French press coffee has been one of the simplest and most famous coffee preparation methods for several decades. The French press is a comparatively old preparation method that originated in 19th century France. Not only does it make delicious coffees, but it is also easy to use and easy to clean. This article will learn everything about the preparation, different manufacturers, and five tips and tricks for easy use.
What makes French press coffee special?
Coffee from the French press is one of the easiest and best preparation methods for delicious coffee!
- Comparatively little equipment and no additional power source
- Very easy to use and clean
- A French press is comparatively cheap and available in many sizes and designs.
Taste: The French Press coffee is mainly characterized by its entire body and its aroma. The reason for this is that the metal sieve does not filter out the oils and fats in coffee (unlike other filtration methods). Of course, these oils are also flavor carriers.
Buy the good French press.
First, you must know that the French Press has many names: stamp jug, Chambord jug, coffee press, coffee pusher, press jug.
You can stay with the French Press for less than € 100 for good quality compared to other preparation methods. French press jugs are usually constructed similarly – a container (possibly with a frame) and a stamp.
Most containers are made of glass which is held in a frame. Newer French press jugs are now also available in a more robust stainless steel container.
The end of the stamp is equipped with a metal sieve, which serves as a kind of filter. The most significant difference is whether the frame and seal are made of metal or plastic. Metal should be preferred here. In most cases, the French press works better, and the material is more robust. The assembly of the stamp is another difference. With a cheap French press, the individual parts are only connected with one screw, which loosens during cleaning. So a tightly sealed connection is better.
Our coffee recommendation for the French press?
Basically, as always, every coffee is suitable, and it is a question of taste. At early bird coffee, of course, we always recommend high-quality coffees. This recommendation is particularly valid for the French press, as you experience the taste completely unfiltered. Of course, you can argue about the topic of flavor, and in the end, everyone has to test and decide for themselves, but there are a few tips you can keep in mind when buying:
- Of course, you can get various coffees in the supermarket. However, this is mostly industrially roasted using hot air. This roasting process is cheaper, but the complex variety of aromas suffers. The combination of flavors is developed in a long-term roast, after roasting for around 20 minutes. As a rule, you can only get high-quality coffee from small roasters.
- You should also note that only fresh coffee is bought. Coffee tastes best up to around 4 to 8 weeks after it has been roasted. Many manufacturers indicate a shelf life of 2 years on the packaging of the coffee. Even if the coffee does not spoil during this time, its taste quality still decreases with increasing age. You can only get excellent coffee from fresh, high-quality roasted coffee.
Correct preparation with the French press
Step 1: bring the water to a boil.
Boil a little more water to warm up your equipment. For a water temperature of 95 degrees when infusing, let the water cool down a little after boiling.
Step 2: Weigh the coffee beans.
Weigh 60 grams of coffee per liter of water – in this case, 45 grams for 750 milliliters. If you don’t have scales – a heaped tablespoon is about 10 grams.
Step 3: Set the grinding degree and grind the coffee beans
The grind setting on your grinder should be very coarse, something like semolina. Due to the long-brewing time of the coffee of 4:30 minutes in total, the coffee would burn if you grind it more delicate.
Side Effect: People often associate bitter coffee with the French press since the pre-ground powder is used for the filter machine.
Step 4: rinse the French press.
Rinse the Frenched press with a bit of hot water to clean and preheat it.
Step 5: Put the ground coffee in the pot
Step 6: Pour some water and stir
Pour about twice as much water as coffee (for 45 grams of coffee with 90 milliliters of water). Stir well once so that all of the coffee is in contact with water.
Step 7: Let the coffee brew
Let the coffee steep for 30 seconds. Then pour in the rest of the water.
Let the French Press steep for another 4 minutes!
Step 8: Skim off the coffee layer.
After 4:30 minutes of brewing time, it is vital to interrupt the further extraction. So take two large spoons and scoop off the layer of coffee on the surface of the water.
Step 9: Press the stamp down.
Put the lid on and let it warm up for a few seconds. The metal, which has expanded somewhat due to the heat, sits closer in the Frenched press.
Gently push the plunger down through the jug to filter the remaining coffee grounds out of the water. Wait a few more seconds for the coffee to settle a little.
Step 10:
Enjoy coffee!
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