How to Make Coffee in a French Press?
A cup of this viscous, full-bodied brew with an unbeatable texture and an unmistakable aroma is more than enough to deliciously awaken the senses. If you are an ardent coffee drinker, you are likely no stranger to a French Press.
A French Press, also known as a coffee plunger is a full coffee brewing device that is used to make coffee with a manual brewing method. It is one of the most popular methods of manual brewing, preferred over other techniques. Now we provide you complete details of How to Make Coffee in a French Press.
Coffee lovers love French Press mainly because it allows the coffee steep in boiling water, bringing out its full flavour. It is one of the easiest and least time-consuming ways to brew a great cup of rich, flavourful coffee, right after the drip coffee maker.
One of the reasons why a French Press is considered to make the best coffee is because of the experience. When you are sitting with a cup of fresh French Press, you experience the coffee with all five senses. Coffee aficionados love the quality of a French pressed coffee, since, unlike other methods of brewing, a French Press retains the coffee oils as well as full flavour. The difference in the quality of the brew is also because, in a French press, the right water temperatures are maintained throughout the brewing process.
Most of all, it is the ability to personalize every cup you brew that makes a French Press a sheer delight for cafephiles. You can control all the variables in a cafetiére, right from the temperature of the water to the grind, and the brew time to make your coffee just the way you like it.
If you are a fan of the French Press, we at Karma Kaapi have a great selection of coffee beans to satiate your senses. Whether you prefer grinding your own coffee or are looking for grounds for perfect French Press, you can pick the finest coffees from best coffee estates to enhance your experience at www.karmakaapi.com
Origin of French Press
The French Press, as is known to the modern world, is a result of the multiple design changes that the coffee plunger has undergone over the centuries. And, there is hardly anything French about the design of the French Press which is used today. The first-ever coffee plunger design was patented in 1929 in Italy by Attilio Calimani and Giulio Moneta. The design which is popular world-over today was patented in 1958, by a Swiss man by the name of Faliero Bondanini. This brewer was mass-produced as a ‘Chambord’ in France. The popularity of the Chambord in France is what gave this brewer the identity of the ‘French Press’.
The first documented origins of the coffee plunger, however, dates back to 1852, by two Frenchmen Mayer and Delforge. Although the true origins of this method of brewing are contentious, The French Press is undeniably the simplest method of preparing a cup of excellent coffee.
How to make coffee in a French Press with ground coffee?
The full immersion method of a French Press provides a strong cup of coffee every single time you brew it. Here is how you make strong coffee in a French Press in five simple steps.
Step 1. Start by boiling the water, the ideal temperature for this would be 205 degrees Fahrenheit or approximately 96 degrees Celsius.
Step 2. While you are bringing the water to a boil, grind your coffee beans. Make sure that the grind is coarse and even. For an ideal cup, you can begin with a 1:12 ratio of grind and water. For 350 ml of water, you can use 30 grams of coffee grind. For a stronger brew, you can increase the ratio as per preference.
Step 3. Gently pour water onto the coffee grind. Pour evenly covering the grind. You can begin with just enough water to soak the grind and stir the grounds gently with a chopstick or a bamboo paddle. Allow the coffee to bloom for approximately 30 seconds and pour the remaining water into the container.
Step 4. Place the lid gently on top of the grounds so that the plunger is just above the water. Do not plunge. Let the coffee steep for four minutes. It is absolutely imperative to let it brew for four minutes and not more to avoid over-extraction.
Step 5. Press the plunger down applying even pressure. The pressure required to push the plunger down can tell you a lot about your coffee grounds. If it is too difficult to press, the coffee is too fine and if it just sinks in with minimal pressure, your grounds are too coarse. Once you have pushed the plunger down, decant the brew into your cup.
How to make strong coffee in a French Press?
Following the five simple steps of brewing a French Press coffee, you can also make a strong cup of coffee for yourself. While ideally anywhere between 1:12 – 1:15 is the ratio used for a regular French Press, for a stronger brew you can reduce the quantity of water. Depending upon your taste and preferences, you can start with 1:12 and move up to 1:7 for a much stronger and full-bodied French Press brew. If you allow the brew to sit even after plunging, it will lead to over-extraction.
How to make iced coffee in a French Press?
If you want the perfect drink of iced coffee, there is no shortcut to do it. Plunking ice cubes into a cup of coffee just won’t do it. The best of iced coffees are made using the French Press method. And well, if you remember the ‘no short cut’ bit, it is not by using the fresh hot brew from a French Press. For the best iced coffee, the coffee grounds are steeped overnight. Grind coffee beans into even and coarse grounds. Combine the coffee grounds with water, you can use your preferred grounds to water ratio. Gently stir the grounds to combine it with the water until the mixture is well blended. Gently place the lid over the container with the plunger in the up position. Do not plunge. Let it steep overnight in the refrigerator. In the following morning, plunge the French Press and decant the brew. This infused brew will make the perfect glass of iced tea. Fill a glass with ice cubes and pour milk halfway, fill the rest of the glass with the brew and serve.
How to make cold brew coffee in French Press?
One might often mistake iced coffee to be the same as a cold brew. However, there is a marked difference in the flavour of the two. The difference in the temperature of the water during the steeping causes a drastic change in the infusion resulting in a variation in the taste. Here is how you make a cold brew. Using the ratio of 1:7 put the coffee grounds in the bottom of the French Press and gently pour regular or room temperature water, wetting the grounds evenly. Place the lid over the container with the plunger in the up position. Let it steep for 14 – 16 hours at room temperature. Press the plunger and strain the brew into a separate container and store it into the refrigerator. One part of this strong brew concentrate mixed with one part of water makes for a perfect cup of cold brew coffee.