A better morning routine
By the time you cleaned and prepared your drip coffee maker, you could have made a better batch of coffee. A French press brews your coffee "fairly." That is, every piece of coffee ground gets an equal chance to be hugged by your hot water and release its goodness into its embrace. You suddenly have control over every part of the brewing process which translates into better, smoother coffee.
Let's get straight into some tips.
Tips:
Don't ditch your drip coffee maker yet
There is still a place for a drip coffee maker and other tools like Kuerigs. I'm not a coffee prude. You shouldn't be either. Sometimes it just makes more sense to use these items. Although possible, French pressing while camping isn't always ideal, for example. When you have a party, sometimes it just makes sense to make the coffee in a giant pot or easy pods.
Don't forget the biggest one. Some people are just so used to a crappy cup of coffee that a better cup of coffee doesn't taste good to them.
Try different things with your press
Your first try won't be perfect, but you can get great improvements after some testing. Some web sites will have you pull out the scale and thermometer every morning. I assure you, that's not required. Just take note when something works right so you can do it again.
Timing matters
I won't be as strict as others, but brewing too long will make the coffee bitter. Let it sit for 3 or 4 minutes and then press. If your coffee is too weak, add more grounds next time; don't let it sit longer.
Buy a carafe
If you have a cup now and a cup later, you want to keep the coffee hot. The best thing is to insulate it. You can either get a fancy insulated press, or you can do like me and get an insulated carafe. If, for some reason, you coffee does get cold, use the microwave. It works fast and doesn't mess up the taste.
Here is mine.
Don't use fine grounds
Fine grounds are just bad for a French press. Two things happen.. They bind together very closely when pressing, so water won't pass through properly. They also may filter through your screen when pressing, and that's not a good thing.
Do I recommend grinding your own?
Yes.
Do I grind my own?
No. That's a lot of extra work just to wake the kids up early on accident.
If you do grind your own, you need a nice grinder. Consistency on ground size is important.
Why are the grounds floating to the top?
Your water is too hot. Just stir them in again before pressing. Cooler water next time.
Do I need an expensive press?
Mine was $8 at Ikea.
How do I heat the water?
I use a tea pot on the stove. Others use an electric kettle. I also recommend the microwave! You can heat water in a large measuring cup (take precautions for boil overs). You can even heat the water right in the press as long as there isn't metal attached. I used to have a plastic press for that reason.
I hope this inspired some of you. Feel free to reach out with comments or questions.
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