The French Press is the “gateway” brew method for pour-over coffee brewing. It’s an easy go-to for anyone looking to jazz up their at-home coffee brewing experience. And with good reason. It’s tasty, efficient and remarkably different from coffee brewed in a drip coffee maker or a keurig.
Back in April when folks were first sheltering-in-place, we developed an in-depth guide for brewing a French Press at home. That is a great reference for your first French Press adventure.
Today, we’ll look at why it’s such a popular brew method and where you can start for an easy at-home recipe.
WHY IS THE FRENCH PRESS SO POPULAR?
IT’S TASTY
Flavor preferences depend on a myriad of personal experiences. Everything from positive or negative memories, the design of one’s olfactory and gustatory systems, the ambiance where you’re eating or drinking or even what you pair with your food or beverage will all impact your perception of flavor.
With that in mind, there can be no “right” or “wrong” flavor experience.
However, generalities can and do emerge among coffee drinkers. And in general, coffee drinkers who try a French-press after drinking from a drip coffee pot for years, tend to really like the flavor they get from a French Press.
Why? Unlike a drip coffee pot or keurig brewer, the French Press method immerses coffee grounds in hot water for an extended period of time.
THIS IMMERSION OF COFFEE GROUNDS IN HOT WATER HELPS EXTRACT THE ACIDS, SUGARS AND OILS NATURALLY FOUND IN COFFEE. FOR MOST COFFEE DRINKERS, THIS OFTEN TRANSLATES INTO A CUP THAT IS MORE FULL AND FLAVORFUL.
Of course, there’s a myriad of ways you can over-extract French Press coffee and create a bitter, unpalatable cup… BUT.. if you’re brewing it correctly, the end result is far more desirable to coffee brewed in a keurig.
IT’S EFFICIENT
If a cave man were designing a coffee maker, the proto-type would be something like a French Press. (We’re not suggesting “cave men” use French Presses….)…. But.. this is a no-frills, efficient brew method.
What’s needed to Brew a French Press?
- Coffee
- Hot Water
- a French Press
- Time
It’s literally that simple. No fancy filters needed. No suggested brewing kettle. You simply need a French Press, water and time. And .. of course, coffee. (Freshly ground and roasted within the last week is preferred).
FRENCH-PRESSED COFFEE TASTES DIFFERENT
So, what is it about a French Press that makes it different from other brewing methods?
The lack of filter. When you brew coffee through a paper, cloth or even metal filter, you capture the natural oils that are found in coffee.
With a French Press, you pass the brewed coffee through a metal screen (that thank goodness captures those chunky coffee grounds), but all of the rest gets through. You get oils, acids and even very fine sediment. This creates completely different mouthfeel than coffee that has been passed through a paper filter.
With a French Press, the body is thick and velvety, which is very different from something you’d get out of keurig.
HOW TO BREW A FRENCH PRESS
OUR BREW RECIPE
In this video, we are brewing on 34 oz. Bodum Chambord French Press. The recipe is a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio.
– 45 GRAMS COFFEE (COARSELY GROUND)
– 675 GRAMS HOT WATER
– 4 MINUTE BREW TIME
RECOMMENDED TIPS FOR BREWING
- Use Coarsely Ground Coffee
- Use Freshly Ground Coffee
- Use Coffee Roasted within the last Week
- Pour Water that is between 195-200 degrees Fahrenheit
- Experiment with Brew Time until you find what you like. (3-4 minutes is recommended).
RECOMMENDED COFFEE FOR FRENCH PRESS
A popular Viennese roast with buttery notes of caramel, our Brown Sugar blend is the perfect place to start brewing a French Press.
TRY BROWN SUGAR BLEND FOR FRENCH PRESS
