I have been making French press coffee for years, and with every cup, the taste gets even better. Over these years, I have tried so many devices to make French press coffee, but nothing beats my old friend – the traditional Bodum French press coffee maker.
So, if you are looking to enhance your brew’s taste, I have a few pointers for you that can help. If you are new to brewing coffee at home, starting from the French press is perfect. Let’s get started already!
Making French Press Coffee at Home or Office
1. Opt for Good Quality Coffee Beans
Getting good coffee beans is the key to perfect coffee. Buy high-quality ones in the whole form. And make sure to grind them to the coarse ground just before using them. Their consistency should be of breadcrumbs – not too fine, neither too coarse.
If possible, I recommend using a burr coffee grinder instead of a blade grinder as it produces consistently-sized grounds.
2. Measure the Amount of Coffee
Everyone’s preference varies when it comes to the coffee-to-water ratio. However, I like to weigh my coffee beans before grinding them to get the perfect French press coffee every day. If I am making two cups of coffee, I like to use 13 grams of coffee beans. However, if you don’t have a scale, you can use about ½ cup of whole beans.
3. Heat Water to Boiling
Once the water reaches a boil, pull it off the stove and let the water rest for about 45 seconds at room temperature. I like to do this because if the water is still boiling, it might scorch the beans, resulting in a burnt coffee taste.
Ideally, the water temperature should be 195° F, but you don’t have to be too precise – a good guess can do.
4. Add Coffee to Your French Press Machine
Add your coarse coffee grounds to the bottom of your French press coffee maker, and use a kettle to pour hot water to wet the beans. In short, you want all your coffee beans to be saturated before doing anything else.
Wait for 60 seconds so the coffee beans can puff up and bloom. After 1 minute of waiting, pour in the rest of the water, stir it, add the lid on the top, and let your coffee brew for another 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Time to Serve!
Once the four minutes are up, gently push the French press machine’s plunger down until it reaches the bottom. You can then pour the coffee into the cups and serve them piping hot! If you want to drink the coffee later, just pour the remaining into a thermal, so it remains hot.
If you find that your coffee tastes a bit strong, you can use fewer beans in the coffee-to-water ratio or brewing it for 30 seconds less. Experiment with these two ways and find out what suits you the best.
On the other hand, if you find that coffee is too weak, you can increase the coffee-to-water ratio or the brew time – whatever seems right to you.
Summary
Ingredients (For 2 Cups)
- 1 Cup of Water
- 13 grams of good quality coffee beans (whole)
Instructions
- Heat the water in a pan or kettle. While it is heating, take 13 grams of whole beans and grind them to a very coarse grind in a burr grinder (preferred).
- Add the beans to the bottom of the French press machine.
- Pour some water into the machine to wet the beans. Wait for 1 minute.
- Pour in the rest of the hot water and stir it to disperse it evenly. Put a lid on the top and wait for another 3 minutes (more or less according to your preferred taste).
- Once the time is up, your French press coffee is ready to serve. Press down the plunger and pour out the coffee immediately.
