Author: Julie Terebkov
Hello and welcome, to our coffee tribe and any new faces that have joined us this week. We are back with more home brewing, and with that, much more fun and excitement surrounding coffee at home. This week we are tackling the French Press which, is probably one of the most simple methods of the many before us. It is said to have originated from the mid 19th century and was an invention stumbled upon by two men, Mayer and Delforge. There have been many different versions created and patented over the years; the one most similar to those we find today was designed by Faliero Bondanini in 1958.
The French Press can be brewed a few different ways: the classic brewing method that yields a rich, full-bodied cup with the oils, and particles from the coffee coming through. This is explained more in one of our previous posts dealing with the different brewing methods and how they compare in flavor. The other way to brew with a French Press, and my personal favorite way which was explained by James Hoffman in a video called, “The Ultimate French Press Technique". Open up the video and check it out if you’d like to follow along with a video, and listen to a British man teach you the magical ways of coffee.
Equipment:
French Press (There are tons of different options. Any will do, just make sure the metal filter fits and is snug enough in the glass that it actually filters the coffee)
Hot water
Timer
Coffee (Freshly ground course for a French Press)
Two spoons (only if you’re doing the James Hoffman method)
Classic French Press Method:
I always start by rinsing the French Press with some hot water, to warm it up and to rinse out any residual flavors there may be from cleaning or storage. Dump that water out and add 30 grams of ground coffee in the French Press. Add 400 grams of hot water, making sure to wet all of the ground coffee. Wait 4 minutes before plunging the filter, then it is ready to pour and enjoy!
James Hoffman French Press Method:
This method starts the same with rinsing the French Press with hot water and dumping that water. Add in 30 grams of ground coffee, and 500 grams hot water over that, making sure to wet all the grounds. Wait 4 minutes, then with a spoon you’re going to stir the coffee to where the grounds go down instead of floating. After that you can use two spoons to catch any floating grounds that may be at the top of the coffee. Let this sit for at least 5 more minutes. After which you’re going to put the filter on where it only touches the top of your coffee in the French Press (do not plunge it all the way down **this will stir up the grounds and they will come back up). Now you are ready to pour and drink the coffee. This method requires a bit more patience but, I find that it gives me a much cleaner and tastier cup of coffee.
Of course this is all up to personal preference so, play around with both methods and see which one you like more. Also go check out James Hoffman’s video which explains why we take the extra steps in his method. He’s a great person to listen to and learn from on Youtube and he also has a very helpful book called, The World Atlas of Coffee.
Stay classy coffee tribe.