This world-famous immersion style brewing device produces full-bodied coffee with a heavier texture. Originally patented by Attilio Calimani and further modified it till its inception by Faliero Bondanini – the French-press has since become the main way to make immersion-style coffee in homes across the world.
So how do you make French-press coffee? I’ll explain the standard procedure, but remember to change yours according to your taste as you experiment over time.
First pre-heat your French-press and cup by filling them with hot water.
As both vessels heat up, you want to grind your beans at a medium-coarse setting and heat the water you are going to use to 93-94 (200-205) or wait two minutes after boiling.
Before grinding the coffee, use the 1:16 ratio (coffee bean to water) to measure the number of beans you need to grind. If you use 10Oz or 280ml of water to brew, then grind 10 grams.
Remove the water used to pre-heat and replace it with the newly grounded coffee. Tap the French-press to level the grinds evenly.
Set a timer for four minutes and begin to pour concentrically from the centre outwards making sure that you get all the grounds wet. Put the lid on but don’t plunge.
After the four minutes, use a spoon to break the crust of coffee grounds formed at the top.
Wait two minutes with the top off to let the coffee cool then put it on and slowly begin to plunge. Pour the coffee right away or pour it in another vessel to avoid the bitterness from over-extracting.
If you don’t usually drink French-pressed coffee then try to observe the differences you notice from your usual brew. If it tastes too bitter you have over-extracted your coffee either due to the steep-time or grind size; try grinding coarser, shortening the steep-time, or both. On the other hand, if it tastes overly sour, you have under-extracted and need to grind finer, steep longer, or both.
If you enjoy your drink then try and describe those delectable details – adversely, if you hate your creation then attempt to describe those miasmic qualities.
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