How to Make a French Press

Four Key Ingredients to Making Great Coffee

There are four principle variables to control in coffee making: the quality of the water, the freshness of the beans, the grind of the beans, and the proportion of beans to water.  For optimum results use cold, filtered water, fresh beans (whole beans stored in a dry, airtight container should keep three to four weeks), appropriate grind for the job (coarse for French Press, fine for espresso, and degrees of medium for various filter machines), and 2 tablespoons of whole beans for every 8 ounces of water.  Four tablespoons equates to 1/4 cup, so you can also use the measure of 1/4 cup whole coffee beans for every 16 ounces of water if you are making larger quantities.

Four Quick and Easy Steps to a French Press

1. Measure out 2 tablespoons of whole bean coffee for every 8 ounces of water.  In this example we are using a 32 ounce French Press so that requires 8 tablespoons (or 1/2 cup) of whole bean coffee.  Grind the coffee coarsely.  If you are using a blade grinder the results will be different depending on your particular machine, but typically somewhere between 5 to 7 seconds should work nicely.  If you are using a grocery store grinder (burr grinder) you may also want to experiment with the various different settings on the coarse side of the spectrum.  Add the coarsely ground beans to the French Press.
2. Bring 32 ounces of cold, filtered water to just off a boil, if possible (I personally can never get it quite right).  I do not recommend using the microwave in this instance because of its unpredictability and tendency to create temperature inconsistencies.  An electric tea kettle or a stovetop kettle works the best in terms of speed an efficacy.
3. Add slightly off-boiling water to the ground coffee beans in the French Press and start a timer for four minutes.  Stir the grinds with a plastic spoon 5 to 7 times (actual number not important – mostly to give perspective on how much stirring you need to do).  It is important to use a plastic spoon because the hot water rapidly heats the fragile glass of the French Press beaker making it vulnerable to fracture.  A cold metal spoon hitting the side of the glass beaker even with minimal force can break the glass.
4. Once the four minute steep time has elapsed put the top on the French Press and gently press down on the plunger, slowly pushing the grinds to the bottom of the French Press beaker.  This should compress all the grinds to the very bottom of the French Press.  Pour and enjoy!

Recommendations For The Coffee Connoisseur

The caramel-colored foam on top of a freshly poured French Press is called the crema, a concentrated coffee-foam.  Take a small sip of a freshly poured, black French Press and suck in a little bit of air through your teeth to splash the coffee around your tongue.  That technique is generally for wine-tasting, but it works just as well for coffee.  There are also a few general rules that you can apply when deciding what to pair with your coffee.  African coffees tend to be either acidic and fruity or earthy and bold.  The acidic varieties will pair nicely with citrus fruit, berries, grapes, and salad; the earthy varieties will pair well with grilled vegetables, mushrooms, artichokes, brownies, and dark chocolate.