Biggby. Both roast their own beans and the brews made from them taste great. I make sure to store ground coffee in airtight containers. Opaque is ideal, but I just keep the coffee in the dark under my desk where it's relatively cool. I also buy less more often, rather than more less often. Coffee is one thing that should not be bought in bulk.

When it comes to daily brewing, I have a bit of a ritual. I begin by filling my Brita Pitcher with cool tap water. Good water is key, especially when your only ingredients are coffee and water. I fill my electric kettle with 0.5 liters of filtered water and flip the switch. If I was less lazy and didn't mind making an even bigger production in the office, I'd fill my mug up with hot tap water. However, since I have the somewhat disgusting habit of washing my mug the morning after drinking the coffee, it's already warm from washing.

Anyhow, I wait for my kettle to reach a boil, then click off. I've read many times that the water should be 190-200F, not 212F, so I wait until the kettle clicks off, then add my coffee to the pot. For one mug, I use 2.5 scoops of coarse ground coffee. How big is a scoop? I think about 1 tablespoon. The scoop came with my press. By this time, I think the water should be around 200F. I add all of the water and stir with a chopstick. Then, I let the coffee steep for 2-3 minutes. I press the filter down slowly and decant into my mug immediately. When I use my larger press at home, I make sure not to leave any "extra" coffee in the pot. It will continue to brew and will taste bitter and disgusting. It should be put in a thermos, or never made in the first place.

I always drink my French Press coffee black because I think it has excellent flavor and body without dairy or sugar. However, even if you *need* milk and/or sugar, I strongly urge you to try a French Press. It's not that much more work, effort, or time than any other method and has great results.

One final note: I just want to emphasize the importance of an even, coarse grind on the beans. They must be even in size so extraction is done evenly. It must be coarse so the grinds don't clog or go through the filter.

Photo credits: maggiejumps