How to Make a French Coffee

A French press produces rich, creamy coffee from large, uniform grounds.

A French press is a coffee pot that brews a strong, flavorful cup of absolutely fresh coffee in a swirl of hot water. The origins of the French press are murky, unlike the coffee it produces. The pot design is attributed to mid-nineteenth century France. The top of the press is a filter with a plunger that pushes the grinds down to the bottom of the pot after the coffee brews. The liquid on top, brewed coffee -- with no grounds if you followed instructions and used the right coffee grinder -- should be drunk at once in order to appreciate its full flavor.

Things You'll Need

• French press coffee pot
• Freshly roasted, full-bodied coffee beans
• Burr-style coffee grinder
• Kettle and water
• Coffee scoop or spoon
• Chopstick
• Coffee cup or mug

Instructions

1. Grind fresh beans in a burr grinder -- not a blade grinder -- to get large, even grains of coffee with no powder to slip past the filter and sludge the bottom of the cup. The best beans have a robust flavor and have been roasted within the past 10 days.

2. Heat water to between 195 and 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Put one rounded teaspoon of just-ground coffee per cup into the press. A cup is about 4 oz. Some people like to add one for the pot -- this will give you stronger coffee.

3. Pour the water in slowly, moving the steady stream of water around the pot to soak all the grounds. You will see a slight bloom, or foam, begin to form on the top of the water.

4. Stir the coffee a few times with a chopstick to wet all the grains so the full flavor of the coffee is extracted. The bloom will increase quickly to a foam top. Set the filter top on the press with the handle in the up position and let the coffee brew.

5. Brew a small pot for two to three minutes -- experimenting with brew times and coffee measurements will customize your French press coffee to your taste. For a large pot, give the coffee a full four minutes to brew.

6. Hold the handle of the press with one hand and push the plunger down slowly and steadily with the other hand. Keep the filter perfectly level to avoid escaping coffee grounds that will end up in your cup. When the plunger is fully depressed, pour the coffee into the cup slowly, keeping a finger on the filter press to be sure it doesn't pop off. The French press coffee is ready to drink.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the French press clean and use fresh water each time you brew a pot.

• Remember to grind the beans just before tipping the ground coffee into the pot and pouring the water.

References

• The Coffee Geek: How to Use a Press Pot
• youtube: French Press