How Does French Press Work?
When you brew coffee In a French press, you should start with coarse-ground beans. You shouldn’t use a blade grinder because they don’t grind evenly and they make the beans warmer, which takes away the flavor you want in your cup. Get the press with a burr grinder or grind your beans at the store. Add the grounds into the French press carafe with very hot water and let it sit for three to five minutes. You want to push the grounds down with the tough strainer and pour yourself a cup. Because of the differences, you will have to get used to the new flavor. You’ll appreciate the aroma and view the coffee oils floating on top. When you drink your coffee, you will taste the tiny bean particles. Coffee aficionados love the quality.
Why Use a French Press?
Many people believe French press makes the best coffee. These are some reasons why. Paper filters take out flavor and oils. When eating good foods, the flavor usually exists in the fats and oils. Paper filters in drip machines absorb much of the oil in your coffee grounds. French press doesn’t soak up flavor and adds tiny bits of coffee grounds in the coffee that percolates flavor. French press allows for steeping. When you get a good cup of tea, you use bulk tea that steeps for several minutes depending on the type of tea. The end result is a mouth-watering cup of tea. The same is true for coffee through a French press. Because the grounds steep instead of filter, the coffee tastes better. Everything is in the cup. Using a French press means that everything except the ground coffee is in the cup. You taste all the flavors, which adds to the experience. You experience the coffee through all five senses. No impurities are there. When you buy Folger’s and use a drip machine, you get impurities. First, impurities come from the manufacturing and distribution of the name-brand of coffee. Second, impurities show up from the drip machine and the way the coffee is made. However, with a French press, you drink the coffee the way it is meant to be drunk without impurities. You get complete saturation of grounds. The French press does not allow you to miss any of the grounds. This means you are getting complete saturation of the coffee and oils. A drip machine doesn’t hit all the grounds. The saturation gives the coffee a different flavor than what you get from a drip machine or percolator. It’s the right temperature. French press maintains the right water temperature throughout the process, which makes a difference on how the coffee is brewed. Drip machines and percolators often heat up the water quickly and cool down just as quickly, which means the right temperature only happens during the middle of the process instead of throughout the whole brewing cycle.
Tips for Making Coffee in Your French Press
Use a course grinder
Weigh your coffee and water because coffees have different densities. For instance, African coffees tend to be thicker than South American coffees. The density difference means that a volume measurement will not be as accurate as a weight measurement. Wet the grinds first because you can eliminate carbon dioxide in the grinds. Then, your coffee won’t taste sour. Stir it after a minute of processing because the grounds will float to the top and not be in the water. Brew for four minutes to get the best taste from the coffee. Use your kitchen timer to count the four minutes.
Plunge and pour
If you are still using a percolator or drip machine, you should purchase a French press machine and taste the difference in the coffee. You will then want to put away your drip machine and have the best tasting coffee from your French press. Featured photo credit: Helena Lopes via unsplash.com
