Easy French Press Coffee

Thursday, February 18th, 2016 by

Here at the CBD office French press coffee is affectionately called “luxury coffee.” It’s always a treat when we brew a pot.  With French press brewing, the coffee grounds are in direct contact with the water for several minutes and filtered with a mesh strainer. Oils filtered by paper in other brewers remain in the liquid, resulting in a very rich, and flavorful cup.

While it does take a little more input than pushing a button, it doesn’t require a lot of fussiness and it’s so worth the extra effort you won’t mind. To get you started, here are our steps to a great pot of French press.

  1. Make sure your coffee is freshly roasted and ground on a coarse setting.
  2. Use very hot, but not boiling water (let the water sit a minute or two after boiling).
  3. We recommend a ratio of 2 heaping tablespoons per 8 ounces of water. If your coffee isn’t the freshest or you like a stronger flavor, try 2 tablespoons per 6 ounces.
  4. Add the coffee to your pot first, then fill to about halfway with water, saturating all the grounds.
  5. Allow the coffee to stand for one minute, then stir.
  6. Add the rest of your water, leaving just enough room for the French press lid.
  7. Place the lid on the top of your press, without depressing the plunger.
  8. Wait three more minutes, then plunge, pour, and enjoy! If you’re not serving the coffee right away, transferring it to a thermal carafe will keep it from over steeping, and keep it hot.

When it’s time to clean your press, an easy way to get rid of the grounds at the bottom is to swirl some hot water around in there, pouring it out through a mesh sieve. For stubborn stains, try filling the carafe with soapy water and plunging it a few times, or let soak in a 50/50 mixture of distilled white vinegar and boiling water.