The streets of Europe are dotted with quaint little sidewalk café’s that dispense the best coffee you can find anywhere in the world. Their concoctions are usually strong, but smooth, with a bold flavor that is seldom found in the United States and other parts of the world. It’s not necessarily that they are using superior grinds, it may just be that the coffee they serve is freshly brewed using a French press. You may not recognize that term, but I’m sure you have all seen one, as they show up quite a bit in movies and TV and basically look like a coffee pot with a plunger. I know I have always been intrigued by the look of them, so I decided to find out how to use a French press coffee maker.
French Press Instructions
As you can imagine, a good cup of French press coffee begins with the grinds, and in order to make sure that you have a uniform, large grind, you’ll want to invest in a quality grinder. This is not your regular paper filter coffee pot, the grinds here have to be bigger and coarser, so as to be sure that the full body and flavor is extracted during the steeping process.
How To Use A French Press Coffee Maker
Now on to the whole process; to get the best results, don’t allow the coffee to sit around after the grind, get it into the press pot immediately, using one rounded tablespoon of coffee per cup. The next step is to add the water which should be boiled before the grind process. The reason you let the boiled water cool a little is because adding it directly after boiling may in fact scald the coffee somewhat.
Once the coffee and water have been combined, you will notice that a good portion of the grinds will be floating on top; use chopsticks (perfect because they will reach to the bottom of the pot) to stir a little, which will force most of the excess grinds to the bottom of the pot.
At this point you should add the filter assembly to the pot, but do not press down the plunger just yet. Allow 2-4 minutes, depending on the size of the pot, of steep time, which will release the flavor from the grinds. Once the coffee has steeped for the recommended amount of time, you can then push down the plunger, making sure to do so in a continuous, smooth motion, keeping the plunger rod straight at all times. Allowing the rod to go in at an angle will mean that some of the grinds will escape up the sides and make their way into your cup.
Finally, pour and enjoy your cup of pressed coffee. As you can see, French press instructions are pretty basic and straightforward, but taking the time to follow those few simple steps to the letter will ensure that you end up with a cup of coffee that is like nothing you have ever tasted before.